Best Winter Golf Course 2012 | Southern Dunes Golf Club | Sports & Recreation | Phoenix
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best Winter Golf Course

Southern Dunes Golf Club

Located about a half-hour southwest of Sky Harbor, on the other side of South Mountain, this sweet public course provides both a "true test" of golf and one of the best bangs for the buck this side of Augusta. The fairways generally are wide and forgiving, a must for our many wayward drives, though the second shots on the par-4s invariably are dicey, with strategically placed deep bunkers that protect the greens like sentries. And those greens, while expansive, undulate like belly dancers, which make dreaded three-putts loom ever possible. Though it's a bit of a schlep for many, the price at this Troon facility is much lower than at fellow courses in Scottsdale, an hour or so north. When the much-higher winter rates kick in, usually around November 1, it still costs "only" about $100 for a round. We do appreciate that we didn't lose even one ball over the 18, on our way to a comfortable 94. That, non-golfers, is eminently mediocre.

Best Summer Golf Course

Talking Stick Resort

It may not be the Valley's most demanding course (actually two 18-hole courses, North and South), but this well-maintained facility on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, off Loop 101, is perfect for our scattershot game, especially in the summer, when prices drop from $175 to a cool $40 or so. The North Course has a hole, number 12, dubbed the Red Mountain Gambler, and with good reason — there's no easy way to get there other than to hit two almost perfect shots. That is usually above our pay grade. The perfectly sculpted fairways are wide enough to land an airplane on. And absolutely no worries about blasting the little white ball into someone's home, because there are none out there. After the round, the Wildhorse Grille, which sits inside one of Arizona's sweetest resort hotels, also named Talking Stick, is the perfect place to chill with a cold one and some of the best views around.

Best Miniature Golf

Castles N' Coasters

Some people dream of traveling the world, buying a sports car or a mansion, or diving into a swimming pool filled to the brim with Cristal should they ever win the lottery. And sure enough, that last option sounds pretty tasty, but we'd still prefer one thing over all these options: a world-class miniature golf course in our backyard, with all the old-school putt-putt features, including a Dutch windmill and a medieval castle and the open mouth of a dragon to chip a shot into. Until then, we'll stick with Castles N' Coasters, which at least has the medieval castle as a course feature and is pretty cool to go to on a non-summer weekday when all the screaming kids are in school and you have all four courses to yourself. Who needs mega-millions and mini-golf in the backyard, or even a backyard, as long as Castles N' Coasters is open for business?

Best Place to Hang With Fellow Geeks

N.E.R.D.S.

It's time to shoot down some stereotypes: Geeks and nerds of the world long have been encumbered with the reputation of being nothing but a bunch of socially inept and physically unattractive loners who shirk the outside world in favor of hiding in Fortresses of Solitude to revel in their fandom obsessions (see: Cooper, Sheldon, from The Big Bang Theory). And though a certain segment of the population fits this description, it ain't necessarily true for everyone. For proof, look no further than the members of N.E.R.D.S. (short for "Niche Enthusiasts Really Doing Stuff"). The people involved with this local Meetup group help it live up to its acronym by routinely attending geek-friendly events across the Valley. The 600-odd members of the group include representatives from practically every faction in fandom, be they Whovians, Trekkers, Twihards, Browncoats, Gateheads, or Warsies. They flock to any and all events with a niche following, whether it's a gaming tournament, midnight movie premieres, or the annual Renaissance Festival. Unlike the bullies who likely laid into them during their school years, the nerds of N.E.R.D.S. accept everyone. Even if they haven't been outside for years.

Best Place to Hang with Role-Play Game Geeks

Imperial Outpost

We witnessed a melee taking place in the West Valley the other day, and it wasn't pretty. A horde of ferocious, green-skinned Orks carved through a phalanx of soldiers from the Imperial Guard in vicious fashion, waylaying bodies with their gnarly-looking chainswords and leaving few survivors by the end of the skirmish. Thankfully, such slaughter happened within the confines of one of the many combat-filled sessions of tabletop role-playing game Warhammer 40K that frequently take place at Imperial Outpost, and nary a drop of real blood was spilled. Geek-on-geek combat is the norm at this Glendale store, which regularly holds tournaments for many favorite RPGs and collectible card games, ranging from miniature-based titles like Flames of War and BattleTech to Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! Imperial Outpost is also an absolute gaming paradise that offers more than 200 different titles for sale, each providing various dice-tossing, card-turning, and strategy-plotting antics. Owner Darren Johnson expanded the place within the last year, and it now offers twice as much space for the large green table where battles are held, as well as stocks of supplies for customizing units and figures (such as paint and precision tools), a wealth of accessories and singles, and a seperate in-house card shop called MannaWerx. Feeling game? Then head for the Outpost.

