Taming the Monster

I have wanted to play the Gold Course at the Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa since I came to Phoenix. I have played in a lot of charity golf tournaments at the Wigwam but I generally end up playing on the Blue Course or Red Course instead of the famous Gold Course, also known as "Arizona's Monster". So I was really looking forward to playing golf today. On Saturday a cold front moved through the Valley and the temperatures dropped into the low 60s and it was overcast with a few drizzles. The weather report for Sunday was not promising, but it turned out to be an Arizona Chamber of Commerce golf day. Temperatures were in the high 60s to low 70s (not my score!), the sky was blue and the air was clear and you could see forever.

In 1916, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company bought 16,000 acres west of Phoenix (in what is now known as Goodyear and Litchfield Park, Arizona) to cultivate pima cotton because the cotton extended the tread life of its tires. The company built some living quarters for its visiting executives and sales representatives. In November 1929, right after the great stock crash, "The Wigwam" officially opened its doors as a guest ranch with enough rooms for 24 guests, including the original living quarters. Today, the Wigwam, located in Litchfield Park, Arizona, has 331 guest rooms and three championship golf courses, including the Robert Trent Jones Sr. - designed Gold Course. The Gold Course was built in the 1960s and was supposed to be Jones' west coast version of the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

The Gold Course is nicknamed "Arizona's Monster" because it is 7,400 yards from the Monster tees. Chad Feldheimer and I played from the Championship tees, which is a 6,830 yard, par-72 layout. From the Championship tees, the course has a course rating of 72.3 and a slope rating of 130. The four par-5 holes are 533 yards, 575 yards, 590 yards and 522 yards so there are no "easy" birdie holes. We played with Vern, a community bank executive, and Larry, a sales representative for a cab company.

Chad was three over par on the front 9. I triple-bogeyed the 2nd hole and double-bogeyed the 9th hole and had seven bogeys for a 48 on the front 9. I triple-bogeyed the par-5 10th hole and double-bogeyed the par-3 11th and was contemplating a score of 100! Then I caught magic in a bottle! I had five pars and two bogeys on the last 7 holes for a 43 on the back 9 and a 91 for the round. Chad shot another ho-hum 39 0n the back 9 for a 78.

I drove the ball straight and reasonably long all day. The course was wet so some of my drives plugged in the ground and did not roll. Chad Feldheimer even complimented me on my set-up to the ball, which is unusual for Chad (or maybe there generally are no bases for compliments). On the front 9 and 10 and 11, I was pulling my iron shots and leaving my putts short. The greens were a little shaggy and wet so you really needed to hit the putts to get them to the hole. Beginning on the 12th hole, I hit 5 of 6 fairways (there was one par-3 hole) and I either hit 6 of 7 greens in regulation or I was on the fringe putting. I had 3 or 4 reasonable opportunities for birdie, but did not make one putt over 5-6 feet. I bogeyed No. 18 after hitting probably my best approach shot of the day, a 190-yard 4-hybrid with the wind that was headed right for the pin, bounced on the green and rolled off of the back of the green.

I am starting to feel like I am making some progress with my game. It is probably time to have another lesson with Bob or Will, and start over from scratch again!