Category: Course Features

Nestled in the heart of the vibrant city of Scottsdale, Arizona, Talking Stick Golf Resort offers a golfing experience like no other. For any avid golfer and traveler, the opportunity to explore this golf resort will exceed expectations in every way.

Talking Stick Golf Resort boasts not one, but two championship golf courses, creatively designed by acclaimed architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. The O’odham Course and the Piipaash Course each offer their unique challenges and are impeccably maintained, ensuring that every round is a memorable one. With meticulously groomed fairways, challenging greens, and breathtaking desert landscapes, these courses are a golfer’s dream come true.

One of the standout features of playing golf at Talking Stick is the stunning desert scenery that surrounds you. Towering cacti, rugged mountains, and lush desert vegetation frame every hole, creating a captivating backdrop for your game. The desert landscape isn’t just for show; it comes into play on several holes, adding an extra layer of challenge and intrigue to your rounds.

Talking Stick Golf Resort doesn’t just excel on the course; its facilities are equally impressive. The practice areas are top-notch, including a vast driving range and a short game area where you can fine-tune your skills. The clubhouse is a haven for golfers, offering a pro shop stocked with the latest gear and apparel, as well as a restaurant serving delicious meals and refreshing beverages.

While golf is undoubtedly the highlight at Talking Stick, there’s more to enjoy on the property. The resort’s pool area is a fantastic place to relax and soak up the Arizona sun, and the nearby Talking Stick Entertainment District offers a vibrant nightlife scene with restaurants, bars, and live entertainment.

Talking Stick Golf Resort is a golfing paradise that should be on every golfer’s bucket list. With its two world-class courses, stunning desert views, top-tier facilities, and luxurious accommodations, it offers an unforgettable golf vacation experience. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or a novice looking to improve your game, Talking Stick Golf Resort has everything you need for a memorable and enjoyable golf getaway in the heart of Scottsdale.

Nestled in the stunning Sonoran Desert of Goodyear, Arizona, the Golf Club of Estrella is a hidden treasure that beckons golf enthusiasts and admirers of the great outdoors alike.

Upon arrival at the Golf Club of Estrella, guests are immediately struck by the breathtaking natural beauty that envelops the course. The rugged desert landscape is seamlessly integrated into the course’s design, creating a harmonious marriage of human craftsmanship and the awe-inspiring wonders of nature. Towering saguaro cacti, vibrant wildflowers, and majestic mountain vistas serve as a mesmerizing backdrop that enhances the golfing experience in profound ways.

The course itself, meticulously crafted by Jack Nicklaus II, is a par-72 masterpiece that caters to golfers of all skill levels. Pristine fairways, lightning-fast greens, and a thoughtful layout ensure that the Golf Club of Estrella stands out as one of Arizona’s premier golf destinations.

What distinguishes this course is its unwavering commitment to sustainability. It employs reclaimed water for irrigation and has implemented environmentally friendly practices throughout its operations. Golfers can revel in the desert’s beauty while knowing that the course is a steward of the environment.

The Golf Club of Estrella’s clubhouse provides a warm haven for post-round relaxation. The staff is known for their hospitality, and the dining options are exceptional. After a round, guests can savor a delectable meal while enjoying panoramic views of the course and the mountains—a perfect way to conclude a day on the fairways.

For those looking to plan a golf-focused getaway, the Golf Club of Estrella offers enticing stay-and-play packages with nearby accommodations, ensuring a seamless and memorable golf vacation.

In summary, the Golf Club of Estrella stands as a desert sanctuary for golf enthusiasts, delivering a challenging yet rewarding golf experience set against a backdrop of breathtaking natural beauty. Its commitment to sustainability, top-tier facilities, and warm hospitality make it a must-visit destination for any golfer. Visitors depart with cherished memories and a profound appreciation for the splendor of the Arizona desert, eagerly anticipating their return to this desert haven.

Thanks to three PGA Championships, a Senior U.S. Open, and a win by the United States in the 2021 Ryder Cup, golf fans everywhere know a little bit about Whistling Straits. What most don’t know is that the site was a former airfield, transformed by the vision of Herbert Kohler and the bulldozers of architect Pete Dye into one of the most dramatic venues in the world.

Opened in 1998, Whistling Straits is one of three courses settled on the shores of Lake Michigan, just an hour away from downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s all part of the Destination Kohler resort, which includes The Irish and Blackwolf Run golf courses, three lodging options, spa and fitness services, and seven restaurants with something for everyone.

