The Pines at Marana

Arizona’s Only Quarry Golf Course

With stunning landscapes and spectacular visuals, Arizona golf courses are, by nature, different from courses built anywhere else in the world. But The Pines Golf Club at Marana takes unique to a whole new level- down actually, deep into an old abandoned sand and gravel quarry with its back nine, providing a golf experience you’re not likely to forget anytime soon.

Located just northwest of Tucson off I-10, within one and a half hours from Greater Phoenix, The Pines at Marana is taking its place, in the words of the design team of Gilmore/Graves, as “one of the most prominent and unique courses in Arizona, known as a joy and an adventure to play.” Unique? How many courses have played host to a Caterpillar tractor commercial? When you Play the Pines, you’ll understand why.

When you Play the Pines, you’ll also join in one of the most active golf communities in Tucson. The management team of Kitson and Partners, an environmentally-respected Florida group, is committed to growing the game in the area through hosting charity tournaments of their own and for many area civic groups, their involvement with junior golf, and their special deals for frequent players looking for a place to call their golf “home”, like the $99 Gold Card that offers two free rounds and nine more rounds for only $40 each.

Whatever kind of deal you score, The Pines at Marana is a golf adventure over a links-style front nine on top of the quarry with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, before dropping down into the pine-framed quarry for the back nine.

The nine above the rim of the quarry actually offers three potentially drivable par-4s if the wind is favorable, yet the two par-3s can stretch over 200 yards long and the par-5 seventh can play over 560 yards. Three of the seven toughest handicapped holes on the course greet you right out of the box, a short par-5, short par-4 and a long par-4. The sixth hole features a par-3 contest daily that offers prizes win, lose and ace!

A fun test of shot-making with plenty of risk/reward opportunities, you obviously don’t have to be long to play The Pines at Marana, as it now measures 6,450 yards from the tips for its par-71 layout. But you’ll likely hit most of the clubs in your bag on the front side alone, and likely all of them before you’re through with the quarry holes. And the shifting breezes make the course play differently every time you visit.

Especially on those unforgettable quarry holes. The par-3 11th might be the signature hole, demanding a breathtaking tee shot across the quarry to an “island” green bordered by, well, nothing but sheer cliffs on the right and the left. Depending on the wind, you can hit anything from driver to 6-iron from the 222- yard tips, and the "toughest hole in Tucson" can be stretched to 265 yards for special events. Then after negotiating the longest par-3 at The Pines, you face the longest par-5, the wellmounded 12th that stretches out to 574-yards at the tips. The par-4 14th is another great risk/reward tee shot as your drive must carry 170 or so yards down into the quarry to the landing area, but a 250-yard poke might carry you through the fairway into one of the waste areas that will remind you what the purpose was for this piece of real estate not so long ago.

The 15th is a short, but picturesque par-3 with the pine-covered quarry walls behind and wildflowers abounding. And the 18th plays across a corner of the quarry with a forced carry off the tee to a diagonal fairway, bringing you home to a green protected on each side by rock outcroppings. One thing just about everyone who’s played the Pines agrees on, they’ve rarely seen such variety in hole designs on one golf course.

For all of the rock formations and sandy vistas, the desert isn’t in play all that often at the Pines, if you don’t count the beaches created by the 100-or-so bunkers on the course. Water only comes into play off the third tee and at #4 if you try to drive the green over the water at the dogleg—about 270 yards from the back tee.

With all this discussion of rock and sand and water and elevation changes, your score will probably be more dependent on your play at the greens than anything else. Most of the greens are fairly undulating and some are steeply sloped, adding an extra element of challenge.

Those greens at The Pines at Marana are a great place to hold your special outing, with full catering for everything from a 20-person family reunion to a double-shotgun 288-player outing. The pros at The Pines helped area charities raise over $100,000 in 2007 and are even hosting their own monthly tourney series this winter called “Slice of Life” to benefit three cancer research charities.

With a full practice facility with a driving range, separate short-game area, chipping green with two bunkers and putting greens, The Pines at Marana is a great place to work on your game, especially with a staff of PGA professionals at the Bright Side Golf Academy offering a full complement of instruction from private lessons to group clinics to their online Laptop Lessons at www.playthepines.com. The Pines is a host course for the Southern Arizona Junior Golf Association and offers affordable junior memberships to encourage young golfers.

A relaxing atmosphere before or after the round greets you at Putters Grill, which offers indoor and outdoor dining from gorgeous sunris  to breathtaking sunset, with a wide variety of beverages and an outstanding breakfast and lunch menu that’ll hopefully be one of the fe  things about your experience at the Pines at Marana that’s way above par, as is the custom club fitting from one of Mizuno’s Top 100 fitters, who can also get you into your favorite Nike, Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra or PING clubs. There’s even high-speed internet access throughout the property if you need to stay connected during your getaway.

For more information on this one-of-akind golf experience, to book a tee time online, to check out their latest specials, or even to put together a stay-and-play package that includes discounted rates, visit www.playthepines.com or call the Pines at Marana locally at (520)  744-7443 or tollfree at (866) PINES-18.

The Pines Golf Club at Marana, Arizona’s only quarry golf course, and so much more!