Played the Blues (6669/70.5/127) in 4H, 45M Sunday morning. Wanted a cheap, warm-up round for my rematch with Arizona National relatively closeby, and this was a good fit in both regards. The slight b... Continue »

Played the Blues (6669/70.5/127) in 4H, 45M Sunday morning. Wanted a cheap, warm-up round for my rematch with Arizona National relatively closeby, and this was a good fit in both regards. The slight breeze was welcome as the temps were over 90 by the time we were finishing up. Was paired with a very nice adult father/son for 9 holes. The senior 4some in front of us was so slow that the 2some behind us joined to make our group a 5some on the back... and we still waited every hole. No recent reviews of this course, so I researched online. Saw the course opened in 1961 and saw "Country Club" in the title. Then read that Forty Niner had hosted two PGA Tucson Opens and 2 LPGA GAC Classics back in the day. Don January and Judy Rankin won titles there. So perhaps my expectations were higher than they should have been. What I encountered was an okay course, but certainty nothing special. Straight forward, traditional, tight, tree lined desert layout that would remind you of many older Palm Springs courses. Almost every hole ringed by older, middle class homes with OB down both sides. The humpbacked greens all sloped from back to front with no tiers or mounds to create extra break other than falling off to both sides. The playing conditions were playable, but nothing was really above average. The customer service was good from everyone encountered. The tees and fairways had good coverage, were decently maintained and were mowed close. More thin than lush. The rough was, well rough... mowed low but still tough to play from because the coverage was spotty with grass, weeds, hardpan etc. The sand traps were at best average. The greens rolled okay at medium speed and were firm. However, they were what I would call thin. No bare spots, but the grass coverage was not lush. Recommended only as a budget alternative, there are far definitely options available close by.