Scottsdale, Arizona
One of the most highly rated golf facilities in Arizona, Troon North boasts two top class desert style golf courses. Pinnacle is a classic desert layout, while, Troon North Monument, featured in our review, is more of a mountain layout with dramatic elevation changes, especially on the back nine.
With immaculate course conditioning, top class facilities and five star service, Troon North sets the standard in the Scottsdale area, highlighted by prominent rankings such as…
Golf Channel’s “Top 10 Arizona Resort Courses”, #1 – Troon North Golf
ClubGolf Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” for 2014 – Arizona:
#1 – Troon North Pinnacle Course
#4 – Troon North Monument Course
Part of the service includes a caddie program which runs during peak seasons. You can read more about the caddie program here.
Playing the Course
The course measures 7039 yards off the back tees but there are several sets of tees making the course playable for golfers of all levels.
You can see the full card here.
The course starts off as a classic desert style layout, epitomised by the view from the first tee, which presents a strip of green fairway, surrounded by desert.
The view is a little more intimidating than it actually is, there is a fair amount of room around the landing distance so you can take out the driver and give it a rip! Just as well as the second shot must carry over a rock outcrop to a fairly small green so you want to be going in with as short an iron as possible.
The par 3 second hole presents similar challenges. A range of tees provide different angles into a green protected by bunkers short and right. Anything on the green is a great shot.
The rest of the front nine continues winding it’s way through desert terrain. Apart from the occasional rock outcrop in the fairway, most of the challenges are around the greens. The green surfaces are quite small with numerous undulations and plenty of run off areas so finding the centre of the green is a good policy generally. Not the course to go flag hunting.
The back nine starts off with a steady climb from holes 10 through 12. The most dramatic elevation changes start with the uphill par five 14th which plays even longer than it’s 570 yards off the back tee.
The highest point on the course is the 15th hole, which offer spectacular views of the surrounding desert stretched out far below.
The par 3 16th tee is elevated with the green set far below. Try to take your mind off the views long enough to figure out which club to take to the green set far below you. it is one of the more challenging tee shots on the course.
Layout
It is conventional par 72 layout with two par 3s and 3 par 5s on each nine. The par 3s are pretty long, especially off the back tees, with the 16th being the longest at 244 yards.
The par 5s vary with the 512 yard 11th being the shortest and the longest is the 14th at 570 yards all uphill.
There is a good mix of par 4s with the shortest being the 299 yard 15th and the extravagantly long par 4 17th at 495 yards off the back tees being the longest.
You can see the full scorecard here and a hole by hole flyover here.
Location
Troon North is situated about 30 minutes drive north of Scottsdale Old Town so within a 30 minute drive or less of all our featured accommodation.
Dining
The Dynamite Grill offers a lovely setting overlooking the 18th green on the Pinnacle course and the large practice putting green. It has always been one of our favourite places for lunch. The food is excellent and there is good variety. Even if you just want to stop for a couple of beers after the round, it is the perfect place to relax and unwind.
Yo can view sample menus here.
Overall Impression
Troon North represents the very best that Scottsdale has to offer, both in terms of having two top class 18 hole layouts, backed with outstanding service and facilities.
