December in the Desert: Part 1

Dec 10-15: Marana, Arizona (Tucson) - Golf Channel Amateur Tour Arizona Open (12/14-12/15)

Part 1:
My Dad and I traveled to sunny, dry Tucson AZ for a mix of leisure and competitive golf and relaxation.  It was a father-son bonding time.  It was a chance to get away from the New England cold.  It was a chance to play golf in the desert.  Tucson is a golfing destination, retirement spot with temperatures in mid-60s during December, mountains, cacti and other spikey vegetation, wild animals, and good hospitality.  We were lucky to get sunshine everyday.  The mornings were cold enough to layer up (low 40s) and the afternoons warm enough to sit by the pool (high of 70).  We played Dove Mountain, home of World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play tournament, and The Gallery, a highly-respected private course nearby Dove.  Personally, I thought The Gallery was the better of two courses; beating Dove in condition, layout, and overall experience.

During the trip, we made it a point to experience activities beyond the golf course.  Our trip included a visit to Biosphere 2, which is the world's largest facility to study Earth systems.  In other words, the team at Biosphere works to recreate Earth life under a fully enclosed roof, with different climates and plants; studying water; air quality, plant science; etc.  We listened to a native Hohokam brave play a flute that echoed throughout the mountain.  I was accidentally stabbed by a jumping cactus bush after looking for my golf ball!  A bird flew into my hotel room; that was not easy getting it out, when it was stuck, flapping around in the blinds (yikes).  I spent time watching a 9 year old tortoise from Africa named Wambi eat grass and apples.  She was 30 lbs.  She started out the size of a silver dollar and will likely live to 100 and grow to 100-120 lbs!  Fat and slow!  We saw a Javelina (not friendly).  We ate at a local steakhouse called Li'l Abner's that served Mesquite wood smoked steaks.  Saloon atmosphere; we stuck out like sore thumbs.

The hotel we stayed at inside Dove Mountain was as good as it gets from a service standpoint.  The staff was friendly, attentive, professional, accommodating (after being stuck with only a king bed on our first night!), and knowledgeable.  One exception was a recommendation to try a local Italian restaurant.  The staff member said it was the best in town, even Sicily certified.  If it was the best in town, it would be the worst in town in Boston.  Bad bad bad.  CORE Kitchen Restaurant was very solid; its very pricey, but if you have one nice meal in your budget, this is a good choice.  Excellent salmon and mac/cheese.  My Dad had a nice steak too.  They don't shy away on portions out here and they like to offer a burger/shake combination.

Golf courses we played were beautiful.  Dove has 27 holes and Gallery offers 36 holes.  The two pictures are from Gallery GC - North Course.  The greens were in almost perfect condition and running at 10-11 on the stimpmeter.  The bunkers are not filled with much sand which gives you easy escapes from the fairway, however, the challenges lie in the pure quantity of bunkers (everywhere) and the deep faces.  The desert is in your face and mind all day; on your tee shots and for your general observation.  Keep your tee shots in the green grass!  The Golf Shop picture is at Dove Mountain Golf Club.

Good practice facilities included grass tees, chipping greens, putting greens, and fairway bunker practice spots.  The Gallery driving range was special.  The hitting area was carpet-like and the green targets were ample at varying distances and looked like real manicured greens.

Part 2 will cover our practice and tournament rounds.

Brrrr its cold in Boston,
K