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| - Thanks to a GolfNow online steal of a deal, I spent the Saturday before Christmas playing one of the best golf courses in the Phoenix area. Considering the competition and the fact it's a very short course by today's standards, that's saying something about this particular venue. The Phoenician has three 9 hole tracks (the Oasis, Canyon and Desert). All three are unusually short with any combination of the three not coming near 6,500 yards in length. It's perfect venue for any short hitter needing that extra advantage over a long hitter. Word of mouth seemed to suggest that the Desert (the newest) is the best of the three with the Oasis lagging significantly behind the other two. From my experience, this is a gross oversimplification. I played both the Canyon and Oasis courses and I can say quite definitely both are on par with each other. Excluding the 8th and 9th holes, the Canyon offers a more desert golf experience while the Oasis gives the player the feel of south Florida. Both courses, and I can only assume it applies to the Desert track, were immaculately manicured and offer some of the best photogenic golf eye candy in the area. The tee boxes were cut perfectly for weekend play, the fairways were well defined, the rough playable and the greens fast and true. The course and golfing experience aren't perfect here, though. The clubhouse grill is priced to gouge even the Donald Trumps of the world (who charges $24 for a bacon and cheese sandwich with tator tots?) and the on-course service is priced similarly ($6 for Powerade??) Add to this fact that playing this course is routinely priced to rival Wildfire, Troon North and Greyhawk and the TPC courses. Are these tracks worth paying over $100 to play during the peak season? For both locals and snowbirds, I'd have to answer that with a no. It's a phenomenal layout with beautiful vistas but the fact remains you can get on courses in Phoenix of equal value or, in some cases, better (Vista Verde) value for less than half of what the the Phoenician charges for greens fees during the peak months. I highly recommend playing the Phoenician but don't go broke doing so...
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