I am a local who grew up on this course. I have watched it's steady decline, but have to say that the last two years it has declined tremendously. As a Troon managed course, this is surprising as I think that Troon normally does a good job with upkeep. The positives - the 3 courses (Desert, Canyon, and Oasis) are on and around Camelback Mountain which is a beautiful setting. There are some fun, elevated tee boxes and the mountain foothill topography creates some interesting challenges. The negatives- By far the biggest negative is that there is no sand in any of the sand traps. You cannot hit a normal sand shot as you will skull it. You are forced to hit sand shots like pitch shots which isn't great. On several of the holes, the sprinkler water has mixed with the mud at the low point of the trap to form a mud bog (completely inexcusable for a Troon course). This would be such an easy fix yet they continue to ignore customer feedback and not pour new sand. Pace of play is also not tracked very well (Rangers non-existent) which is a change from what was normally practiced there. Sorry to say it, but the municipal course Papago (at a fraction of the cost during high season) is now a better kept, more enjoyable course at this time. This however could be changed with some effort from the Phoenician staff. This could and should be one of the top resort courses in the Valley.