On July 1, after two years of haggling with the Tempe City Council, Wilson will give the game just that. His company, Grass Clippings, will take over the municipal course and transform it into a first-of-its-kind entertainment destination in the Valley.
The goal? “To save public golf in Arizona,” Wilson said.
Gamified golf
Wilson's dream of reinventing Arizonan golf started with four college friends — one pro and three scratch golfers — who lived together after graduation. Frustrated by the lack of quality golf clothing, they founded the golf apparel brand Grass Clippings in 2018. One year later, they held the inaugural Grass Clippings Open — the first two-person amateur tournament in Arizona — at the Short Course at Mountain Shadows in Scottsdale, one of the area’s few public courses.The tournament was a success, and it led Wilson to tell his friends, “We should probably go get our own public golf course.”
Although there are more than 220 golf courses in metro Phoenix, most are private and offer pricey member-guest tournaments. Nationally, traditional golf has declined in popularity yearly for the past two decades. Players are getting older — three-quarters of golfers are men older than age 45 — and younger generations are losing interest in the sport.
In its stead, gamified and gimmicky golf attractions are cropping up all over the Valley. Dallas-based TopGolf built three of its boozy, colorfully illuminated driving ranges around metro Phoenix and rolled out augmented reality games featuring characters from popular mobile games, such as Angry Birds.
On Feb. 2, Putting World opened in Scottsdale, offering an 18-hole indoor course that serves liquor until midnight. On March 2, Tiger Woods debuted PopStroke in Glendale, a 36-hole late-night golf and entertainment venue that also pours cocktails course-side until midnight. He’ll open another location in Scottsdale this year. And in June, Puttshack will bring its upscale, tech-infused golf experience to Scottsdale.
Wilson visited TopGolf once and never went back. “It misses what golf really is — the early mornings, the smell of coffee in the maintenance shed and chatting with the greenskeeper,” he said.
‘It’s revolutionary’
Securing a tee time at any traditional golf course in Phoenix after 5 p.m. is virtually impossible because most public courses abut residential neighborhoods and light ordinances prohibit them being illuminated at night. But Rolling Hills Golf Course, which is nestled in Papago Park, is the exception. That's why Wilson and Grass Clippings set their sights on turning the location into Arizona’s first lighted golf course that will stay open and serve drinks as late as 1 a.m.The company inked a 50-year lease on the property with Tempe.
“We didn’t give up because we’re the right guys to run the course,” Wilson said. “The ability to tee off at night in the summer when it’s 120 degrees is something crazy. It’s revolutionary.”
Grass Clippings will collect all revenue from the course and pay $250,000 in rent annually plus a 2.3% yearly adjustment. The payments to the city over the first 30 years of the contract are expected to reach $9.7 million, according to city documents.
The company currently is partnered with Scottsdale real estate development company DMB Associates, Phoenix-based Jackson Kahn Golf Course Design and Troon Golf in Scottsdale to design and renovate the venue.
“The goals of the public-private partnership are to ensure the long-term viability of public golf, address capital improvement needs at the course, provide revenue to the city, and expand golf and recreational amenities to wide and diverse audiences,” Tempe spokesperson Savannah Harrelson said.
Grass Clippings also is bringing aboard PGA winner Parker McLachlin and former Phoenix Open greenskeeper Scott Hebert, whom Grass Clippings CEO Jake Hoselton calls “the best greenskeeper in the Valley.”
“We’re making a major investment in the viability of public golf in metro Phoenix,” Hoselton said. “It’ll be the greatest executive golf course in the world. There are 225 golf courses in the Valley, but this will be the most unique one of all.”
Lions, cheetahs and camels — oh my!
In addition to adding bright lights on all 18 holes at the par-62 course, Grass Clippings is investing $13 million to renovate the clubhouse with a new restaurant and menu, build a new outdoor bar and a hilltop bar called Top of the Rock near the lofty eighth hole, and add a family-friendly event lawn with a jumbotron and concert venue. The driving range, pro shop, existing greens and cart path also will be improved.When complete, Rolling Hills will be a family destination hosting concerts, farmers’ markets and food truck events. “We want to inject this youthful energy into the course,” Wilson said.
Located on Mill Avenue near Loop 202, the course boasts panoramic views of downtown Tempe, downtown Phoenix, Arizona State University, Camelback Mountain and the Papago Buttes.
It also touches the southern border of the Phoenix Zoo, and on the third fairway, you’re likely to spot exotic animals such as camels, cheetahs and lions.
“You can literally hear the lions roar while you play,” Wilson said. “You don’t see a golf course next to a zoo very often.”
Rolling Hills currently welcomes 50,000 golfers per year, but that number is expected to increase after construction is complete and the course cashes in on the late-night golf trend, attracting casual golfers for date night and also pro golfers looking for a cool evening tee time.
A round of golf costs between $20 and $35 at Rolling Hills, depending on the time of year, with discounts for veterans, children and young adults. Despite spending millions of dollars on renovations, Grass Clippings said that the cost to play the course wouldn’t increase.
“Arizona is the apex of traditional golf,” Wilson said. “We intend to keep it that way.”
Construction begins July 1 and will be done in phases, so the course will never shut down. By Jan. 1, 2024, the lights will be up. By fall 2024, all of the renovations will be complete.
“We are excited to usher in this new era of golf at Rolling Hills,” said Tempe Community Services Director Craig Hayton. “These planned improvements, combined with the picturesque views and course layout, will provide regular players and newcomers to the game an inviting experience from the front doors of the clubhouse to the top of the course.”
Former PGA golfer Jordan Totten, who lives in Scottsdale, said the concept's proximity to the nightlife scene in Scottsdale will help.
“It’s in the right location. Anything too far from Scottsdale wouldn’t work,” he said. “You’d be targeting the bachelor parties, business people and wealthier clients who don’t want to play in the summer heat.”
“That would be a fun spot to check out. Have it more of a club scene — show up, play, and then hit up the bars,” Totten added.