My third (and final--yeah, I know, slow day for me) round today was at Legend Trail. It was only $27 (+ tax) in the afternoon. I called ahead and they said it was pretty open out there as expected. Th... Continue »

My third (and final--yeah, I know, slow day for me) round today was at Legend Trail. It was only $27 (+ tax) in the afternoon. I called ahead and they said it was pretty open out there as expected. There were some folks out on the course by the time I teed off around 2:30. I played through two twosomes on the front and then zipped through until about the 14th hole when I ran into a back-up. I ended up joining the threesome ahead of me as we played the rest out behind a slower threesome in front of us. Still, the total pace of about 2:40 was fantastic. The course was in very nice shape all around and they didn't seem to have any noticeable storm damage here. The tee boxes, fairways and rough were all very lush and had good coverage throughout. A few weak spots here and there, but easily the best-conditioned course I played today--at least from tee to green. The bunkers were very good, as well. The greens were actually very nicely kept and consistent. It's just not the greatest summer turf as it's a very grainy and coarse bermuda (maybe it's a hybrid or something else altogether?). It is a very deep green color and not the crusty summer bermuda you find a lot of other places. They rolled fairly smooth and held shots well, but were just really slow. Many of the hole cuts were dried out and scruffy around the edges, so it looks like they probably hadn't changed hole positions in a day or two. This course was definitely a pleasant surprise as it's not one you hear much about in the loaded Scottsdale golf landscape. However, I was intrigued knowing it was designed by Rees Jones. Having played Quintero the day before, which is Mr. Jones at his most dramatic, the front nine at Legend Trail is definitely his softer, gentler and subtler side. The front nine is solid, but nothing too distinctive. The back nine perks up a lot and gets much more interesting from hole 11 on. I really enjoyed this side with a lot of target golf, risk/reward lines, some minor changes in elevation and more trouble in play. As a summer value pick, I'd easily recommend it. I know they're prices go up a lot in season, so any value at that point is all relative to the expensive high-end Scottsdale golf scene.