Local Golf News

The Raven Golf Club at Verrado opened for play in January 2004. Designed by 2006 Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman and former United States Amateur Champion John Fought, the Raven Golf Club at Verrado is a desert layout with all the beauty and none of the hidden dangers. The golf course stretches just over 7,250 yards and gives the accomplished player a rigorous test of golf. However, Fought and Lehman created the golf course with 5 sets of tee boxes on each hole, giving players of all abilities a fair chance at par. In fact, the forward tee on each hole connects with the fairway, taking all forced carries out of play.

The golf course, which is situated on the old Caterpillar proving grounds, features a dramatic mountainside setting with massive rock outcroppings, deep desert washes, intimate box canyons and considerable elevation changes. This is all paired with fantastic views of the Valley of the Sun from high in the western foothills of the White Tank Mountains. No other golf course in the Valley offers the same easterly views of the greater Phoenix area.

Deer Creek Golf Clubs is pleased to introduce the first of its kind Progressive Hole-in-One Jackpot. Each year players from all over the world will have a shot at a jackpot starting at 10 million dollars that will increase each year by 5 million until it's won. Players from Deer Creek will have a chance everyday at their club to win fantastic prizes as described below in addition to the chance to Qualify for the Dream Shot 10 Million Dollar Shootout.

What would you think if I told you that you have been given an opportunity to win 10 Million Dollars, and all you had to do was to take one golf shot from 150 yards?  Would you take it?  Dream Shot Golf offers golfers the chance to play for $10 million dollars each and every day at local GTA Golf Clubs.  Dream Shot Golf is pleased to announce its recent partnership with Deer Creek Golf Clubs - a spectacular 45-hole facility in Ajax.  Deer Creek has signed on to host the Dream Shot 10 Million Dollar Hole-in-One Contest starting the weekend of June 14^th, 2008.

Golf course will present “Jurassic Park” on a 40-Foot movie screen Friday, June 13th at 8:00 p.m.

BC Ranch Golf Club, formerly Beaver Creek Golf Club, will be hosting an outdoor movie featuring Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” on a 40-foot inflatable movie screen. 

This FREE summer event is open to everyone. Families, couples and friends are encouraged to bring a blanket or a lawn chair, sit out on the cool grass under the stars and enjoy this special engagement. 

“We want to show everyone our commitment to providing an exceptional golfing experience as well as providing other quality non-golf related activities here at BC Ranch Golf Club. Because of our commitment to improve our facility, we want to showcase our venue to both golfers and non-golfers alike,” says Jamey Lewis, PGA Director of Golf.

Well-Known Golf Professional and Valley Radio Personality

Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia has named long-time Arizona golf professional and Valley radio personality Greg Ellis as its new general manager.  Ellis, host of the popular Bunker to Bunker Golf Show on KTAR 620 AM, has more than 25 years experience in the golf industry and has managed several of the state’s top golf facilities.

“We are extremely fortunate to bring aboard Greg to oversee the operations at Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia,” said Kirk Kokoska, national director of golf for BlueStar Resort & Golf, the management company for Shea Homes portfolio of golf properties. “He is extremely knowledgeable and has a proven ability to lead and train exceptional golf teams. Greg is one of the best there is at establishing service and conditioning standards and instill a sense of pride in his staff members.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Deucker as Director of Sales & Marketing. Mr. Deucker will lead the Sales and Marketing efforts for the new 850 acre resort in the high Sonoran desert. With over 23 years in the hospitality industry, 19 have been with the same parent company and the last five as Director of Sales and Marketing at the AAA Five-Diamond-rated Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.

There Mr. Deucker was accountable for the creation and implementation of integrated marketing programs, leading innovation, driving sales, advertising and public relations programs, and creating world class teams that consistently exceed strategic goals. He was also responsible for launching and positioning three new Sarasota business units which included The Ritz-Carlton Members Beach, Spa and Golf Clubs. 

Nearly 25 years ago, Mr. Jack Nicklaus graced the fairways of La Paloma Country Club with the first round of golf after he designed and completed the original 18 holes. The year was 1984 and now, we are pleased to announce that Mr. Jack Nicklaus is back. “Some holes I like better than others, but I didn’t see one hole that I didn’t like,” Mr. Nicklaus stated after a surprise visit to La Paloma last month. 

The purpose of Mr. Nicklaus’ visit was to begin plans for a greens and bunkers renovation on 9 of our 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature design set to begin in early May. Each summer season for the next three years, La Paloma Country Club will embark on a $3 million dollar renovation in converting the traditional bent grass greens to a new and improved hybrid Bermuda turf on all 27 holes with modifications to green contour compliments of “The Golden Bear.”

Three Arizona Courses Do Their Part

ORLANDO, Fla. - Marriott Golf, one of the world’s premier golf operators, announced the Company will be hosting the 2nd annual “Hit The Green” fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) throughout the 2008 calendar year. Beginning in April, 20 of Marriott Golf’s domestic properties will each be hosting promotional days to help raise funds for CMN.

In 2007, participating Marriott Golf properties raised nearly $40,000 for CMN, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by generating funds for children’s hospitals across North America. 

Three Arizona golf courses are participating in the program. They are the Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Starr Pass Golf Club in Tuscon and Phoenix's Wildfire Golf Club .

Three years ago, a Scottsdale kid with a big idea found a way to help other children his age cope with illness and anxieties that come with hospital treatments or surgeries. Now 14, Michael Young, a freshman at Phoenix Country Day, is really making a difference.

On May 8, 2008 Young hosts the Third Annual “Swing Fore Kids Golf Classic” at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort Wildfire Golf Club’s Arnold-Palmer-designed championship course in Phoenix. The event will benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital Animal Assisted Therapy Program.

The golf classic includes a continental breakfast and a lunch reception with a live and silent auction. The cost is $275 per person and also includes on-course contests. Early bird registration concludes Monday, April 14.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Some of golf’s most influential leaders and members of the game’s most prominent associations converged on the nation’s capitol to celebrate a bipartisan Congressional resolution which declared April 16, 2008 as National Golf Day.

The golf leaders discussed the game’s impact on society, in particular its role to the U.S. economy.

The golf industry is the sports and entertainment worlds’ largest contributor to our economy, generating $76 billion in direct economic impact according to a recent study, the 2005 Golf Economy Report, commissioned by World Golf Foundation’s GOLF 20/20 initiative completed earlier this year and released at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

To read the executive summary of the The 2005 Golf Economy Report, click here . 

The courses have been manicured and the golf clubs are ready to go for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 4th Annual Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament. The tournament will take place at the prestigious Grayhawk Golf Club at 8620 East Thompson Peak Parkway, in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 9th.

Registration and check-in begins at 11a.m. with tee time at 1p.m. The event will take place on both the Talon and Raptor courses and will conclude with a catered reception on the Grayhawk grounds, with a live and silent auction. All proceeds benefit LLS’ programs of patient services, public education, financial aid and research. 

The original “Links Fore Leukemia” Golf Tournament started in 1997 in Dallas, Texas. It was created by Bob Barker and Jim Willis. At the age of 37, Willis lost his personal battle against leukemia just months after the inaugural tournament.