Tucson
Golf Communities
Stone
Canyon
The new Jay Moorish course set against the backdrop of the Tortilita
Mountains is finally here. The first of the new desert courses to aspire
to be totally private from the get go. Now going into it’s third
season of lot sales, the prices have skyrocketed. There are still a few
lots left in the first phase, and lot sales in Phase two have been going
strong. They just raised the minimum price of a lot to $400,000 and
membership has gone up from $50,000 to $75,000, with an additional
$75,000 due down the road when the club goes equity. The course winds
around the Tortilita Mountains with spectacular boulder formations
scattered throughout.
A few homes in the first phase are nearing completion and a new phase
of lots will be opening up in the upcoming season. There is a designated
site for the Ritz Carlton, which will break ground this winter. Although
the Ritz overlooks the Stone Canyon course, the guests will be playing
at the adjacent Golf Club at Vistoso. There are some lots at the Ridge
at Honeybee, an adjacent high-end community that will be able to
purchase memberships here, as the developer at Stone Canyon is now
marketing those custom lots.
The
Gallery at Dove Mountain
Set into the foothills of the Tortolitas the Gallery Golf Course
offers an incredibly beautiful setting with generous fairways and
undulating greens. More than 100 bunkers dot the course (I’ve been in
most of them). The first nine holes work their way up Ruelas Canyon and
the back nine go up into Wild Burro Canyon. All this with elevation
changes of 350 feet and spectacular views of the entire valley. Crafted
by golf course architects John Fought and Tom Lehman, don’t miss
playing this new course on your next visit.
 With
the intention of being a private course, the Gallery has sold
memberships to people who have not purchased property there. They will
have the right to buy those memberships back for property owners when
needed. At this time they are also accepting limited outside play, so
take the opportunity. Have lunch or a drink at their new clubhouse,
which is very impressive and was designed by the same architect who did
the clubhouse at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Carefree. There is a Hyatt
hotel scheduled to go in adjacent to the clubhouse, and the word is they
will build their own course.
Currently lot sales are brisk, ranging in price from $200,000 to a
handful of ridgetop lots in the $1,000,000+ range. Three spec homes are
currently under construction and a series of golf villas are planned for
the near future.
La Paloma
Country Club
Located in the heart of the Foothills, The Westin La Paloma Resort
and Country Club was developed in the mid 80’s along with Loews
Ventana Canyon.
The north side of La Paloma offers condos, townhomes, patio homes and
single family homes. Dating from 1985 to many newer homes, and ranging
from $100,000 and up for a condo, $200,000 and up for a townhome,
$300,000 and up for a patio home, to $500,000 and up for a single family
home. The South side (Resort side), was developed in the 90’s and is
acre lots with custom homes from about $650,000 and up. Most are full
time residents, but there are a good share of second homeowners.
This is the course that Jack built. Well, I will say playing golf at
La Paloma has made me a better golfer. Jack designed this course in
about 1983 during his target golf days. 27 holes with incredible
mountain and city vistas, expect a challenging course with a lot of
risks and hopefully rewards as you wind your way through the desert.
Watch the quail, see the bunnies chowing down, coyotes, roadrunners and
the local bobcat family. La Paloma offers the Ridge, Hill and Canyon
courses, which the members share with the hotel guests at the adjacent
Westin La Paloma Resort. As a member I can say that they juggle that
fairly well. I’ve rarely had trouble getting a tee time. As usual in
Tucson, everyone is happy to accommodate.
Ventana
Canyon Country Club
On the east side of the Catalina Foothills, lies Lowes Ventana Canyon
Resort and just below, around and above it are 36 holes of golf, the
Canyon course and the Mountain Course. The homes range from the $200,000
and up golf villas to the $1,500,000 and up custom homes in the Mountain
Estates.
Opening in 1985, along with La Paloma, Tucson was ready and waiting
for a community like this. Set below and in the Catalina Mountains with
multiple canyons including the well known Sabino Canyon to the east and
the not so well known Rattlesnake Canyon. A spectacular setting and an
immediate lifestyle are what you get when you purchase a property in
Ventana. A favorite community for many of my clients, just get in your
golf cart and cruise over to the beautiful clubhouse for breakfast, a
workout, a massage or dinner, Ventana has it all including a wide
selection of housing. The members share the 2 courses with the resort
and alternate between the Mountain and Canyon course on a daily basis.
The Golf
Club at Vistoso
Positioned at the foot of the Tortolita Mountains, Tom Weiskopf
worked his art on this blank canvas. Working with the terrain Weiskopf
enhanced the natural beauty of the environment in carving out this
desert course. When I first played here after they opened in the mid
90’s I felt it was one of the best courses I’d encountered. It is
currently ranked #3 for public courses in Arizona according to Golf
Digest. Always in impeccable condition (they rarely let you take the
golf cart onto the fairway) and the surrounding mountain ranges catch
your eye at every turn. A very fair yet very challenging test of your
game.
Sabino
Springs- Raven Golf Club
In
the mid 1990’s Tucson’s northeast side became the home to a new
community with a Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed layout set into the
base of the east side of the Catalinas. Along with the Golf Course at
Vistoso, this was the first new course since La Paloma and Ventana in
the mid 80’s. The course winds up into the mountain with hilly terrain
and dramatic, elevated tees, looking down over the entire Tucson Valley
and the other mountains that surround it.
There are mainly patio homes
scattered around the course developed by local builders, with a small
enclave of custom homes. Just outside the gates are some gated custom
home areas, some with 3.3 acre homesites.
Skyline
Country Club
At the top of Swan Road, Skyline Country Club was the first gated
development to grace the foothills in the mid 60’s. Skyline is a great
private course tucked into the Catalina Foothills and greens that play
like they’re in the mountain. Skyline offers some of the most
panoramic views available from its clubhouse, which is very impressive
and has one of the best chefs in town. With a few townhome and patio
homes, Skyline is mainly custom homes on acre lots. One of the first
places to look if you are considering renovating an older home. Due to
its age the area is beautifully and heavily vegetated.
Omni
Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa
Going back in Tucson’s history to the early 60’s, Tucson National
was “the” resort. Many celebrities came to Tucson to stay there and
some of those enjoyed the course. Tucked into a valley setting with a
superb Santa Catalina backdrop, Tucson National boasts a mid-western
layout with 27 holes spread over 232 tree lined acres. Opening in 1960
and remodeled in 1983, the original Orange and Gold nines have hosted 26
PGA Tour Tucson Open tournaments. These are the two best nines and it is
a beautifully laid out tract, challenging but fair and fun. Townhomes
and custom homes meander through the development. The clubhouse, spa,
restaurants and golf shop are in a beautiful setting at the heart of the
community.
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Copyright © 2001 Ruth Feldman. All
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