Got lucky and snagged a single spot at 8:30 after lots of looking. I thought the course was in great shape. I played wel... » More

Got lucky and snagged a single spot at 8:30 after lots of looking. I thought the course was in great shape. I played well, for the most part, so that always puts a different light on things, everything was just peachy. Greens rolled well, tees were level, fairways nice, bunkers good, rough thick and nasty.
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Overview: The Raven Golf Club Phoenix is located just southeast of downtown Phoenix and just north of South Mountain. ... » More

Overview: The Raven Golf Club Phoenix is located just southeast of downtown Phoenix and just north of South Mountain. There are great views of the downtown area, Four Peaks, South Mountain, Camelback Mountain and Piestawa Peak. Raven - Phoenix is not your normal desert course ... it has almost 6000 pine trees on property.

Clubhouse: A nice, clean clubhouse that has changed very little since the opening of the course in 1995. Check in was very simple and it was nice to see that they added range balls in with the golf rate. Arizona resident rate was $89, and the public rate was $125. There will be one more rate increase during the 2nd week of January, before rates start dropping again in either April or May of 2022.

Course: I have played this course numerous times over the years, and I feel that the course was in the best shape that I have ever seen it. The over seed turned out almost perfect. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was wall to wall rye grass because they do not normally over seed that much of the rough. They also kept the course cart path only for almost 5 weeks after they re-opened after over seed. Also, it probably helped that we had the warmest November on record in Phoenix ... so it really allowed the rye grass to take root and grow during this past month.
Tee boxes were level and had good grass coverage. A couple of the tee boxes had new sod on them, but it was not a big deal. As stated, the fairways and the rough were wall to wall rye grass and they were almost perfect ... like Rams Hill perfect. The grass was lush and very easy to hit off of. The rough was almost an inch in length, and was very consistent. The greens were in very good shape, and had almost no ball marks on them ... which is normally a problem at this course. The greens were quick, smooth and ran at about a 10. The sand was good and all of the bunkers were raked. I was only in one bunker, but the sand looked very consistent in all of them ... except a couple of them.

Final Thoughts: With the course being so close to Sky Harbor Airport, the course gets a lot of play from those people that fly in and out of Phoenix. I am very happy to say that I really enjoy playing the course because it's a nice layout and has good views, but what will make come back and play again (during the high season) will be the excellent condition of the course.
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Rode the Blues (6751/72.1/136) in over 4 1/2 H with Perry mid day on a GN "Hot Deal". Sunny, fairly calm and around 70 m... » More

Rode the Blues (6751/72.1/136) in over 4 1/2 H with Perry mid day on a GN "Hot Deal". Sunny, fairly calm and around 70 made for pleasant golfing conditions. Played behind a slow 4some and waited most shots.

Tees were the weak link and a mixed bag. Some thin and not that well maintained for divots, others immaculate?

Fairways mostly lush and good to play from.

Rough was fairly lush close to the fairway. Thick even though mostly mowed down. Thinner the farther you got from the fairway.

Sand traps had good quality sand and were very well maintained.

Large, undulating greens were smooth, quick and firm. They rolled excellent, holding irons with minor run out. And when I say quick, a ball you thought you died at the hole could have 8-10' coming back.

Customer service excellent. Quick efficient check in but no on course services. Carts have been upgraded to include GPS. Course is not well marked for yardages if you do not have a measuring device of some kind. Challenging course in nice condition overall. Both the layout and the greens are well above average. Best course within at least 50 miles in all directions, definitely recommended.
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Rode the Blues (6622/70.9/112) on a GN "Hot Deal" in calm, overcast conditions around 55.

Layout is fun with wit... » More

Rode the Blues (6622/70.9/112) on a GN "Hot Deal" in calm, overcast conditions around 55.

Layout is fun with with five par 3 and five par 5's, par 72. Starts with two straight par 5's and later have two straight par 3's on the front. Three par 5's and three par 3's with only one par 4 through 7 holes, very unusual. Numerous dog legs and some of the largest greens I have ever played on keeps the layout interesting. Greens are some of the flattest you will ever play, but you could have 100' putts on numerous greens here.

Tees were all over the place. Some almost immaculate, some thin, some maintained like the rough. Mostly level with few divots, but many were hard to get a tee in the ground they are so firm.

Fairways were usually decent. Mixture of grasses and firm.

Rough also a mixture of grasses with mostly lush coverage. The secondary rough has been removed and is quite punitive because it plays like a plowed field, clumps of unlevel dirt.

Most of the sand traps were long ago removed and are now HUGE grass bunkers. You can clearly see where the traps were with steep faces. Very challenging to play out of even with grass because it is thick and clumpy. The few sand traps remaining looked okay.

Greens were surprisingly good. Very moist, they held irons well. Medium to medium fast speed and mostly smooth.

