When the folks over at Troon offered me the keys to their social media accounts, I gladly accepted. I also jumped on a plane to check out two of the newest additions to the Troon portfolio. Normally, my takeovers are hostile but I am always happy to do business with Troon. Here are the results from my friendly takeover with Troon.
After landing in Phoenix, I quickly made my way to my favorite public golf course in the area, Southern Dunes. Sine it was 109 degrees outside, I was alone on Southern Dunes and even with the heat, this was a fun round of golf. To get a golf course entirely to yourself as the sun goes down is a special situation. For those visiting Scottsdale for golf, you are missing out if you skip on Southern Dunes.
On this visit to Southern Dunes I found myself another new course to explore. The Mini Dunes is now open for play. The driving range has been converted to a 6 hole par 3 course with holes ranging from 60 to 115 yards. The course opens up at sundown and is illuminated with floodlights. The food trucks and music make it a perfect spot for an evening with friends and family.
I have stayed at a lot of hotels and resorts in Phoenix and the Hermosa Inn is at the top of that list. The rooms are not really rooms, they are more like small desert bunglalows. Each reservation has its own patio and it feels like a little home. You would be wise to make the Hermosa Inn your golf headquarters on your next stop in Phoenix.
While there are certainly other big names in the Arizona Troon lineup, this was my takeover and I had decided to explore the less explored. Some real Robert Frost action! Courses like Troon North, Kierland, and The Boulders would have to wait until next time. It was time to check out Rancho Manana.
Even though Rancho Manana is short, this beauty will challenge you at every turn. It will tempt you to reach for the driver, but iron off of every tee will be sufficient. If you enter the round with an appropriate mind set, Rancho Manana is a fun and unique ride of desert golf.
After several days with a cold putter, I needed to pay some attention to the flat stick. Fortunately, Scottsdale features one of the best spots to hone your putt game off of the golf course. They have two full 18 hole putt courses and its a great place to watch some sports. We watched the first game of the 2024 NFL season and what should be another 3-12 performance for me in Fantasy Football.
With the keys to Troon in hand, I was going deep south next. Just several hours south of Phoenix you will find the town of Tubac and the Tubac Golf Resort. The resort is filled with boat loads of character and it almost feels like you have crossed over the border and into Mexico. With an extensive history of exploring golf resorts, the rooms at Tubac are some of my absolute favorite. The sunken living room, patio and stylish and cozy beds were just what a golf explorer needs.
The golf course itself was the site for the filming of the 1996 golf classic Tin Cup. Tubac Golf Resort has 3 9 hole golf courses and holes 3-4 on the Rancho course are where the filming took place. I was happy to make the several hour drive down from Phoenix to play a fun new golf course and experience the resort.
This was a quick trip to Arizona but a very enjoyable one. I managed to keep the keys to Troon in my pocket the entire time and packed it back to California with a smile on my face.