OB Sports Arizona

Experience Spectacular Arizona Golf

With three unique Valley views, Eagle Mountain, Longbow and the Duke at Rancho El Dorado can take you to the “Heart of the Arizona Golf Experience” with the same management style.

As the days grow shorter and the snow begins to pile high, golfers start to get the itch to tee it up.

One problem, though, the weather outside is frightful and emerald-green fairways of summer have long since given way to the rigors of winter. That’s the signal to book a flight to Phoenix where more than 200 golf courses, ablaze with winter rye, stand ready to take you on an 18-hole thrill ride. Although some golf nuts may be tempted to challenge all 200 courses one-by-one, it’s an altogether unrealistic goal. Instead, tee it up at three OB Sports-managed golf courses that lie at the heart of the Arizona golf experience – Eagle Mountain Golf Club, Longbow Golf Club and The Duke at Rancho El Dorado.

Eagle Mountain Golf Club

The golf course at Eagle Mountain Golf Club pitches and rolls with the spectacular topography of the property as it weaves around craggy mountain  peaks and through shady desert arroyos loaded with mesquites, palo verdes and ancient saguaros. The views from the golf course are stunning,  with Phoenix-area landmarks such as Camelback Mountain, Red Mountain and the entire southeastern Valley on display. Noted golf course architect Scott Miller designed Eagle Mountain to include equal parts aesthetic charm and strategic intrigue. Number 4, a  bombs-away par-5, is a good example. Defined by a large ridge on the right side of the fairway that plunges down to the landing area, the ideal  shot for a right hander is a power-draw that catches a down-slope and rolls to within striking distance of the green. The landing area for a layup  shot is relatively narrow, giving golfers another reason to go for it in two.

Number 13 is an interesting par-3 that plays well downhill to a green that falls into the arroyo to the left. Aptly named “Staircase,” the multiple  tee boxes are carved into the side of a mountain with the back tee situated some 40 feet above the putting surface. A bailout to the right    against the slope is available for those who lose their nerve.

Eagle Mountain Golf Club is the ideal choice for those looking for the quintessential Sonoran Desert track. Situated in the lofty enclave of Fountain Hills, Eagle Mountain is Scottsdale golf on another level.

Longbow Golf Club

Longbow Golf Club is now celebrating its 10-year anniversary on the heels of a dramatic renovation led by the original designer, Ken Kavanaugh, that included a complete redesign of the golf course, expanded acreage, a new practice facility and an Arizona contemporarystyle clubhouse. Since then, the golf course has hit the ground running. In fact, it was named by Golfweek Magazine as “One of the Top 20 Courses in Arizona,” and much like its medieval namesake, Longbow demands skill, strength and accuracy to score.

Upon arrival, golfers are immediately struck by the commanding views of the Superstition Mountains, Usery Mountains and nearby Red Mountain that encircle the property. Strategically speaking, the golf course calls for an exciting assortment of aggressive play and conservative patience. For example, the tee shot on number 10 calls for a bomb over the desert to cut off some length, but at 626 yards from the back tee, getting home in two is still more of a long hitter’s option. Likewise, the 17th hole illustrates how Kavanaugh cajoles golfers into a high-stakes game of risk and reward. At 309 yards from the back tees, a solid drive may yield an eagle try; however, far from defenseless, the 17th green is well protected by bunkers, grassy swales and desert transition areas.

As a traditional core golf layout, no homes or roads intrude into the course, and the short distances from green to the next tee make walking a viable option. Longbow’s reputation as a premier location for golf events has allowed it to host many prestigious tournaments, including numerou  Gateway Tour events, the U.S. Amateur Qualifying for Arizona and the AJGA Heather Farr Classic.

To capture the essence of Arizona Golf, give Longbow Golf Club a shot. As you’ll see, the golf experience hits the target every time.

The Duke at Rancho El Dorado

The Duke at Rancho El Dorado, named as one of the “Top 25 New Places to Play in Arizona” by Arizona, The State of Golf, is located in the Valley’s ranchland near the town of Maricopa. Measuring 7,011 yards from the back tees, th golf course has plenty of length to keep the expert player interested without beating up the novice. Best of all, there should be no fi rst-tee jitters here, as the fi rst fairway is, no kidding, 45 yards wide. Not all of the fairways at The Duke are as wide as the first, but they are alittle more spacious than the standard desert course.

Golf course architect David Druzisky did a stellar job of transforming the existing flat ranchland into an appealing golf course with sweeping contours, eye-catching bunkers and undulating greens that culminates in a host of memorable holes with no two alike. The 12th hole is a good example of Druzisky’s design philosophy. A group of aesthetically pleasing fairway bunkers allow low handicappers the option of either fl ying the bunkers to the left and leaving a wedge to the green, or choosing a more cautious and open layup to the right that leaves a mid-iron approach.

The Duke at Rancho El Dorado has an easy-going Western theme that gives the club a special charm, and true to its Western roots, not only is denim accepted, it’s encouraged.

The clubhouse, with its rustic steel roof and magnificent stallion sculpture adorning the front entry, is reminiscent of an Arizona territorial lodge. The interior is decorated in a Western motif with Western-inspired paintings hanging from the walls, along with other Western tidbits like horseshoes, branding irons and spurs. And as any cowhand will tell you, the grub is just as important as the golf. With that in mind, The Duke’s Silver Spur Grill features a variety of hearty Southwestern fare which helped this casual eating and drinking establishment to be recognized as on  o the “Top Ten 19th Holes in the State” by the Arizona Golf Association.

With wide open fairways, friendly faces and a casual Old West theme, The Duke at Rancho El Dorado is resort golf at ranch hand prices.

During the winter months Arizona can be one of the most appealing places to play golf. And although the crisp desert air, warm days and cool nights are pleasures shared by all of the Valley’s golf clubs, just a handful truly raise the level of excellence to the pinnacle. Eagle Mountain Golf Club, Longbow Golf Club and The Duke at Rancho El Dorado are three such OB Sports-managed clubs that, through theielevated service standards and plush conditioning, move the needle from existence to experience. Book the Best Rate Guaranteed at thedukegolf.com, longbowgolf.com or eaglemtn.com.

Eagle Mountain Golf Club
866.205.2453
eaglemtn.com

The Duke at Rancho El Dorado
480.844.1100
thedukegolf.com

Longbow Golf Club
800.954.6015
longbowgolf.com