Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

Phoenix feels like a 2nd home. Before retiring, I traveled to the city 15 times to play golf. Post-retirement I spent 8 months over two winters here playing golf five days a week, and hiking on the weekends. Last winter I spent 15 days here. Today was my 222nd round of golf in the area. As I mentioned, only one regulation length public course that I haven't played. 

 

Definitely a love/hate relationship with the valley. As many locals and snowbirds have realized, the prices for golf have gotten insane. Used to be able to trek out to Southern Dunes for $75, but now it's double that for a weekday round. The best of the bunch used to be $200, but now they're $350 to $400, with dynamic pricing pushing some to $500. 

 

The munis used to be playable and cheap, but now they're pricey, and unless you start clicking away like an insane person at midnight, you're not going to get a morning tee time. 

 

Still like visiting, but there's less than zero chance I'd settle down here. Even the cheap summer rates have evaporated. The top tier public courses are still worth a play even with the crazy prices, but there's certainly better golf out there for less than half the price. I feel bad for the Tucson players, as the high prices in Phoenix appear to have driven many visitors south. 

 

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

My father played there years ago with two elderly residents. They heard a siren go by, and one of the old guys said, “Well, there’s another golf cart for sale.”

 

Lol. Gotta love black humor. I played a round in Florida two winters ago, and one of my playing partners said after an ambulance drove by, "Hey, anyone want to go to an estate sale after the round?" 

 

[Argonne69]

Looks like State 48 opened another brewpub. This one is just off of I-17 north of my RV park. Decent selection with 30 taps. Enjoying the usual Hell B*tch Belgian Tripel. Their AK-48 Russian Imperial Stout is on deck. 

 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

12 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

My father played there years ago with two elderly residents. They heard a siren go by, and one of the old guys said, “Well, there’s another golf cart for sale.”

 

Several years ago I would join up with Merle, John and Ron for a few holes.  They were all in their very late 80's and it was a hoot to listen to their banter.  Merle and John would pair up in John's golf cart.  John lived in a development less than a mile from the course and would drive his cart there every morning, drive it home and park it in his garage.  Ron carried and walked.

 

John died and left the cart in his will to Merle.  And John's wife allowed Merle to park it in the garage.  Eventually Merle died.  I don't know what happened to the cart after that.

 

Ron was the last survivor, carrying and still walking.  Then he passed.  Ironically they all died at the age of 89.  I don't know if there's a moral to this story.

[carrera]

I used to like visiting Scottsdale for a bit of golf and Spring Training.  Last few times we did the Camelback hike which is a killer in the direction we do.   Fun place, but too bad the golf has gone $$$ crazy.

[Argonne69]

29 minutes ago, carrera said:

I used to like visiting Scottsdale for a bit of golf and Spring Training.  Last few times we did the Camelback hike which is a killer in the direction we do.   Fun place, but too bad the golf has gone $$$ crazy.

 

Yeah, did the Echo Canyon Trail last December. Brutal. 

 

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1842161-args-travel-log/?do=findComment&comment=25143087

 

 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

That was excellent. Xolo in Phoenix. Small strip mall restaurant with a small menu. Salsa had a nice kick. Margarita wasn't bad. I was initially disappointed with the look of the chicken mole enchiladas, as the sauce looked rather weak. Boy, was I wrong. Not the usual dark mole, but it was very tasty with a nice kick. Definitely worth a visit. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Productive afternoon. Called an RV dealer to try to find a replacement part for my damaged living room topper. Not sure if they'll be able to get the part before I leave, but hopefully I'll at least have the part information to try to order one down the road. 

 

I managed to grab an 8:30 am tee time at We Ko Pa Saguaro on Tuesday. Not as early as I'd like, but at least it's not mid or late morning. 

 

Also booked an 8:05 am tee time on the Cattail course at Whirlwind for Thursday. At least I'll leave the city on Friday having played three decent courses. 

 

Going to take the day off tomorrow and hike. Also taking Wednesday off. The more I can rest the wrist the quicker it'll heal. Still too tender to tee it up three or four days in a row. 

 

[Argonne69]

Sometimes it's small gestures that can really make your day brighter. 

 

As I was driving to dinner I exited the interstate, and was stopped at a red light preparing to make a left turn. There were two left turn lanes, and I was in the rightmost  lane. There was nobody in front or behind me, and the leftmost turn lane had three cars in it. I looked in my mirror and saw a firetruck exiting the highway behind me with its emergency lights on. It was hanging left, so I figured it was going to be making a left turn. The two right lanes were occupied, so unless somebody moved the truck was going nowhere. 

