Course Review - Ocotillo Golf Club

Water water everywhere and not a single cactus to see. At first glance you may think you have fallen victim to a desert mirage while playing at the Ocotillo Golf Club. Although the word ocotillo means cactus branch, you won’t see a cactus or a mountain peak at this golf course located in Chandler, Arizona. Ocotillo is not for golfers seeking a pure desert golf experience. Ocotillo is a vacation from the desert, with its luscious rolling fairways and abundance of crystal blue water.

The drive up to the clubhouse is a foreshadowing of the round that awaits you. The signature hole is showcased on the right side as you enter the clubhouse. Sparkling water runs along the entire left side of the emerald fairway as it is fed by gigantic green-side cascading waterfalls.

Managed by Troon Golf, Ocotillo Golf Resort adheres to the highest standards of course conditions, customer service and amenities, creating a country club experience at what has become known as one of the nation’s finest daily-fee facilities. The landscape throughout the 27 Hole Ted Robinson design is full of soothing rich greens and deep blues. Using many of his well-known trademarks in the creation of this masterpiece, Ocotillo is a panorama of cascading waterfalls, palm trees, gently rolling fairways and brightly colored flowerbeds that have been blended into a remarkable golfer’s paradise. This truly superb 27 hole championship facility, is now located only minutes from most of the Valley’s prominent resorts and hotels via the newly opened 101 Price Freeway. Ocotillo Golf Resort’s golf shop has been voted as one of the “Top 100 Golf Shop in the country”. For after golf dining, guests can enjoy the casual club bar or the more luxurious atmosphere of Bernard’s Restaurant. Private parties can choose between the newly added indoor-outdoor Crown Terrace Ballroom for hundreds of guests or the more intimate Director’s room for up to 35.

Ocotillo Golf Club’s 27 hole layout (3 separate nines) winds through 95 acres, including 7 miles of shoreline, lakes and cascading water features. Fully mature trees, lush landscaping and colorful flowerbeds contribute significantly to the comfort, beauty, and challenge of this elegant Arizona Oasis. Unique among all others in the Valley, Ocotillo is a lushly landscaped retreat with superbly maintained grounds and broad rolling fairways that provide golfers with a refreshing change of pace from the desert style golf where target fairways are almost always surrounded by unforgiving rocks and cacti.

At Ocotillo the biggest challenge is keeping your ball out of the lakes (water comes into play on 24 of its 27 holes). There are island fairways, island greens and even a hole offering both. The big hitters can be aggressive as long as they are straight. You do not have to lay-up, but must be vigilant of water on the sides of the fairways and greens. When you keep the ball dry you are still faced with the challenge of staying out of the 170 strategically placed sand bunkers. The next challenge is negotiating the subtly contoured greens. Smart course management along with solid contact and pin point accuracy will minimize the challenges and allow for an enjoyable day of golf.

Recognized by many as the “Crown Jewel of Arizona Golf” this four star course was designed in 1986 by Ted Robinson who is a master at maximizing the impact of water as a decorative and strategic design feature. Robinson feels that Ocotillo is the brightest star in his worldwide portfolio that includes Koo Olin Golf Club on Oahu, Hawaii, Mariott Desert Springs Golf Resort in Palm Desert, CA and the Phoenician Golf course in Phoenix. Golfers have similar opinions to Robinson on the outcome of his course design, with Golf Digest’s Reader’s Poll voting Ocotillo as one of the must play courses.

Signature Holes: Collectively, the golf holes flow as naturally as a page turning novel, yet each one of the nine possesses its own true standout. On the blue course, that distinction goes to the 404 yard 8th hole. The tee shot on this par 4 requires a 200 yard carry over water. A pond flanks the entire right side and intersects the landing area 100 yards from the green. Two sprawling bunkers consume the left side. A good drive will leave you a mid iron approach over water to an elevated three tiered green that is a mere 29 yards deep. The putting surface has an expansive sand trap in front and a steep faced bunker carved from the rearward mounding.

The Gold course’s 8th hole is its signature, a 172 yard par 3. Deceptively difficult, the elevated tee provides an up front and honest account of the obstacles before you. The shot is a mid to long iron over water which also hugs the right side. Three cavernous bunkers triangulate the landing area front, left, and right. The green is set before a backdrop of a dozen assorted trees. The bell shaped putting surface, 31 paces deep, slopes severely making for slippery down hill putts.

The signature hole of the entire golf course goes to the par 4, 332 yard, 4th hole on the white course. It requires a tee shot over a lagoon to a generous peninsula of a fairway. A bridge to the landing area is decked in annuals adding to the aesthetic nourishment. Two large fairway bunkers act as sentinels to both the left and right sides of the velvety target. The three tiered green is set on the far side of the lagoon at the base of a large mound. Two medium sized traps sit on the left. A rock waterfall featuring a floral pattern of Augusta national proportions flows from the left of the green into the lagoon and no fewer than 30 towering palm trees frame the hole.

Score Card - Ocotillo Golf Club

Ocotillo Golf Club 3751 S Clubhouse Dr Chandler, AZ 85248