La Paloma (Ridge & Canyon)

La Paloma Country Club is a 27-hole complex routed by Jack Nicklaus through the foothills of Mt. Kimball on the north side of Tucson. The Canyon and Ridge nines are typically held as the best combination for a round. Although not “in nature” per se (the club exists within a residential community), the dramatic topography allows golfers to have a more adventurous route than many desert loops.

The Canyon nine features a number of forced carries involving the title feature. Holes nos. 4 through 7 on that side seem hellbent on one-upping the drama of the forced carry to the green from the previous hole. Beginning at No. 4, players must simply go over a large stretch of second cut to get to the putting surface. That becomes a narrow canyon on the following par five, followed by a short par four where big hitting players may consider crossing the gap in one, and finally No. 7, which features an enormous gulf from one side of the fairway to the other.

The “Ridge” is hardly lacking in natural splendor, featuring a number of elevated teeboxes playing down to the fairway.