 

The intersection looked like it had enough room for me to pull out and move right at a 45 degree angle. I did that, and the firetruck made I left turn from the lane I was previously in. As the truck was making the turn the fireman in the passenger seat leaned out the window, smiled, and gave me a big thumbs-up. I smiled and waved back to him. 

 

Always crazy to see emergency vehicles trying to navigate heavy traffic. Wasn't much, but I felt like I did my small part. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

2 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Sometimes it's small gestures that can really make your day brighter. 

 

As I was driving to dinner I exited the interstate, and was stopped at a red light preparing to make a left turn. There were two left turn lanes, and I was in the rightmost  lane. There was nobody in front or behind me, and the leftmost turn lane had three cars in it. I looked in my mirror and saw a firetruck exiting the highway behind me with its emergency lights on. It was hanging left, so I figured it was going to be making a left turn. The two right lanes were occupied, so unless somebody moved the truck was going nowhere. 

 

The intersection looked like it had enough room for me to pull out and move right at a 45 degree angle. I did that, and the firetruck made I left turn from the lane I was previously in. As the truck was making the turn the fireman in the passenger seat leaned out the window, smiled, and gave me a big thumbs-up. I smiled and waved back to him. 

 

Always crazy to see emergency vehicles trying to navigate heavy traffic. Wasn't much, but I felt like I did my small part. 

 

 

You sound like a man who actually checks his rear view mirror. 

[Argonne69]

6 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

You sound like a man who actually checks his rear view mirror. 

 

Lol. Can't begin to count the number of times I've had to inch forward because the vehicle coming up to me looked like they were going to hit me. 

 

[cbbaron]

On 12/5/2024 at 6:24 PM, Argonne69 said:

Tomorrow I head to Arizona, and bid adieu to California, and my 11 month western swing. I crossed into California from Yuma back in early January. Played my first round at Rams Hill, and spent ~22 weeks in the state this year. I played 103 rounds on 102 different courses. Wow.

 

Can't say I'm going to miss the high gas and food prices, but the courses weren't half bad. A few meh layouts, but also 20 courses with a rating of 7 cows or better. Highlight was Pebble Beach, but there were many more that were excellent.

 

I had a few rainy days, and a few chilly mornings, but overall the weather was pretty decent, especially given that I was here in the early and late seasons.

 

I get to Az Wednesday night

 

[Argonne69]

Pleasant morning. Early morning 3 hour, 7 mile hike up to Bell Pass in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Third time climbing to the pass. Last visit was in January 2021 during my second post-retirement winter in the city. It's roughly 1700' up to the pass. For some odd reason my AllTrails app couldn't get a GPS signal, so I couldn't get the exact count. Steady climb the 2nd half of the rocky trail. 

 

 

Scottsdale and Phoenix behind Camelback Mountain 

 

 

Four Peaks and Fort McDowell 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/y95i4ya7pn8byzs6e15s1/AJSp_CKkU1bnEyynmPX9KFI?rlkey=de1t7qgshyg7v2hkmsmga3nr2&st=fzj7w9jf&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Bummer. The 'ol 9 wood is getting long in the tooth, so I've been looking to replace it with a newer G425 or G430 model. Saw one two days ago at 2nd Swing, but I didn't want to chance shipping it to the RV park. The club was in the Scottsdale store, so I figured I'd be close today after the hike, so instead of calling the store and having them set it aside, I took my chances. What are the odds that someone would buy a 9 wood? Yeah, it was sold yesterday. Grrr. 

 

Stopped by PXG to check out the new Allan zero torque putter. Pretty sweet. Can you build me one in 4 days? Nope. A week. Too late, I'll be long gone. Boo. 

 

At least this Victory Golden Monkey is available. Lol. Stopped at OHSO Brewery. They usually have an imperial stout, but their taplist today is very meh. Luckily they have the GM from Pennsylvania. It's been a while since I had one. Definitely a favorite. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Something a little different today. I don't normally eat out on Sundays, but I was in the neighborhood, so... It's been a year since I had Lou Malnati's, and it didn't disappoint. Even a small pie leaves a slice for leftovers. Lol. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Crazy day continues. PGA Superstore is located a few blocks from Lou's, so I figured I'd stop in to see if they had a Ping 9 wood in stock. Slim to zero chance, but it was on the way to the 101 Loop, so what the heck. 

