Course Review - Club West Golf Club

Club West Golf Club is a desert style course that winds through the Sonoran desert foothills of South Mountain. Built in 1993, this lush course features an abundance of dramatic elevation changes. The peaceful tranquility of each hole is enhanced by very few contiguous fairways. Holes meander over and around desert foothills, between cacti, and through stunning rock formations. Club West, designed by Ken Cavanaugh and Brian Whitcomb, can be as "user friendly" or as challenging as you want it to be. The course was designed to begin as a relaxed warm-up and then to increasingly demand more accuracy from players as the round progresses. On each hole, there is a gradual rise in shot value. Elevations come into play, fairways tighten near greens, bunkers become a little testier, and strategy and course management become more of a consideration. Shots must carry over desert from some tees, but the greater challenges come from the fairways to the carefully guarded, but approachable greens. Club West is a classic desert-styled, target golf course. However, mixed into the desert landscape is a lake and a pond that may swallow a ball or two. Club West is women friendly, and has always been reviewed a one of the favorite courses among Meridian’s female guests.

The last 4 holes will provide a thrilling finish to your round, especially the spectacular signature hole, 17. The tee boxes on holes 15 and 17 rise over 100 feet above the green. Bring your camera, because the views of the South Mountain range to the north and the Estrella Mountains to the west make perfect backdrops for a great scenic picture. The fabulous 16th hole is neatly sandwiched between the two dramatic par 3’s. This uphill dog-leg par 5 tempts the long hitter to go over a residential street to cut the angle and have a shot at reaching the guarded, narrow and extremely elevated green. Two perfect shots will get you there, but anything short of perfection will have you scratching your head as you wonder what you were thinking when you tried to make Tiger-like shots not once, but twice. There have been many golfers who aggressively went for the birdie and ended up with a double or triple bogey.

The dramatic 17th signature hole , is one of the best holes in Arizona. South Mountain looms majestically behind this exhilarating configuration of two greens, both tucked into the hillside with steep vertical drops from the tee. It’s breathtaking and exciting, yet nerve racking, as you stand on the tee box paralyzed for an instant by the shear magnitude of this shot. When you finally gather up enough nerve to swing you just hope you hit it well, so you don’t ruin the moment with an errant shot. If you hit it well you will watch the ball soar up into the sky and then after reaching its pinnacle, start to gradually descend. As you watch the ball free fall downward, for what seems like an eternity, hoping the shot will eventually lands on the double green far below. It is exhilarating.