Best Bowling

Let It Roll Bowl

When did bowling — of all things — become trendy?! We like our bowling old-school, thank you very much. We don't need designer couches and mood lighting (unless it's the glow-in-the-dark variety for cosmic bowling). Just give us loud music, cold beer, and clean lanes. You'll find all that and more at Let It Roll. In fact, this bowling alley combines the best of both worlds. It's vintage, right down to the crazy little murals on the wall, but this Sunnyslope stronghold — closed for years when bowling bottomed out — re-emerged as a rehabbed, spit-polished version of its former self. Best of all: Prices are lower here than at Let It Roll's super-trendy counterparts. We can definitely get hip to that.

Best Go Karts

Octane Raceway

We haven't broken out the measuring tape, so we'll have to take Octane Raceway's word that it's the largest indoor kart-racing facility in the United States. It certainly looks large. Even the check-in area is big. Two race tracks can hold 50 drivers at a time. Still, time does seem to slow down between races, while we're waiting for our next race time to come up. We have to be patient because we know we'll get our 12 minutes on the track, same as everyone else. Twelve minutes of sheer bliss, screeching around corners and accelerating to ludicrous speed on the straightaways. We can always have a beer in the lounge to ease the wait for the next race. The anticipation is still stressful, though, because the races are competitive. A printout after each match shows your time and where you placed against other drivers. Someday, when we've got some money to blow, we plan to invest it some of it in securing a number-one position at Octane Raceway.

Best Motorcycle Ride

Rio Salado and Galvin Parkways to McDonald Drive

As much as we love the Valley, we wish its founding fathers had seen fit to plant more curves in the roads. To find that long and winding road, it's best to leave town, of course — go to Bartlett Lake or Tortilla Flat. Takes hours to do that, though. We often need something to enjoy just for an hour or so after a slice of pepperoni. And that's where this ride comes in. From Tempe Marketplace we head west on Rio Salado Parkway, a twisty, divided road that's lit well at night. We take that to the Mill Avenue bridge — always an extra pleasure at sunset. From there, up the hill north on Galvin Parkway, which has nice curves, desert views and a perky roundabout. Keeping on 64th Street to Indian School Road we head west to find the only non-linear section on that road between there and Litchfield Park. Our short ride turns north again on 44th Street, with a right on McDonald Drive, which is straight but has roller-coaster dips that sweeten the view of Camelback Mountain. Leave your helmet on in case of photo-radar trucks on this section. When you get to Scottsdale Road, it's back to Straightsville.

Best Weekend Run

Paradise Valley Hills

With the exception of the two to three hottest months of the summer, Phoenix is a great city for outdoor activity. You can hike Camelback, South Mountain, the Mountain Preserve, or any number of other local trails. But for you runners out there, Phoenix can pose some problems. First, you have to contend with traffic, and then there's the distinct lack of hills to run on. If you're a runner in need of some hills, our favorite place to get away from the monotony of the flat, zero-grade streets is Paradise Valley.

A handful of other runners, and particularly bikers, usually find a place to park in one of the isolated residential areas near Paradise Valley Country Club (try somewhere near 54th Street), then hit the pavement. It's best to head up around Desert Vista and eventually down to Desert Fairways Drive, which will lead you to Camelback Resort and Spa, where you can get a drink of water and use the bathroom if you want.

Best Hiking Trail

National Trail, South Mountain

You'll get your bellyfull of dusty paths, rocks, and cactus on this 15-mile trail in prime Sonoran Desert real estate. Hiking all of National Trail — from one end of the 16,000-acre South Mountain Park to the other — is a Valley adventure not to be underestimated. Don't under-hydrate or hesitate to snack. And bring two cars unless you really want to walk 30 miles. Shuttle it between Pima Canyon on the east end and San Juan Road on the west (we recommend Pima because San Juan Road is sometimes open only for bicycles or pedestrians). Following the trail's a cinch, thanks to the frequent signs. You'll top out at Buena Vista Lookout, at about 2,700 feet, before dropping back down to the foothills. When you can't see the city below, you won't believe you're in one. You can take your mountain bike, but going on foot offers both a workout and a fuller sense of the desert's beauty. Sometimes, all you can hear is the muted crush of your own footsteps – and the yipping of a coyote over the next hill.

Best Of Phoenix®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy The Phoenix New Times may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Phoenix New Times, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation