Course Review - Dove Valley Ranch Golf Course

Dove Valley opened in 1998 to rave reviews, including the Arizona Republic’s award as Arizona’s Best New Public Golf course, and it continues to grow even nicer as the challenging and graceful layout by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. matures. At every turn, brilliant greens contrast with the desert's muted palette of ocotillo, saguaro, ironwood, palo verde and cholla. The very playable front nine offers the golfer wide open areas mixing in sand and water with spectacular vistas. The course gently shifts between panoramic openness to the intimacy of lush desert foliage. By the 11th hole the shift from traditional style to pure desert golf is complete. With desert looming on both sides of each fairway on the back nine, accuracy and course management is the key to scoring well. The course features many temptations to be aggressive and go for the green, but usually it will take the perfect shot to get it there. If you play aggressively and don’t hit the perfect shots, you may end your round with a very high score. Robert Trent Jones Jr. put a premium on strategy and variety with Dove Valley, which translates into a challenging yet refreshing round of golf.

There are many well designed holes, but the 2nd hole is the signature hole. On the tee shot you can go over the water on the right side and try to cut the angle leaving a short approach shot. However, it is deceptively long to carry the water and many players have reached into their pocket for another ball. If you play it safe down the left side of the fairway you take the water out of play but will leave yourself at least 190 yards for your next shot to the green. To even complicate matters there is a 20,000 square foot bunker wrapping behind the green and water on the right.

Other Information - Dove Valley Ranch Golf Course

Practice Facilities: Driving range, chipping and putting green. Range balls are included.

19th Hole: Restaurant, snack bar, and drinking cart.

Clubhouse: The pro shop is designed in a southwestern motif.

Awards: Arizona Republic Newspaper’s 1998 “Best New Public Course in Arizona”

The Players:

• Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr
• Director of Golf/Golf Pro: Mike Humphrey
• Superintendent: John English

Grass type:Fairways and Greens are Bermuda with Rye overseeding in the winter.

Recommended handicap: With four different tee boxes ranging from 5300 to over 7000 yards, Dove Valley is challenging to all golfers. Anyone with a golf handicap under 36 will enjoy the golf experience at Dove Valley. Very high handicap players may find the back nine to be too difficult.

1 -10 Course Rating by Meridian’s Golf Specialists: 8 ½

Comments by Meridian Guests:

• “I really enjoyed the course, even though I shot a 39 on the front and a 50 on the back”. “After playing Dove Valley I learned the meaning of risk to reward.”
• “I loved the double fairway hole. The other three people in my group tried to cut the angle and drive the green; I played it safe and was the only one to par the hole.”

The Drive: Located in the beautiful and mountainous Cave Creek. It will take about 25 to 30 minutes .