| Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor Course) |
| Course Par Value: 70 |
| Course Yardage: 7,125 |
| Hole | Par | Yards | |
| 1 | 4 | 413 |
Tom-A-Hawk - First-tee jitters are justified on Raptor as players must negotiate bunkers left and right. It's possible to fly the left bunker with a solidly struck tee shot, but the right bunker is a little farther down the fairway, making it more difficult to carry. The conservative play is with a long iron or fairway wood just short of the right bunker. The green is elevated and sloped from back to front with a lower tier to the left that is guarded by a deep bunker. |
| 2 | 4 | 395 |
Hide-a-Way - From the tee, golfers must avoid a gaping fairway bunker to the right. A bomb will carry it, but those who find it are faced with a difficult recovery over the steep face. The safe play is to the fat part of the fairway to the left, which leaves a mid iron to the green. Bunkers guard the left and front-right of the green that is sloped from back to front. |
| 3 | 4 | 460 |
Kiss'n TellThe third is one of the more challenging holes on the golf course. Those who take a direct line to the green will need to contend with a fairway bunker running most of the way up the right-hand side of the landing area. The conservative drive favors the left. The green is gigantic with many opportunities for pin placements. A large bunker short-right and several large grass collection areas to the left guard the putting surface. |
| 4 | 5 | 562 |
Peek-A-Boo-This long par 5 is difficult to reach in two - although it has been done - because of its length and its significantly crowned green. The tee shot is wide-open; however, overcook a fade and the bunkers on the right come into play. The ideal lay-up area is on the right side of the fairway about 90 yards from the green, but most lay-up shots come to rest in a low lying area 130 yards from the green. From there, the approach is significantly uphill to a crowned green that drops off severely on all sides. Greenside bunkers that are large enough to hide a Volkswagen make for a difficult sand-save. |
| 5 | 3 | 203 |
Hand Full-Two large bunkers guard short-right and left and especially come into play when the flag is in the front of the green. In that situation, it's best to take enough club and putt back down towards the hole. The green light is on when the flag is in the back, but a shot too long results in a difficult downhill chip. |
| 6 | 4 | 345 |
Horace Greeley - No. 6 is a true risk/reward hole. From the tee golfers have options; hit driver well and have a sand wedge, or tee off with a long iron or fairway wood and have a nine iron in. Either way golfers must avoid a gigantic, deep bunker that guards the right-front. The approach must have some spin on it to prevent it from bounding off the back. |
| 7 | 5 | 502 |
Caddy Wampus - This reachable par 5 forces golfers to think twice before pulling driver. The desert pinches in on the landing area; however, golfers who either thread the needle or bomb it over the trouble will have a long iron into a very receptive green. Laying up on both the tee shot and second shot takes the majority of the risk out of the equation, but the approach must be on the correct tier of the green for any shot at birdie. |
| 8 | 3 | 174 |
Aces & Eights - One of the defining features of this hole is the dramatic slope that flanks the left side of the green; not to mention the spectacular backdrop of the McDowell Mountains. Strategically, the play is to favor the left side of the green, especially if the pin is left, to take advantage of the slope which funnels errant shots down to the green. A right pin brings a greenside bunker into play. Golfers who short-side themselves will be facing a difficult up-and-down. |
| 9 | 4 | 464 |
Tom Thumb - The chief concern from the tee is the large bunker on the right side of the fairway that seems to attract golf balls like steel to a magnet. A drive that is left and long will find a level lie for the approach. A bunker guards the front left and the green falls away to a deep grass collection area to the right. |
| 10 | 4 | 390 |
Quill Creek - A creek runs along the right side of the fairway, crosses over and ends up guarding the left side of the green. Despite the creek, there is plenty of room on the right, but the best angle to the green is from the left side of the fairway. The ideal drive travels down the left side, catches the left-to-right slope and kicks a little to the right into the "A" position. The green features two distinctive levels and as mentioned, a miss to the left may end up in the creek or at least will result in difficult pitch. |
| 11 | 5 | 572 |
Sunset Grill - Big hitters can get home in two, but most golfers should plan on playing it as a three-shot hole. A straight drive will find a nice level lie from which to play a fairway wood to another plateau located on the right-center of the fairway. From there golfers have a full pitching wedge or 9 iron into the large green. A low-lying grassy swale runs along the left side of the fairway and plunges to nearly 30 feet below and to the left of the putting surface. From there, it's a difficult blind pitch from a tightly mown lie up the hill to the green. |
| 12 | 4 | 468 |
Mountain Lion - As the name suggests, this hole is a beast. The tee shot plays uphill to the fairway which is guarded by a bunker on the left and desert on the right. The second shot is difficult as it is all carry to the green - large bunkers are located in the front and behind the green. Furthermore, a grass collection area falls away to the right. The green is large and multi-leveled. |
| 13 | 3 | 230 |
Burning Bush - One of the more visually intimidating holes on the golf course, No. 13 is a long par three that plays uphill and features a deep greenside bunker to the right. Saving par from the bunker is considerably difficult, thus the prudent play favors the left side. Depending on the wind, an extra club is a good idea. |
| 14 | 4 | 429 |
Serenity - Big hitters may consider playing a fairway wood from the tee; however, there is enough space for a well placed drive. A steep grade along the left side of the green funnels errant shots down to the green and a large trough bisects the green making it important place the ball on the correct side on the approach. |
| 15 | 4 | 332 |
Wee One - A true risk/reward hole, the fifteenth allows for both conservative and aggressive options. The green lies downhill from the tee and if the "big dog" busts out of the kennel, it will result in a short pitch, green-side bunker shot or perhaps a putt for eagle. A long-iron tee shot results in a wedge to the well protected green which has two distinctive levels. |
| 16 | 3 | 211 |
Little Creek - Perhaps the most scenic hole on the golf course, the sixteenth plays downhill into a natural amphitheater with a creek tumbling down the left side and empting into a greenside pond. A large grass collection area to the right side of the green acts as a bailout for those loose their nerve. But from there, the pitch back towards a front pin location can easily result in a dip in the pond. The ideal play is to aim at the collection area and work the ball back to the green which is severely sloped from back to front. |
| 17 | 4 | 464 |
Bagger Pass - The landing area is quite large on No. 17; however, the fun begins with the approach. The green has two distinct levels with a sever drop off to the left. An approach that finds the wrong level results in a difficult putt especially from top to bottom - it may roll off the front of the green. An approach that misses the green to the left results in a nearly impossible up and down. |
| 18 | 5 | 521 |
Big Sky -The finishing hole is a pleasure for the senses as it overlooks Scottsdale and greater Phoenix. Playing down-hill,
the green is reachable in two, but the second shot will cause heart palpitations as players must adjust to a down-hill, left-to-right-sloping
lie with water right and sand short left. It takes huevos grandes to get home in two. The lay-up is no cinch either, as
the landing area is fairly slim and sloped from left to right towards water. |
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