 

Walked in the store and looked to my right, and saw a big selection of putters. Maybe they carry PXG? Doubtful, but since I was there I wandered over. No PXG, but I noticed two L.A.B. Golf putters. The longer one was a new Mezz.1 Max with a crazy red head, and the shorter one was a used Mezz.1.

 

I grabbed the Max and proceeded to drain more than a few midrange putts on their putting matt. I like a heavy putter, and this one was a boat anchor. Didn't particularly care for the red color, but then I looked at the price tag and the color really didn't matter. $550. Ouch. 

 

The used Mezz.1 was pretty dinged up, and the shaft was at least an inch too short, but I was able to drain a few putts with it, so I thought it might work. At $349 it was still quite pricey, but so is everything these days. I took it to the counter to ask about lengthening the shaft, and a headcover, as it's unique shape won't allow for an aftermarket mallet cover. Unfortunately only L.A.B. can lengthen the shaft, and they toss headcovers for used equipment. Bah. I'd probably take a pass. 

 

One of the managers overheard my conversation, and said that if I was a buyer he could supply a headcover. Turns out that they just received a used Mezz.1 Max with a headcover. It had the longer shaft, a headcover, and was in like new condition. Since the thing just arrived, they hadn't put a price tag on it. The manager said that he'd sell it to me for the same $349. Sold. 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

OK, last stop for the day. I promise. Lol. Wasn't going to stop at Kitsune Brewing, but they don't open until 3 pm during the week, so today was my last chance. They have 3 imperial stouts on tap, including two bourbon barrel aged variants. Sampling all three. Not the best I've had, but very drinkable. 

 

 

Long drive to Southern Dunes tomorrow morning. Hopefully traffic isn't horrible. 

 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Argonne69

[mci711]

I was in Scottsdale last week and had a very similar day. I ran up and down a couple of mountains and had to get Lou's. It has been at least two years that I had a non frozen Lou's. Definitely missed it. 

 

I give myself 5 years until I live in the area (if not Vegas/Colorado - down to the 3). I am playing less and less golf and doing more running and trail running so the expensive golf is less of an issue as it would have been in the past. 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2024 by mci711

[Chanceman]

4 hours ago, mci711 said:

I was in Scottsdale last week and had a very similar day. I ran up and down a couple of mountains and had to get Lou's. It has been at least two years that I had a non frozen Lou's. Definitely missed it. 

 

I give myself 5 years until I live in the area (if not Vegas/Colorado - down to the 3). I am playing less and less golf and doing more running and trail running so the expensive golf is less of an issue as it would have been in the past. 

 

 

On our recent trip to Chicago/Lake Michigan we enjoyed a nice big Malnati classic pizza. The boys could hardly move afterwards. The ice cream pizza desert made it extra difficult.

[Argonne69]

6 hours ago, Chanceman said:

On our recent trip to Chicago/Lake Michigan we enjoyed a nice big Malnati classic pizza. The boys could hardly move afterwards. The ice cream pizza desert made it extra difficult.

 

Chicago style deep dish (Lou Malnati's, Pizzeria Uno) and stuffed pizza (Giordanos, Edwardoes) are gut bombs. The amount of meat and cheese borders on crazy, but they're oh so good. The stuffed pizzas throw in an extra layer of dough for good measure.

 

[Argonne69]

Ah, it wouldn't be a trip down to Southern Dunes without a frost delay. Left Phoenix and it was 50 degrees. Pulled into the parking lot and it was 35 at the course. Looking at 45 minutes at least. 

 

Added bonus was that they're repaving the streets in Maricopa, causing a 15 minute backup. There's a shortcut through the homes, so check your navigation app. 

 

Spoke with the starter, and it's possible that he may send me out as a lead single. That would be sweet. It's cart path only for the first 45 minutes of play, so hopefully I can get out in front of the riders. 

 

[eboettne]

Arg, going to be in the SW Orlando area(Davenport to be exact) over Christmas and looking for some decent golf courses that won't break the bank for my dad and BIL who play a few times a year.  If it's in the 5+ cow range that's a bonus.

[dougieb42]

One course in the Orlando area I enjoyed is Falcon's Fire - it's in Kissimmee.  Rees Jones design - mostly generous fairways and usual bunkering around the greens.  Water(lateral) in play on about 8 holes and some fairway bunkering along the way.  Under $75 if I remember correctly.

[Argonne69]

44 minutes ago, eboettne said:

Arg, going to be in the SW Orlando area(Davenport to be exact) over Christmas and looking for some decent golf courses that won't break the bank for my dad and BIL who play a few times a year.  If it's in the 5+ cow range that's a bonus.

