COVER STORY
crafted this one on his own in 1999. “These are championship courses,
not retirement community courses,” says Ostlund. “The Peaks has higher elevation, is more scenic and has fairways pinched in by the desert. If you’re wild, it’ll eat you alive. The Ranch is longer, has more bunkers, wider fairways and undulating green complexes. The real draw is variety.” At 6,729 yards from the tips, the
par- 72 Peaks offers sufficient bite, but it can’t be overpowered. Unforgettable are the 420-yard, par-4 sixth, the number 1 handicap hole despite an absence of bunkers, and the 549-yard, par-5 17th
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As great as the golf courses and competitions are, some folks feel the restaurant and facilities are every bit as strong. The Mesquite Grill won an Open Table Diners’ Choice Award in 2016. Below, Weaver’s Needle pops up in the distance on the scenic Peaks Course.
“Tonto Verde is Arizona golf’s
best-kept secret,” said Bradley, who spends her spring, summer and fall in New England and winters in the high Sonoran desert. Which brings us to one of life’s great
little mysteries: how a club with so many positives can manage to stay under the radar the way Tonto Verde does? To be fair, Tonto Verde isn’t exactly on
the beaten path. To those who have made the journey and discovery, however,
that’s a big part of the appeal. “Away from everything, but close to it all” is a longtime slogan here. So what precisely is so compelling for members? In a word, everything. And it all starts with the golf. The Peaks, named for its jaw-
dropping vistas of the Four Peaks, is a Gary Panks/David Graham design that opened in 1993. The Ranch references the nearby Box Bar Ranch, a working cattle ranch on lush grazing land fronting the Verde River. Panks
both of which greet you with in-your-face views of the Four Peaks. Other standouts include the lake-guarded, 351-yard, par-4 fifth, with Weaver’s Needle beckoning in the background and the 402-yard, par-4 ninth, its well-bunkered green practically nestled into the clubhouse. The more muscular Ranch layout
checks in at 7,008 yards from the Black tees. While there’s a bit more room to spray off the tee than on the Peaks, the cunningly contoured greens place additional emphasis on hitting to the proper portion, as well as taxing the short game skills. The Ranch sits down a little lower than the Peaks, with holes that descend towards the Verde River. Holes 13 through 15 are the attention-grabbers, a massive
20 | AZ GOLF Insider | PREVIEW 2017
www.azgolf.org
COURTESY OF TONTO VERDE
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