| When a buddy of mine suggested I come for a | | | | that home-stretch marker on my way towards |
| working vacation, I thought he was exaggerating | | | | Los Angeles. As a hub city, it serves a |
| as he described that "Phoenix has a golf course | | | | tremendous number of people, so having all these |
| every block or two!" As it turns out, he wasn't | | | | courses ends up making good sense. The wait on |
| lying, and only exaggerating a little. A Phoenix Golf | | | | a reservation might be intolerable without them. |
| Vacation has an incredible number of golf courses | | | | Instead, one finds a pleasant fraternity and warm |
| sprawled across its sprawling boundaries. After a | | | | welcome. Each place seems comfortable with |
| week's winter visit, I can understand why he | | | | their piece of the pie. I like that I felt relaxed, at |
| chooses to live in Phoenix. With so many people | | | | ease, able to take my time and enjoy the day |
| having to travel through Phoenix on business, it | | | | without worrying about holding anyone up or |
| only makes sense to pause and enjoy a few | | | | having them play on through. |
| holes along the way. | | | | No trip to Phoenix would be near complete |
| Raven Golf Course had a Phoenix Golf Package | | | | without a run up to neighboring Scottsdale. That's |
| Special and was on my To Play list. A Gary Panks | | | | where the area really shines. There the resorts, |
| design, this course got an honorable mention back | | | | spas and pampering kick in, and I get that big grin |
| in 2000. Something about the place has drawn my | | | | on my face at the end of the day. Those make |
| curiosity since, but I'd never bothered to take the | | | | the place a great destination for a couple or |
| time during any of my runs down I-10 to stop in | | | | family. I get my golf in on top-notch PGA host |
| and play there before. The first of 5 good days | | | | courses, the Missus and clan get what they want |
| out was well spent there. | | | | too. They can play tennis, or take a tour of the |
| One of the other surprises was the quality of | | | | desert in a Hummer, check out the arts scene... |
| instruction available. It seems Phoenix is working | | | | Scottsdale makes it a win-win golf destination |
| hard towards making itself the golf capital of the | | | | most seasons. |
| world, both in terms of public-access regulation | | | | A word of fair warning: Phoenix is not the place |
| courses, and by making as many great golfers as | | | | to go during July and August. But with 10 other |
| possible. Driving ranges everywhere, of course, | | | | glorious months of the year that are all blue skies, |
| and the views aren't too hard on the eye either. | | | | mild temps and sunshine, I'd hardly say that's a |
| The humidity may be a bit bolstered by all of the | | | | problem. The sheer volume of clubs, resorts and |
| terraforming, but seeing that lush green | | | | public courses more than makes up for it. |
| everywhere makes it more than worth it. | | | | World-class resorts waiting to pamper you hand |
| Phoenix seems to have sprung up entirely from | | | | and foot after a pleasant day spent doing what |
| its geography; it's the place where I-10 takes its | | | | you love the most - what's not to like? Phoenix |
| turn back west when heading towards the | | | | may very well be the golf capital of the world. |
| California coast. When I'm driving west, I see it as | | | | |