Arg's Travel Log

[eboettne]

With courses being closed here for over a month, all these courses look like 10 cows to me.

[Argonne69]

Another beautiful day frustratingly spent zooming around in a golf cart on a walkable course. Maddening. After walking four rounds in southeast Tucson last week I feel like I've been transported to Florida where I spent my first winter desperately trying to find a course that would allow me to walk. Definitely won't be settling down in Green Valley when my traveling days are over. 

 

Canoa Ranch today. Technically it's a resort course, but the desert layout winds through a housing development. On many holes the fairway is the low point with the homes on the ridge above, so it wasn't the worse looking course you'll find. Actually, I thought the course looked great with some decent holes. Nice view of the mountains. A few elevated tees and greens, along with some nice mounding kept it from getting monotonous. Water in play on just a couple of holes, but plenty of carries over dry washes. Fairway bunkering was very light, but greenside was a little better. Not much in the way of left/right movement. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee. Most fairways were fairly generous, but they looked narrow from the tees. Light bunkering was offset by the forced carries. The dormant rough was moderate height, so minor misses would hang up. Big misses were goners in the dense desert. Approaches were also moderately difficult. Greens were on the small side, and had decent bunkering. A few were quite narrow. Contouring and slope were minimal, so putting was straightforward. Up and downs were a little trickier due to the slope around the greens. 

 

The six par 3s were pretty decent. Three played long with a good amount of trouble. The shorter ones were fairly benign. The five par 5s were meh. Tough holes, but only one risk/reward hole. The short 9th had a pond running along the right side up to the green. Going for it brought it into play. The long 18th was a tough finishing hole with a crossing wash up near the green, along with a large bunker. Short 4s were meh. Don't know what's so difficult about putting some trouble out there. 

 

Conditions were mixed. Overseeded fairways were pretty good, but a little shaggy and stealing rollout. Rough was decent. Bunkers were complete garbage. In addition to having no sand, they had standing water in many and were littered with rocks. Greens looked OK, but were rolling no more than 8. 

 

Played an Oro/Azul combo at 6414 yds on the par 71 layout (70.1/135). Another good day with the driver hitting 11 fairways, but irons were spotty, and wedges took the day off. Seven bogies. Highlight of the day was actually dropping a 15' birdie putt on the par 5 9th. 

 

I'll go with a solid 5 cows here. I'm taking one off for the no walking policy on this walkable layout. Very nice looking course, even with the homes. Nice collection of holes, but could use another risk/reward par 5, a couple of tough short 4s, and some sweepers. The $60 rate was surprisingly low. Definitely worth a visit if you prefer your rounds riding. 

 

[Argonne69]

Canoa Ranch GC, Green Valley, AZ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bd4940tu1w904e6rtfc0i/h?rlkey=s5y3x4kznaiyho70l42ysftkj&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Bummer. I was planning to play Sewailo next Monday, but they have an outing in the morning. Guess I'll have to play it later in the week. Looked at Dell Urich, but nothing available until late morning. I'll check back in a few days, but if not I might take a 10 miles hike up and down Mt Wrightson. The 4000' climb would be a real workout. 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Well, that's better. Actually played a course in Green Valley that allows walking. Got lucky with the weather for the most part. The forecast called for rain, and the radar showed several large cells around the area, but they managed to pass to the north and south. It was cloudy for most of the round, but I get get some nice sunshine on a few holes early in the round. 

 

Torres Blancas GC today, the sister course to Canoa Ranch. Meh. No where near as picturesque. The front nine and opening holes on the back route through a housing development, pinching the layout. The final six holes run back and forth along the Madera Foothills, so the views are a little better, even though the holes are less interesting. Pretty flat course with water in play on a couple of holes. Very light bunkering, and many of the ones in the fairway have been allowed to grow in. Only one sweeper on the course. Ugh. The 9th was an odd hole with a fairly large tree in the middle of the fairway 100 yds out. 

 

Much easier course off the tee than Canoa Ranch. There were a couple of forced carries, but they were short. The dormant rough was fairly generous, so minor misses were playable. Big misses were a three sided coin toss. On the first dozen holes you'd probably be in a backyard. The final stretch could find you OB or in an adjacent fairway. Approaches were mixed. Solid bunkering on the front, but very open on the back. Greens were generally small. Contouring was minimal, so putting and up and downs were straightforward. 

