 Increased exposure from both cable and network television in the form of more live hours of golf coverage has helped to raise the profile of desert golf in the past decade. Specifically, golf fans have become enamored with desert golf while watching popular events such as the FBR Open and the Accenture Match Play Championship, now both annually held in Arizona.
But before the FBR’s 16th hole became the amphitheater of professional golf, and Tiger Woods made his long-awaited return to the game just north of Tucson, Troon North Golf Club set the standard for desert golf, building a reputation as the roadmap others would follow, the blueprint by which they would build and the guiding light should they get lost. By most accounts, Troon North is the forefather of desert golf, and remains its high water mark.
Some would even argue that Troon North was a pioneer, not only for desert design and operation, but for all public and semi-private clubs that aspire to provide luxury amenities and championship-caliber golf to their customers.
“Troon North Monument was the first high-profile example of desert architecture, period,” wrote Larry Olmsted of USA Today. “It was the first great high-end daily-fee public course, and ushered in an entirely new era of golf where complimentary yardage books, divot repair tools, friendly starters and immaculate conditioning came out of country clubs and into the public domain.
He continued, “The company behind the course, Troon Golf, did its job so well that it is now the world’s number one manager of high quality golf courses.”
A senior editor at Golf Magazine lauded Troon North as “the crown jewel of desert design; a 36-hole complex by which all other facilities are judged.”
For British Open champion Tom Weiskopf, the Troon North Monument Course was his initial foray into golf course design. Weiskopf, who lives in Scottsdale, teamed with architect Jay Moorish to create the course, which, opened in 1990. Weiskopf loved the project so much, not to mention the land he worked on, that he returned in 1996 with a solo design – the Pinnacle Course.
While his creations were phenomenal, filled with breathtaking scenery and composed of unforgettable golf holes that offered a stern challenge, Weiskopf knew he could manipulate the layouts to create something even better.
So Weiskopf returned to Troon North nearly two decades after his first design opened to lead a revolutionary redesign project, one that transcended typical course renovations and created an entirely new playing experience.
Under Weiskopf’s diligent direction, the 36-hole facility was reconfigured by blending the two courses together and changing the sequence in which the holes are played. The outward nines of Monument and Pinnacle were conjoined to create today’s restructured Monument layout. The inward nines of thecourses were blended together to produce the new Pinnacle Course.
By October 2007, Weiskopf’s true vision had been realized.
“Both courses can now be played exactly as the land dictates, the way Mother Nature intended,” Weiskopf said.
“Making changes of this magnitude to two of the game’s most highly acclaimed courses was something we extensively studied and took very seriously,” said Dana armany, chairman and CEO of Troon Golf. “In the end, both Tom Weiskopf and I are confident we have improved both golf courses and enhanced the player experience significantly.”
As it did when it originally opened, the Monument Course gets its name from the large boulder which stands in the middle of the fairway on the 564-yard, par-5 third hole. The “New” Monument Course features a modified 17th hole that has been shortened by 20 yards and changed from a par 5 to a 95-yard par 4. The course is a par 72 measuring slightly more than 7,000 yards with a rating of 72.9 and rather robust slope of 147. Over the years the Monument Course has been ranked as Arizona’s No. 1 daily-fee course by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Travel + Leisure Golf and The Arizona Republic.
Last summer Golf Magazine positioned the Monument at No. 45 on its biennial list of “Top 100 Courses You Can Play.”
Considered a worthy companion to the Monument before Weiskopf’s renovation, the Pinnacle Course has shed the role of sidekick and earned recognition as one of the West’s upper echelon layouts, worthy of must-play distinction.
Named after a towering peak seen from miles away, the “New” Pinnacle Course has been transformed into a more links-style feel, with a continuous layout that doesn’t return to the clubhouse until the 18th hole. The enhanced layout has changed the Pinnacle from a par-72 to a par-71. The signature hole is the 407-yard, par-4 18th, which features an outstanding view of Pinnacle Peak in the background.
Once treated as the Monument’s main rival in Arizona, the Pinnacle Course has eclipsed its neighbor at Troon North, at least in certain rankings. In 2008, Golf Magazine’s raters named the Pinnacle Course No. 21 in the nation and the best in Arizona, giving Troon North two coveted spots on the list’s top 50. As a result of Weiskopf’s renovation project, Pinnacle climbed 38 spots in Golf Magazine’s rankings after being slotted at No. 59 in 2006. For an older facility, such a shift is quite significant and confirms that the Troon North Golf Club did more than just re-route existing holes.
Both the Pinnacle and the Monument have appeared on the prestigious ranking for ten consecutive years.
Troon North Golf Club is also home to one of only eight Callaway Golf Authorized Performance Centers in the United States. Club fitters will use an assortment of technologies to measure different components of your swing such as club head speed, ball speed, launch angle and spin rate. Whether you’re a novice or a more experienced golfer, clubfitting helps you maximize your potential, fine tune problem areas and find the most enjoyable clubs for improved play. You will be fit for irons, fairways woods, hybrids and driver. This is the same technology used to fit Tour professionals Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.
Arrive at Troon North in the morning, complete your hour and half fitting session, and by the time you tee off in the afternoon you’ll be playing with your very own custom golf clubs. The fitting session is $150, and is by appointment only. You may schedule an appointment by calling (480) 585-5300 or you can book your fitting session online. Exclusively at Troon North, The Callaway Authorized Performance Center is the ultimate boost for your natural talent that will help you choose the best equipment to discover more great shots in your game.
The other amenities surrounding the Troon North Golf Club only amplify the on-course excellence exhibited by the 36-hole facility.
Troon North’s dramatic 37,000-square-foot clubhouse is home to luxurious locker rooms, a spacious golf shop, which encompasses more than 2,500 square feet, and a renowned restaurant. Overlooking the 18th hole of the Pinnacle golf course, the Dynamite Grille is open to golfers and non-golfers for an unparalleled dining experience. In order to accommodate players on Troon North’s two championship golf courses, the club offers snack car and beverage cart service seven days a week.
Also an ideal spot for weddings, meetings and golf outings, Troon North offers numerous catering and banquet options. The facility has everal function sites, including the beautiful event lawn, Grand Ballroom, Terrace or scenic Sunset Pointe.
For additional information on everything Troon North Golf Club has to offer, please visit www.troonnorthgolf.com . Tee times can be arranged by calling 480.585.7700 or by visiting the Web site. This publicaccess golf complex accepts tee times up to 90 days in advance by phone and online.
Be sure to ask about Troon North’s new Arizona resident rate, a discounted golf rate reserved for those who live in the The Grand Canyon State. All you have to do is show an Arizona ID or utility bill.
There has never been a better time to rediscover these classic desert tracks. Don’t hesitate. Enjoy the ultimate Scottsdale golf experience at the world-class Troon North Golf Club.
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