By Jim Grosjean
Growing up in northern Ohio, I am painfully aware of cold and dreary winters. However, now that I reside in Tucson, I’ve gotten used to a steady diet of sun, relative warmth, and best of all, golf!
I recently attended Bill Huffman’s Media Classic, a get together of golf writers who engage in a friendly golf competition at some of Tucson’s best courses. Along the way we sampled great food and drink, caught up with old friends and learned about many of Tucson’s charms.
We started our week with a practice round at the community-owned Views Golf Club. The club is aptly named, as mountain views are available from every hole. This is a player friendly course with wide fairways and well groomed greens, but if your game goes south, one can always blame “The Views!”
A visit to El Conquistador Golf came next. These two Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin courses are only seven minutes from The Views, but their styles are far apart from their neighbors. Severe uphill approach shots will test your club selection abilities.
The Ventana Canyon Golf and Racquet Club is as fancy as it sounds. Two excellent Tom Fazio courses wind through the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains showcasing breathtaking views of the mountains, as well as, the city below. Each hole is so isolated that long cart rides between holes add to the excitement of what’s coming next. With first class lodging and amenities on site, Ventana should be on your radar.
Our home base for the week was the Omni Tucson National Resort. In addition to providing two spectacular golf courses, there is a highly rated spa, three dining options including Bob’s Steak and Chop House, plus easy access to Tucson’s best outdoor activities. The Devlin-Van Hagge Catalina Course hosts the PGA Tour Champions Cologuard Classic every February and has hosted over 30 PGA Tour events.
Unlike the other courses on our schedule, this is a true parklands style course; with large trees replacing the saguaro cactus and lakes instead of desert. Like any tour course, the challenges are great while the rewards are exhilarating. After golf, return to your spacious suite for a well-deserved rest, or head to the pool for a relaxing cool down.
More options for golf include Arizona National and Sewailo Golf Club, but Tucson is so much more than great golf.
Now considered a foodie destination, Tucson is home to the famous “23 Miles of Mexican Food.” This includes the oldest Mexican restaurant in the country continuously operated by the same family; El Charro, where the chimichanga was invented in 1922! To get a flavor of the old west, we even had a chuckwagon dinner at the White Stallion Ranch, one of the few “dude” ranches still in operation in Tucson.
With average winter temperatures in the mid 60’s, great golf and food, Tucson is a can’t miss destination.
For more information and to start planning your Southwestern Golf Getaway visit: http://www.visittucson.org