 

Can't go wrong with Southern Dunes. 

 

ChampionsGate CC isn't bad. Not to be confused with ChampionsGate GC. Their two courses are decent. 

 

[Argonne69]

Took advantage of the frost delay to book two rounds in Tucson for Saturday and Monday. This will be my 5th visit to the city, so I wasn't looking for anything new. Wanted to play a couple of my favorites, so I booked Sewailo and Dove Mountain. 

 

[Dancin]

I played Quarry Pines for the first time last year in Tucson and enjoyed it. Half so so golf among the houses but the other side in the quarry is very good.

[Argonne69]

Mostly enjoyable morning. Beautiful day once the frost delay lifted. It warmed very quickly, no surprise. Unfortunately the maintenance crew was also affected by the delay, so while my playing partners sent me on my way after the opening hole, I really couldn't go anywhere. Waited on pretty much every approach shot while they cut the greens. Don't know what setting they had on the mowers, because they were still slow after a fresh cut. Bah. 

 

Sixth time playing Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. Last visit was nearly four years ago. Not much has changed. Still one of the best courses in the area. It's a different type of of desert layout with thick native areas in place of sparce cactus filled desert. Best part is that there isn't a home in sight. Lol. Not much elevation change, but the mounding is pretty good. Had a couple of approaches where I couldn't see the green. Fairway bunkering is very good, but no surprise I'd like to see more. Greenside bunkering is very good. Plenty of deep ones. Water in play on only two holes. Could use a couple more ponds. Nine holes with left/right movement, but only three could be considered doglegs. Maybe four. 

 

Fairways are very generous, so even with the bunkering it's fairly easy off the tee. A couple of short forced carries don't put much fear into you. The rough is generous, so minor misses that don't catch a waste area aren't much trouble. Big misses are a no-no. Little chance of finding a ball in the junk. 

 

Approaches are a different matter. Greens have some odd shapes, and bunkering is solid. Plenty of tucked pins. Overall grade is tough. Greens have wonderful contouring, tiering, and slope. Not crazy, but putting is anything but easy. Ditto up and downs. On top of the tricky greens one can find plenty of uneven lies around them. 

 

Par 3s are excellent. Even with no water in play they have plenty of trouble. Best of the bunch is a tie between the 4th and 11th. Both have shallow greens with more than a few bunkers. Variety of length is also very good. Pitching wedge to fairway wood. Par 5s are a little disappointing. The S shaped 16th is a good risk/reward hole with the green tucked behind a bunker. Make that a pond and it's a winner. The other three aren't bad, but need a little more trouble either off the tee or on the layup. The two short 4s are very good with solid bunkering. The 14th is driveable for a long hitter, but miss, and it could be a tricky up and down. 

 

Conditions were very good. The overseeded fairways were a little thin in spots, but generally pretty good. Rough was fine. Bunkers could use more sand, at least the ones I was in. Greens looked great, but oh were they slow. The melting frost didn't help early, but they didn't really get much better as they dried out. Never more than 9. 

 

On previous plays I've teed it up from the Blue tees, but with the early chill and bum wrist (still), I played a Blue/White combo at 6250 yds (70.0/126). Decent day off the tee, and the irons weren't bad. The new putter went where I aimed it, but couldn't get the ball to the hole. If I did the ball dove as it ran out of steam near the cup. One birdie and seven bogies. Highlight was simply being out on one of my favorite Phoenix area courses on a beautiful December morning.

 

The course still holds up after multiple plays. Solid 7 cows. I'd like to see a couple more ponds to add an additional level of risk. Unfortunately, no walking rate, but at least they still allow walking. The $162 weekday rate isn't cheap, but compared to the fees on the premium courses near the city it's still a relative bargain. Still consider it a must play in the area. 

 

[Argonne69]

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes GC, Maricopa, AZ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5hw5mgmxirmlgo25saf1z/AKr9e2ovIz2ITw-rzUaOUpg?rlkey=xv0tm1b403k15ks9rtn1lekqc&st=wv1o77v5&dl=0

 

Edited December 9, 2024 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Visited Wren House Brewing Company a few years ago during one of my winters in Phoenix. Small brewery with 20 taps, but oh, they know how to do barrel aged beauties. They have a couple of imperial stouts, and a couple of barleywines, but their blends are winners. Started with a 5 ounce pour of their Dinosaur Back BA blend and Black King Snake BA Imperial Stout, but I'll finish with a short pour of their three other dark goodies. 

 

 

[zer0]

Arg, no Quintero on this visit to AZ?  I assume you've played it before.