Arizona Golf News

WICKENBURG, Ariz. - Rancho de los Caballeros, a luxury desert resort with a corral of 100 horses, championship golf course, spa and gourmet cuisine, is gearing up for the opening of its 61st season on Oct. 9.

The Ranch is the perfect retreat for mancations, girlfriend getaways, golf vacations or even staycations for those who live within close proximity. 

Tempe-based, Glove It™, LLC, licensee for Nicole Miller Golf is proud to announce their renewed partnership with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  

Glove It™, made famous for their sporty and chic golf gloves and matching pouches, have expanded their line to include something for every active woman: sun visors, neoprene water bottle covers, accessory bags and more. As part of their partnership, Glove It™ has pledged $1.80 from the sale of each “Pink Ribbon” glove set to the Komen Foundation, with a guaranteed minimum of $10,000.

The exclusive Nicole Miller “Pink Ribbon Collection” is a chic and spirited way to honor those we love and the essence of womanhood, during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October and year-round.

The old saying goes, “Time is money,” and in today’s fast-paced world of construction, projects are constantly being pushed to be completed in a compressed amount of time. With different construction trades being stacked one on another to accomplish this safety and quality can sometimes suffer.

No offense to Bill Murray and his famous fictional story from the movie Caddyshack, but Mike Ferris turned out to be a real life “Cinderella story.” This narrative of an unknown golfer, who comes out of nowhere to lead the pack, isn’t about a former greens keeper who triumphs at Augusta National to win the Masters. Instead, it’s about an improbable Desert Mountain staff member from Scottsdale who wins $20,000 and, more importantly, the 64th AT&T Arizona Open on September 13 at the par 72, 7,211-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed Apache Course at Desert Mountain.

Mike Ferris, the 2008 AT&T Arizona Open champion, in action.

Beginning Friday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 1, golfers nationwide will be asked to donate a minimum of $1 in support of Patriot Golf Day, supported by the United States Golf Association and the Professional Golfers Association of America. All funds raised will benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation to provide educational scholarships for families of those who have become disabled or lost their lives in the line of duty.

The program began with USGA and PGA Member Dan Rooney, who served two tours of duty in Iraq and will be returning for another tour this summer. Major Rooney, the founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation, was determined to find a way to help these families through the power of golfers.

In 2007, more than 3,250 golf facilities nationwide participated in Patriot Golf Day and raised in excess of $1 million dollars. This year, our goal is to expand the number of participating facilities and exceed the overall contribution to this worthy cause.

To find a participating golf facility near you, please click: Patriot Club Listing.

The home of the 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship and eagerly anticipated Jack Nicklaus-designed Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain is set to open. With construction and grassing complete at The Golf Club, an opening date of January 17, 2009 has been scheduled.

Currently the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain consists of 27 holes of golf and a 50,000 square-foot clubhouse complex valued at $60 million. The first 18 holes, comprised of two tournament nines, are par 72, measuring 7,810 yards, while the third nine measures 3,880 yards at par 36. A final nine holes, planned for construction in 2010 will measure 3,800 yards at par 36. 

Notable past champions of the AT&T Arizona Open include Ronnie Black (’87), Danny Briggs (’93, ’95, ’97), Jim Carter (’89, ’96), Todd Demsey (’98), Dale Douglas (’65), R.W. Eaks (’90) and Kermit Zarley (’64). From 1945 to 1959 the legendary Johnny Bulla won 14 consecutive Arizona Opens.

This year the 54-hole stroke play event offers a $100,000 purse and is scheduled for September 11-13 at Desert Mountain’s Apache Course. Records indicate that an amateur golfer has never won the championship.

AT& T’s Jeff McElfresh (l) and Golfer/Desert Mountain resident Phillip Francis (r)

We Ko Pa Golf Club Head Golf Professional Brett Trenter has been promoted to General Manager at the award-winning golf facility located just east of Scottsdale on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

Trenter replaces Jeff Lessig, who moved to Indian Wells Golf Club in Indian Wells, Calif. In addition, Derek Crawford has been promoted to director of golf operations after serving as director of sales and marketing at We-Ko-Pa since the club opened in December 2001. Finally, Matt Barr has been promoted from assistant golf professional to head golf professional.

PHOENIX — James Back of Seoul, South Korea, began the day hoping to shoot under par, never thinking he would walk out of the scoring tent with his first AJGA Open victory. After firing a final-round 5-under-par 67, however, he bounded from third place to the lead and never looked back. In the Girls Division, Victoria Sungmin Park of Irvine, Calif., began the day one stroke behind second-round leader Michelle Yang of Los Angeles, but shot a Girls Division low final-round score of 4-under-par 68 to claim her first AJGA championship.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the PING Phoenix Junior is a 54-hole stroke play event held at Moon Valley Country Club. The tournament field featured 51 boys and 27 girls, ages 12-18, from 11 states, Mexico, and Taiwan. The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 7,163 yards, while the Girls Division played the course at 6,417 yards. 

The 10th Annual International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 640 Golf Tournament will take place at Club West Golf Club on Saturday, September 27, 2008. The Shotgun start will begin at promptly 7:30 am

Proceeds from this well-attended event will benefit the Hacienda De Los Angeles Charity.

Cost for the event is just $70 per person, and includes golf, cart with GPS, practice range usage and a tasty lunch after the round. In addition, many sponsorship opportunities exist as well.

For more information, contact Michael Bragone, Business Representative, at 602-264-4506 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it