The course’s first major saw Vijay Singh win the PGA Championship in 2004, a tournament that returned in 2010 for Martin Kaymer’s first major victory, and then again in 2015 when Jason Day finally broke through in a major. Even before the 2021 Ryder Cup, Whistling Straits was considered a modern classic that should be on every golfer’s bucket list.

Aside from the rugged dunes and sweeping views of Lake Michigan, the one thing that gets brought up about Whistling Straits are the bunkers. They’re everywhere. There’s no official count, but Golf Digest writer Ron Whitten said he spent two days counting them in 2010 and settled on 967. That’s a lot of sand for players to avoid and is considered the most bunkered golf course in the world.

When asked why he designed the course with so much bunkering, Dye called the course ‘popcorn,’ but quickly added that “sometimes people choke on popcorn.” Like all of his designs, Dye gives golfers opportunities to score well and continually goads them into hitting a shot they know they shouldn’t.

The course makes use of every natural element available to it. The layout and routing are well-balanced, and offers six sets of tees with recommendations for players of any ability to ensure they have a great time.

Erin Hills is something that very few resorts are able to be: a pure golf experience. Built on an enormous property extending more than 600 acres, Erin Hills has everything a golf group would need to be entertained for an extended stay.

Since opening in 2006, the course has hosted the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur, and the U.S. Open during which it captured the imagination of the golfing public as they watched Brooks Koepka play to a final score of 16 under par. 

Just 45 minutes from Milwaukee, Erin Hills offers players solitude from the grind of their daily life. In addition to the golf course, the property offers lodging, fine dining, and facilities to practice and improve.

Guests spending the night have access to the Kettle Loop, a collection of five holes – part of the existing 18 – that can be played late in the day when there isn’t time for a full 9 or 18. Those too tired to keep taking full shots can take advantage of the Drumlin Putting Course, a 63,000 square-foot putting complex that fully lit at night for fun after dark (or during the day, of course).

Unlike Whisting Straits, which was bulldozed into existence, the rugged landscape at Erin Hills was formed by glacial action thousands of years ago; little earth was moved when forming the course, resulting in one of the most natural layouts to be found anywhere in the United States. It’s a big course that plays anywhere from 5,434 yards to a massive 7,845 yards. 

Erin Hills is not for the faint hearted as it presents a stern golfing challenge but for those who want their golf game examined, this is as good a test as there is. Choose your tees wisely.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a fun place to visit. A truly mid-western city on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is chock full of breweries, restaurants, and sites sure to keep visitors busy for days on end. 

The hotel at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is a prominent 19-story property offering guests world-class service and deluxe amenities. With the addition of a second tower in 2019 the hotel features 500 guest rooms, including 75 suites and the lavish presidential and chairman’s suites that offer stunning views of the Milwaukee skyline and Lake Michigan. The hotel also features a casual dining restaurant and bar/lounge on its first floor, coffee bar, business center, exercise room and complimentary Wi-Fi. Eight state-of-the-art meeting rooms and pre-function area provide more than 24,000 square feet of distinctive space to host corporate and social affairs.

The casino itself gives players a wide selection of the latest slot machines, bingo, and more than 100 tables offering games like three-card poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and more. A 24-hour non-smoking poker room features cash games and tournaments for Texas Hold ’Em, Seven Card Stud and Omaha players. The casino also offers off track betting for fans of horse and greyhound racing.

Despite being in a city with a variety of dining options, Potawatomi takes things up a notch by offering nine different restaurants that serve hotel guests as well as local diners. Visitors can choose from a high-end steak house, fine italian foods, Asian entrees, casual cafe options, a buffet, sportsbar, and more. With so many options, everyone in the group will find something they enjoy.

No casino is complete with a great slate of entertainment, and Potawatomi is no exception. The Northern Lights Theater is a 500-seat, two-tiered, state-of-the-art venue featuring local and national live entertainment acts. The theater specializes in bringing acts that appeal to diverse audiences, hosting musical legends like Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and Cheap Trick; along with comic icons Jay Leno, Bob Newhart, Carrot Top and Sinbad. The hotel is also home to an events center with seating for up to 1,500 guests, as well as a Topgolf Swing Suite, where players can enjoy all the benefits of the Topgolf experience in a state of the art simulator.

Unlike casinos run by entertainment corporations, Potawatomi takes pride in being part of the fabric of the area. Caring for the community is a tribal tradition and a priority at the hotel and casino. In addition to millions of dollars donated each year by the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation, the Casino’s signature community program, Heart of Canal Street, has given more than $20 million to hundreds of area children’s charities since its inception in 1994. As a socially responsible business, Potawatomi sees responsible gaming as its number one priority. The tribe and casino are also dedicated to environmentally friendly business practices, and utilize them whenever possible.

