Sedona Golf Resort; Oak Creek, AZ

Sedona Golf Resort may be in the middle of the red rock desert, but it is a parkland course - with lush fairways, push up greens and water hazards - and a good one at that. And come to think of it... what, exactly, is a desert course? (if you want to see a real one watch the video in the Canyonlands Golf Club post!) Technically it would have to be played on sand because the second you grow turf grass on top of it, you are pretty much laying a parkland blanket over the landscape.

Some desert courses try to minimize this superimposition and integrate themselves by perching tees on top of rock outcroppings, playing across huge cactus and sage filled ravines, and sandy waste areas. Or they go for what I call the "Land of the Lost" look, when they add waterfalls and tumbling streams that flow into rock trimmed (and tarp bottomed) ponds where a drain and pump system send the water right back to the top again. To complete the effect they add green die tabs to the water and you end up with a beautiful, floral Disneyscape with hummingbirds and chipmunks flitting and scurrying everywhere. You half expect Snow White to step out from behind a saguaro and burst into song.


I like that Sedona Golf Resort keeps it simple and opts to let the golf be played on the golf course and the desert to be admired all around. And admirable it is - huge domes and spires of red rock and pine forested plateaus that climb up towards Oak Creek Canyon and the huge massif of Mount Flagstaff. The smooth round contours of the course complement these water and wind weathered rocks and the softness of the turf feels just right in the pastel evening light. It is an incredibly pleasant experience to play here in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.