Talking Stick Golf Club (Piipaash)

The Talking Stick Resort is in a rare class with Bandon Dunes (and that’s usually a good thing), featuring two Coore & Crenshaw routes available to the public. The O’odham course tends to generate more chatter at Talking Stick but the shorter Piipash is an ample display of golf course architecture to round out a day for GCA enthusiasts.

Piipash is also somewhat a rarity for the C&C design firm, who have been known for a minimalism above all. Although O’odham features no “extra” hazards, Piipash brings a more traditional casino course vibe with a pair of man-made ponds that come into play on a range of holes. Don’t expect any island greens, however. Coore and Crenshaw maximize strategy over heroism.

That said, if you feel like playing the hero is your best move, you’ll have an opportunity. No. 16 is a par five that offers the best approach angle to those who carry the crossing creek, rather than play it safe. There is less penalty but equal excitement at No. 14, another par five that dares big hitters to carry desert wash to reach an alternative fairway...cutting the distance significantly on this 540-yard hole.