Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor)

On October 18 2007 the PGA Tour visited the Raptor course at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale Arizona. Canadian Mike Weir emerged victoriously for the first time since early in the 2004 season claiming the Fry's Electronics Open.

Scottsdale is to desert golf what the Ayrshire coast is to links golf. Grayhawk is among the finest 36-hole facilities located within a radius of only few miles, including The Boulders, Troon North, We-Ko-Pa, Talking Stick and the TPC of Scottsdale.

The Tom Fazio designed Raptor course, which opened in 1995, is one of the most beautiful courses in the region with spectacular panoramic views of the McDowell Mountains and the surrounding desert dotted with large saguaro cactus. The layout features generous, rolling fairways with beautiful large bent grass greens. There are very few forced desert carries with most holes having fairway the entire route between tee and green.

The Raptor has numerous swales and bunkers many of which are large and deep and must be avoided in order to score well. The signature 156-yard 8th called “Aces & Eights” requires a tee shot that is all carry to a large double-tiered green fronted by three large, deep bunkers with a beautiful mountain view as the backdrop. The finishing hole, called “Big Sky” is a fun par five requiring a lot of nerve on the approach due to the water along the right side for the final 200 yards to the green and bunkers on the left.

The course is usually in perfect condition from fall to spring but as with many Arizona courses conditions suffer in the 100+ degree summer heat. The Raptor and its sister course, the Talon, have been listed in Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 You can Play” and Golf Digest’s “Top 100 Public Courses”.

Article by Stewart Abramson