Continental Golf Course

Thanks to the Arizona Department of Transportation, it's only a short hop these days from downtown Phoenix to this nice little executive course, perfect for a late game even in 110-degree heat. The short (3,766 yards for the entire 18, or almost half as long as a regular-size links) par 60 doesn't lend itself to the use of big clubs -- not that we know how to use them anyway. Actually, it was the tricky, undulating greens that proved to be our undoing, as three-putts became a constant, if unwanted, companion. Though many of the fairways are narrow, nobody minds if you hit from wherever you land, as long as you keep an eye on the other groups. The 18th hole is a 340-yard beauty where water comes into play on both the tee shot and approach to the green. The whole thing takes just more than two hours, less than half what it usually takes to play a full-size course. That's a big plus in our busy books. And it's generally easy to get a tee time at Continental, except for those months when the temperature finally drops below 100.