 

Par 3s were OK. Three played long, with two very long. The 12th had a forced carry over a pond. The 5s were meh. Nothing reachable. The 14th was a beast at 648 yds from the tips, and 559 from the blue. It was playing into the wind, and the groundscrew must have been in a sour mood this morning, because they had the blue tees back with the gold at 635 yds. Short 4s were boring, but at least required a halfway decent teeshot. 

 

Conditions were once again mixed. Overseeded fairways looked nice, but were a but shaggy. Rough was low. Bunkers were a notch better than Canoa Ranch. Little sand, but not quite as many rocks. Greens looked rough, and were rolling no more than 8. 

 

Played an Azul/Verde combo at 6435 yds (69.3/124). Course played long in the cold, breezy conditions. Driver was going nowhere, and irons were once again spotty. Wedges took another day off. Six bogies and a double. 

 

I'll be nice and give TB 4 cows. Just not a lot of memorable holes. Usual shortcomings. Given that they allow walking, I'd probably play it often if I was a local, but only because of that. I must say that I'm very pleased with the greens fees in the area. At $45 it was a solid price. Unless you really want to walk, it can safely be skipped. 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Torres Blancas GC, Green Valley, AZ 

 

 

Enjoyed the sunshine while it lasted. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/a4xfejmydpel7dov3ex4t/h?rlkey=kzphceedgh6mk44nu1skliwu0&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Better than expected. Longhorn Outpost and Barbecue Company in Green Valley. Brisket was excellent. Moist and fatty. Ribs were very good. Meaty, tender, and a good rub. Green chili and cheese hot link was disappointing. Very dry, and the chili taste just didn't come out. Jalepeno cornbread was nice and moist. Campfire beans were very good. Coleslaw was meh. They offer six barbeque sauces, spicy, KC, house, Carolina mustard, honey, and blueberry bourbon. All were very good, but the house sauce was tops. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Ouch. 5 days after getting wacked with a ball it still looks nasty. Lol. 

 

 

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Ouch. 5 days after getting wacked with a ball it still looks nasty. Lol. 

 

 

Ouch…

[hammergolf]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Better than expected. Longhorn Outpost and Barbecue Company in Green Valley. Brisket was excellent. Moist and fatty. Ribs were very good. Meaty, tender, and a good rub. Green chili and cheese hot link was disappointing. Very dry, and the chili taste just didn't come out. Jalepeno cornbread was nice and moist. Campfire beans were very good. Coleslaw was meh. They offer six barbeque sauces, spicy, KC, house, Carolina mustard, honey, and blueberry bourbon. All were very good, but the house sauce was tops. 

 

 

At first glance I thought the sausage links was garlic bread. I see now why it wasn’t good.

[Argonne69]

Bummer. I showed up at the course 45 minutes early this morning hoping that there would be a no-show, and there's a frost delay that could last an hour. So much for beating the crowds. Lol. 

 

Well, good news and bad news. Frost delay has been canceled, but it'll be cart path only for the first half hour. Looks like I'll be in the 3rd group out, but the first two foursomes are riding, so it'll be slow for a few holes. Could be worse. 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Argonne69

[vernon]

13 hours ago, hammergolf said:

At first glance I thought the sausage links was garlic bread. I see now why it wasn’t good.

Wow - so did I.

 

Had to go back and look again.

 

Would have never guessed that was sausage.......

[mci711]

13 hours ago, hammergolf said:

At first glance I thought the sausage links was garlic bread. I see now why it wasn’t good.

 

I thought the same thing. 

[@_the_crook]

16 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Ouch. 5 days after getting wacked with a ball it still looks nasty. Lol. 

 

 

For years I've been playing with this one fellow - he hits from the back tees and I've always waited to move to the forward one until he shoots. Mind you, he's pretty good and doesn't usually muff a tee shot - but you never know.

 

Hope you heal fast, buddy.

 

 

 

 

[Bonneville85308]

3 hours ago, vernon said:

Wow - so did I.

 

Had to go back and look again.

 

Would have never guessed that was sausage.......

 

I thought it was Stella D'Oro Anisette Toast, a staple of holiday get-togethers in my family growing up.

