Vista Verde Golf Club
Rio Verde, Arizona
18 holes completed in 2006
Par 72
7,219/5,384 yards

Hewn from the high Sonoran Desert just east of Scottsdale, Vista Verde Golf Club successfully fuses jaw-dropping aesthetics with an innovative design. Bordered by the cactus-strewn Tonto National Forest, this gently rolling layout is lushly lined with mesquites, Palo Verde trees and Saguaro cacti. Aside from the the eye-catching mountain backdrops, player-friendly roomy landing areas and lack of rough, the dominant course feature is the bold bunkering, an homage to the classic Australian Sandbelt courses. The bunkers are not only dramatic looking, but their placement and variety determine strategy on almost every hole. Players are further tested by the imaginative contours throughout the course, especially on and around the greens, which puts a premium on skilled iron play and chipping. By employing clever use of width, angles and contours, along with inspired placement of arroyos and water hazards, Vista Verde is the rare desert course that envelops the strong player with risk/reward options, yet which allows more modest golfers to enjoy their day with a minimum of fuss--and a minimum of lost balls.