Visit www.paysbig.com to learn more about Potawatomi or to book your stay!

When Perry Como recorded the classic ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ in 1949, he would never have guessed that the fictional island he crooned about would be the inspiration for one of Las Vegas’s most exclusive and unique golf resorts. Since the turn of the century, Bali Hai Golf Club has been delighting golfers with its one-of-a-kind views of the Las Vegas Strip.

Built to look like the tropical island it was named for, the Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley designed course is within 10 minutes of the city’s top hotels and just across the street from McCarran International Airport. To complete the tropical effect, the property was filled with 4,000 trees – including 2,500 towering palms – more than 100,000 tropical plants, and nearly seven acres of water features.

At 7,002 yards from the tips and a par of 71, Bali Hai is no pushover. Players can tell from the very first tee that the course will be tight and challenging. As with any course of this caliber, everything is in amazing shape, giving golfers the chance to play shots from immaculate fairways and roll putts on pure greens.

Bali Hai starts off with a relatively short, easy par four. What follows is a series of increasingly difficult holes that builds to a series of dramatic finishing holes using the golden Mandalay Bay Resort as a backdrop.

One of the most interesting and intimidating shots happens on the par three 16th, which plays over water with a full view of the clubhouse and restaurant. It’s followed by the two par fours that will test a player’s mental fortitude as they try to finish with a good score. 

While Bali Hai looks the part of a desert oasis, there are reminders that you’re in the middle of one of the busiest cities in America. You’ll hear everything from freeway noise, trains, and airplanes as you play, but those things all add to the feeling of having escaped the real world. 

Bali Hai has a large clubhouse, and pro-shop which is well versed in renting clubs to visiting gamblers who need to take a break from losing money to get their fix on the golf course.

As soon you get out of your car at Bandon Crossings, it’s easy to see that the course is well-loved by the locals and more laid back than the resort up the road. The modest pro shop is full of great golf gear and the practice facilities are everything you need to prep for your round of golf. An added bonus is that the prices are extremely affordable.

Crossings allows players to ride in carts, a welcome accommodation with some of the hills the course is built on and around.

Designed in 2007 by northwest designer Dan Hixson, Bandon Crossings gave the locals of Coos County a championship course to play without the high greens fees of the Bandon Dunes Resort. Set on the east side of Highway 101, Bandon Crossings feels like one of the great golf courses that you can find scattered throughout the region. Elevation changes, a variety of native trees, and water that crosses the fairways and protects the greens.

The holes featured varied lengths, shapes, and directions to keep you interested throughout the round. Long hitters will find some of the holes, especially a couple of the par fives, pretty easy to navigate from the tee. However, Hixson used the greens to protect the course from players who bomb the ball. 

“There are no gimmie putts out there,” said Head Professional Jim Wakeman. “If your ball finds the wrong position on the green, two putts are at a premium.”

In keeping with the spirit of catering to the local community, Bandon Crossings promotes golf to new and young players. The course offers what it calls the ‘North Nine,’ a collection of holes that are built on the flattest terrain on the property, making it an easy outing for the entire family. The North Nine includes holes 1-5 (alternate green on the fifth hole) and holes 15-18.

Bandon Crossings is a course that you shouldn’t miss on your next trip to Bandon Dunes.

With over 300 days of sunshine a year and less than 7 inches of rainfall, Horn Rapids offers year-round golfing. The Links at Horn Rapids is one of the best desert courses in the Pacific Northwest and an experience you won’t want to pass up.

Winding through the sand and sage of the natural desert, Horn Rapids provides a brilliant contrast of greens backed by desert colors and set against the backdrop of Rattlesnake  Mountain. This desert course features narrow fairways lined by sagebrush and a standard cut of rough. The small greens are undulating and fast, and the terrain is rolling. 

The signature hole is #13, 156 yard par 3 that overlooks the Yakima River and a beautiful Rattlesnake Mountain. All 5 Tees are rated for both men and ladies.

Horn Rapids is one of the few courses out there that doesn’t have holes that run parallel to one another. Unless you find yourself on one of the higher points of the property, it’s possible to go the entire day without seeing anyone but the groups in front or behind you.

The course, on the outside of the Tri-Cities, has undergone an ownership change in the last few years and the new owners are embracing the potential that the layout has to offer. With plenty of property around the golf course, new homes are being built and money put into the course to improve its conditions and playability.

Included in those improvements are a new irrigation system, a practice facility, and new clubhouse. Since the purchase, both fairways and greens have seen a marked improvement.