 

[Argonne69]

It turned out to be a very nice day. Never ceases to amaze me how warm it feels down here when it's sunny with light winds. Got lucky with my pairings, as the group ahead of me had two no-shows, so I was able to move up. The two speedsters and I got around in 3 hours, finishing at least 3 holes ahead of the group I was originally in. 

 

Unfortunately the course, Haven GC, was about as boring as you can make a course. Reminded me of the numerous flat courses in the Sun City, AZ area. Technically it's not a housing development layout, but it does sit adjacent to one. Nice views of the mountains again, but otherwise very little eye candy. Water in play on a few holes provided a bit of danger. Fairway bunkering was very light. Greenside was a hair better. A couple of sweepers didn't really break up the monotony of the back and forth. 

 

Very easy off the tee with light bunkering and few bunkers. Minor misses would run into the generous, low cut rough. Big misses would have to be really big to find trouble OB, but a miss in the right direction would find an adjacent fairway. Approaches were moderately difficult only because the greens were on the small side. Most were near fairway height, so even with the soft, overseeded conditions one could still run a ball up. Greens had very little contouring, and gentle slope, so putting and up and downs were easy. I managed 7 out of 10 up and downs. 

 

Boring layout. The par 3s, 5s, and short 4s were all meh. 

 

Conditions were again mixed. Fairways were quite good, but still had a handful of mudballs. Rough was dormant and low. Bunkers were washed out with very little sand. Greens looked very good, but were rolling 9 at best. 

 

Played the White tees at 6394 yds (69.2/117). Solid day with the driver. I decided to swap out the shaft for the original Tensei Orange, and it really helped with the low draws. Still managed a couple, but nowhere as severe as the old shaft. Actually hit a few drives that had some altitude. Lol. Irons and wedges were both solid as well. Two birdies and three bogies. Highlight of the day was my two senior playing partners, one of whom grew up a few suburbs away from me in Chicago. Had plenty to chat about. 

 

Nice course for the locals, but can't really give it more than 3 cows. It's certainly not a goat track, but misses on just about all of the key things I like in a layout. The $47 rate wasn't bad for a weekend round, but I'd be a bit perturbed if it was higher. Easily skipped. 

 

[Argonne69]

Haven GC, Green Valley, AZ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l9nfv1rgerc4lyf3giia4/h?rlkey=uawsppubj9drhw2hhhubbi3xy&dl=0

 

[@_the_crook]

1 hour ago, Bonneville85308 said:

 

I thought it was Stella D'Oro Anisette Toast, a staple of holiday get-togethers in my family growing up.

 

your gramma and mine thought alike.

no one in my family brings them anymore. I should buy a pack just to hear them say, "Oh I remember those"

[Argonne69]

That's hitting the spot. El Patio in Sahuarita. 

 

 

Not quite the delicious mole I had the other day, but the Bandera enchiladas were pretty good. One spinach and cream cheese, one chicken and one beef with green, white, and red sauce. 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

After five rounds in 5 days I took a day off today. Went to the RV show at Pima County Fairgrounds to check out diesel pushers, but there were few there, and the ones that they had were meh. The more I see other RVs the more I like Bessie's layout. I spend a lot of time watching TV, and I like having the 50" TV a few feet in front of my home theater seating. Too many floorplans have a small TV set too far away from the seating, or have the TV mounted up near the ceiling. 

 

Next stop was the Titan Missile Museum. Unlike the Minuteman facility in South Dakota, the Titan facility has the control room adjacent to the missile silo. One descends 50 steps, and then makes a left turn into the shock absorbing control center before walking 100 yds over to the missle. Pretty cool. Got to sit at the commander's console and turn the launch key. 

 

 

6000 lb blast door 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8k3albmie7nysnb0rl54f/h?rlkey=nb3vuzc0pcsfql4wdh40kreir&dl=0

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Argonne69

[caniac6]

On 12/1/2023 at 7:34 PM, Argonne69 said:

Ouch. 5 days after getting wacked with a ball it still looks nasty. Lol. 

 

 

Worked at courses, played about 50 years, and never been hit. Ouch!

[Argonne69]

Cracked open my first bottle of the 2023 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Mighty tasty. Not sure if it's available in SoCal, so I'll stock up when I'm in Phoenix. 