Quick and efficient check-in, the people here treat you great. I played 2 balls and only saw a couple of other golfers out there. Pro Shop is a trailer, no Starter, Marshall or Drink cart. The gas powered carts do not have GPS. Course marked every 50 yards old school. Playing conditions much improved from my last visit here. Still rough around the edges, but perfect for some on course practice after a long layoff. If you do not expect too much, the layout can be fun. Have to avoid going in the surrounding vineyards OB, but with no water and little sand, this isn't a very difficult course even from the Blues.
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It has been at least 10 years since I played Sierra. I forgot how windy it can get in Fontana.
Par 3 sixth hole str... » More

It has been at least 10 years since I played Sierra. I forgot how windy it can get in Fontana.
Par 3 sixth hole straight into the wind took 30 yards of extra club. Enjoyable day but challenging. Played Wednesday teeing off at 8:25 and finishing in 4:20. Check-in went smooth and the starter was getting groups out on time. The greens were mostly smooth with medium+ speed and held shots. The fairways had excellent coverage overall with decent rollout on tee shots. There were a few thin spots but playable. The rough for the most part had good coverage that was long enough to affect shots but not overly penal. The bunkers were well groomed. I was in two greenside bunkers. One with good sand the other I was in the bottom with very little sand. Playing partners had no problems with lack of sand. The tee boxes were reasonably level with good coverage. Always enjoy playing Sierra Lakes. Moderate difficulty, minus the winds, with a good variety of long and short holes with some rolling terrain. The staff was friendly.
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Thrilled to get an invite to play the Navy course, as I seldom have an opportunity to play there. This course has alway... » More

Thrilled to get an invite to play the Navy course, as I seldom have an opportunity to play there. This course has always treated me rather poorly and today was no exception. No blame on conditions - it was all me. The course was in overall nice condition. Greens rolled well, had decent speed. Couldn't tell how receptive they were because I never hit any shots which would allow me to determine. Fairways provided nice roll out and for the most part had good coverage. Both bunkers I found has decent manicured sand.

I sure do miss the lakes, which are now devoid of H2o. Sad. Otherwise it nice to return and enjoy this course on a beautiful late autumn morning. Recommend
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Played 11/29 on a brisk early morning. POP was 4 hours 15, mainly due to my group playing Wolf. I haven't played here ... » More

Played 11/29 on a brisk early morning. POP was 4 hours 15, mainly due to my group playing Wolf. I haven't played here in a decade and its still every bit as enjoyable as I remember. Staff was all super nice, especially the starter.
Tees: Pretty great, even with minimal divot damage except on par-3's. 7.5/10
Fairways: Really great coverage, turning a bit of dormant tan mixed with green. No bare spots. 8/10
Rough: Mix of some grasses but overall great coverage again. 1.5-2 inches in length. 7.5/10
Bunkers: Was in 1, it was pretty perfect if just a bit thin. Light brown in color. 8/10
Greens: Would've been great if the grounds crew didn't just drop fertilizer on all 18 of them. This resulted in slow, bumpy putts most of the day. Still 7/10
Really just a nice peaceful place, set back in a canyon with no houses. Love the par-3's here. Would return and definitely recommended.
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Another last minute invite today 11/29...I was looking forward to this as it has been about 4 years since I got over to ... » More

Another last minute invite today 11/29...I was looking forward to this as it has been about 4 years since I got over to play Glen Ivy...END OF REVIEW, if you cannot say anything nice about the course, don't say any thing at all....Take your money and toss it in the can you will be happier...$25 would be too much for this course....
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Condition wise, this course is a 7-7.5 rating. Course is lush and green. Traps are bare, while greens are medium speed... » More

Condition wise, this course is a 7-7.5 rating. Course is lush and green. Traps are bare, while greens are medium speed. I played Saturday 11/27 and finished in 4.25 hrs.
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Played Sunday 11/28. I almost did not play RB Inn because of the recent reviews. I am glad I did. Yes, they do have seve... » More

Played Sunday 11/28. I almost did not play RB Inn because of the recent reviews. I am glad I did. Yes, they do have several areas roped off due to maintenance but the course is in very good condition; as good as it have ever been in the last 10 years. The greens are also in nice condition. It is a little expensive if you play prime time on the weekends but otherwise is in line with other local courses...all prices have gone up lately.
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Played 11-28-21. Check-in was smooth and friendly. My buddy and I joined a twosome at 6:50. The course was thin in the f... » More

Played 11-28-21. Check-in was smooth and friendly. My buddy and I joined a twosome at 6:50. The course was thin in the fairways but playable. The greens were good. The course was in decent shape. The bunkers were the only soar spot. Other than that it was a good day of golf.
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Late review but got to play here on Black Friday 2021 on a discounted prepaid (through text deal club) 10:40am tee time ... » More

Late review but got to play here on Black Friday 2021 on a discounted prepaid (through text deal club) 10:40am tee time with picture perfect weather in Sedona. Course was packed but didn’t show it as people were generally moving along at a good pace. This course really is amazing with the conditions they present day in and day out, it’s a fair test of golf, and of course those amazing views nearly everywhere you look.

Tee boxes: Good shape generally for the blue tee boxes. No one really plays the tips here outside of the wannabes and faux golf bloggers, so the blues receive heavy use and rarely show it. No specific issues just general wear and tear.

Fairways: Beautifully lush and visually pleasing. Roll was fair, though they do have a fair amount of condensation on them so ball won’t get tons of extra yardage. Lies are always good.

Rough: Penal even if it doesn’t look it. Grabbed my club pretty hard under the tree canopies. Better to just take your medicine.

Sand: My only real issue with this course. They use reddish dirt (don’t qualify this as sand) that when wet, has the consistency of barro or adobe. Bunkers play totally different than anything you’d see in normal courses.

Greens: Simply amazing. They look visually perfect and are perhaps a shade under that when you play them. Speeds and breaks are tricky to read, roll is pure. Large greens at times with a fair amount of challenges on pull direction. A joy to putt on!

ETC: No frills here, just golf. Everything on the ETC side is adequate but not flashy. Range is basic, puttying green is good, short game area works. Clubhouse has what you need in the basics and staff is friendly. Ample parking every time I am here. Layout is fun and has a nice variety of holes. Conditions are always good (they don’t overseed in Sedona) and you can play here almost all year even at 4500 feet. Highly recommend and will miss this course being so close.
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