 

 

[AzSuperHack76]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

After five rounds in 5 days I took a day off today. Went to the RV show at Pima County Fairgrounds to check out diesel pushers, but there were few there, and the ones that they had were meh. The more I see other RVs the more I like Bessie's layout. I spend a lot of time watching TV, and I like having the 50" TV a few feet in front of my home theater seating. Too many floorplans have a small TV set too far away from the seating, or have the TV mounted up near the ceiling. 

 

Next stop was the Titan Missile Museum. Unlike the Minuteman facility in South Dakota, the Titan facility has the control room adjacent to the missile silo. One descends 50 steps, and then makes a left turn into the shock absorbing control center before walking 100 yds over to the missle. Pretty cool. Got to sit at the commander's console and turn the launch key. 

 

 

6000 lb blast door 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8k3albmie7nysnb0rl54f/h?rlkey=nb3vuzc0pcsfql4wdh40kreir&dl=0

 

Turn Your Key Sir…..

[Argonne69]

I had a decision to make early this morning. Drive 30 minutes to play a round of golf at a flat, inexpensive muni, Dell Urich, or drive 30 minutes to hike 9 miles up and down 3300'? I chose the latter. After two recent rounds on boring, flat courses, I needed to get my heart rate up, so I climbed to Baldy Saddle near Mt Wrightson.

 

Tough 4.5 mile climb up a rather steep trail. It was 38 degrees when I set out. First time hiking on snow and ice. Wow, that's scary, especially on the way down. I have to pick up some strap on spikes for my boots. I took two minor tumbles on the way down. Most of the trail was clear, but there were large stretches of less than ideal footing. It took me longer to get down than up, with a few places were I was inching along trying not to fall. The hike down was brutal on the toes and calves. Good thing I have a travel day tomorrow. 

 

I was originally thinking about climbing Mt Wrightson, but it was another 0.7 miles and 700' to the summit. I might have been able to do it, but I was worried about the snow and ice, as the trail looked even steeper than the Baldy Trail. I'm glad I skipped it, though. I was pretty spent by the time I got back to the trail head. I've learned that the hike down is never easier than the hike up, and one can easily trip when tired. Adding two hours would have been dicey. 

 

 

 

 

Mt Wrightson 

 

 

 

Looking east 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/us6dnmtkxdsjc7s6af0vq/h?rlkey=kwi1saqyv8jz66se47vuoixo3&dl=0

 

[puttnforthe8]

@Argonne69 Just saw these on sale - may work for you.  Very good reviews:  https://www.rei.com/product/229165/kahtoola-nanospikes-traction-system?color=CHARCOAL&cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-2467-_-2906-_-3402&avad=2906_d35618215

[spud3]

puttn beat me to it.  Those NanoSpikes are exactly what you need.  I have a set and they are awesome

[Argonne69]

27 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

@Argonne69 Just saw these on sale - may work for you.  Very good reviews:  https://www.rei.com/product/229165/kahtoola-nanospikes-traction-system?color=CHARCOAL&cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-2467-_-2906-_-3402&avad=2906_d35618215

 

Thanks. Went with the Kahtoola EXOspikes model. Similar in design, but they have 8 spikes in the front part of of the foot. Reviews look excellent for both models. 

 

[Argonne69]

Bummer. Enjoying my last can of 2022 Revolution Brewing Dark Mode Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout. Not quite as tasty as their Deth's Tar, but it's close. Revolution isn't available in the southwest as far as I'm aware, so my dwindling stash of Deth's Tar has to last me a while. Lol. Gotta bribe a friend back in Chicago to UPS me eight 4-packs. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Short drive north this morning to south Tucson. I'm ~6 miles south of downtown. I have rounds booked at Omni Tucson National Catalina, Crooked Tree, Quarry Pines, and The Views for this week. 

 

I'll probably go for a hike on Sunday, and then I have Dell Urich and El Conquistador Canada next week. I'm hoping to book Highlands at Dove Mountain, but they only allow the public to book 4 days in advance. I have room for one more round, and I'll probably play a course I've played before. However, I'm open to ideas. Is the Preserve worth a visit? 

 

 

[Bonneville85308]

52 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

However, I'm open to ideas.

 

 

My recommendation would be Arizona National if you haven't played it already. Fun course and a good value for what they charge. Might not be a walking round though.