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AUGUST 2025

ARIZONA GOLF insider

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IT’S PRET 2

@azgolfassociation

Editor’s Letter

Changing jobs is somewhat

I had copied this from a tweet

work on delivering relevant

like moving into a new house.

that Hank Haney posted in

and interesting content to

You pack everything you have

December of 2014 and have

you, our membership, we

into boxes and then have a

been carrying it around

will do it by creating a simple

treasure hunt when you open

with me in my office box for

formula and following it.

the boxes at the new place.

over 10 years. Reading this

When I was doing just that

“formula” again for the first

at my new AZ GOLF office

time in a few years, it got me

in January, I came across a

thinking that while it is a great

single sheet of paper with five

primer for playing better golf

bullet points on it amongst

and lowering your Handicap

the random collection of

Index, the general idea of

pictures, files, coffee mugs

developing a simple formula

and office supplies. This piece

to accomplish goals resonated

of paper plainly stated the

with me more than ever.

following:

It has been a refreshing

Pretty simple formula…

reminder that we need to

1. Eliminate the big miss

always think about what it is

2. Hit greens

we are trying to accomplish

3. Hit it close from 50-125 yards

and the steps necessary to

4. No 3 putts

get there. And what does that

5. Get the easier ones up and in

mean for you, our members

And for me personally, I will be moving this piece of paper from my office box to my golf bag and being mindful of this “pretty simple formula” as I continue my lifelong journey with the game of golf.

Jason Knybel jason@azgolf.org

and readers? It means you can trust that as we continue to

TTY SIMPLE Arizona Golf Insider

ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER 5555 E Karsten Way, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85008 (602) 944-3035 | azgolf.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

John Souza, President Tim Hulscher, Vice President Jackie Bertsch, Vice President Vera Ciancola, Treasurer Greg Mast, General Counsel

At AZ GOLF, we exist to connect golfers with the greatest game on this green earth. As the governing body of Arizona golf, we continuously strive to elevate the sport and unlock access for all levels of players — embracing beginners’ road to refinement while celebrating competition amongst champions.

ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER (ISSN 2765-9054) is published four times per year by AZ GOLF. It is supported by member dues, utilizing $5 per member

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Abe Candelaria III Harry Cavanagh Jr. Victor Ferreira Tameka Fox Hartman Jay Pennypacker Joe Shershenovich, PGA Rod Tomita

A Z G O L F S TA F F

Catherine Carmignani, Executive Director

S TA K E H O L D E R R E L AT I O N S

per year. No part of this magazine may be reproduced for use as an advertising, publicity or endorsement item without written approval from AZ GOLF. Arizona Golf Insider is offered on a subscription basis for $12.95 annually. Individual copies may be obtained by forwarding $5 to the address above. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AZ GOLF, 5555 E Karsten Way, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Alex Tsakiris, Assistant Executive Director/Head of Stakeholder Relations Mike Mason, Director, Handicapping & Course Rating Peg Tanner, Volunteer Manager

F I N A N C E & A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Daniel Shoup, Head of Finance & Administration Vivian Kelley, Accounting Administrator Robyn Noll, Director, Technology Susan Woods, Senior Manager, Accounting Chloe Wood, Office Coordinator

Produced for AZ GOLF by

MEMBERSHIP

Anj Brown, Head of Membership Sharon Goldstone, Customer Relations Manager Eric Hickenlooper, Membership Services Manager Meagan Garber, Senior Manager, Community Relations & Development Kathy Laux, Club Services Coordinator

M A R K E T I N G & C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

Jason Knybel, Head of Marketing and Communications Corey Cavanaugh, Marketing Manager Tom Skulski, Content & Communications Manager

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Logan Rasmussen, Head of Championships Amy Fruhwirth, Championships Manager Austin Pelias, Championships Manager Everett Priddy, Championships Manager Kylie Shoemake, Championships Manager U S G A P. J . B O A T W R I G H T I N T E R N S

Reid Chamberlin Grace Garner Hannah Tippy

@azgolfassociation

FCP President

George Fuller george808fuller@gmail.com Ma n a g i n g E d i t o r

Tom Mackin Designer

Randi Karabin | Karabin Creative Contributors

Cameron Morfit Brian Oar Joe Passov Priscilla Totiyapungprasert Vic Williams

Front Nine

Halfway House

Back Nine

Club Room

8 | News & Notes

22 | Green Highway

36 | Shutterbug

48 | 19th Hole

30 | ASU Champions

44 | Industry Q&A

52 | Allied Associations

12 | Column

Twilight Golf

14 | Sustainability

The Demise of Overseeding?

Gorgeous Saint George Undefeated 1994-95 Women’s Team

Mountain High

Jane Spicer

46 | Challenge Hole

We-Ko-Pa

Arroyo Grill

Shaping Future Leaders Through Golf

54 | Instruction

Amy Fruhwirth

16 | Classic Course

56 | Rules of Golf

Troon Country Club

58 | Handicapping

60 | Parting Shot

48 36 Arizona Golf Insider

BUILDING A HOM

@azgolfassociation

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADDISON SHINN

Executive Director’s Letter

OME

FOR ARIZONA’S GOLF COMMUNITY

This past June, AZ GOLF

collaborate in meaningful

of golf in our state. We know

moved into its new home —

ways. The casual hallway

that by working closely with

Arizona Golf House — and

chats have started. The shared

our peers, we can create a

with it came a fresh sense

goals are surfacing. And while

stronger foundation for the

of opportunity. We’re now

most of the big projects are

sport — one built on shared

sharing a beautiful new space

still to come, there’s a real

values, better communication

at Papago GC in Phoenix

sense that we’re moving

and a unified purpose.

with several of our nonprofit

toward something exciting —

peers in the game, and for

together.

the first time, Arizona’s golf organizations are all under one roof.

We’re just getting started in our new space, but the road

The vision for Golf House has

ahead looks promising. And

always been about more than

we’re proud to be part of a

offices. It’s about building

community that’s ready to

While we’re still getting

community. It’s about making

shape the next era of golf in

settled, the potential of what

it easier to support golfers at

Arizona — together.

this shared space makes

every level and to grow the

possible is already clear.

game in strategic, inclusive

Being neighbors means

ways. That takes teamwork

more chances to connect,

— and now we’re physically

brainstorm and eventually

positioned to make that happen more naturally.

Come visit us soon!

Catherine Carmignani

For AZ GOLF, this move represents a long-term commitment to the future

Arizona Golf Insider

Front Nine | News + Notes

Arizona Women’s Amateur Brooke Seay was sidelined from competitive golf for two years after suffering from two concussions. The 24-year-old returned to play this summer and with just a handful of tournaments under her belt, she was crowned the 51st Arizona Women’s Amateur Champion in July at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course. In a field of 64 golfers within the Champions Division, Seay had to outlast her competitors across 54 holes of stroke play. She managed rounds of 68 (-3), 70 (-1) and 69 (-2) for a tie with Gracie McGovern. Seay carded a birdie in the sudden-death playoff on No. 18 to earn the championship title and an automatic exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. This was Seay’s eighth appearance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, advancing through the 36-hole stroke play qualifier before losing in match play to Julia Misemer during the round of 64.

Arizona Amateur Kobe Valociek played steady golf over eight rounds in just six days at the 101st Arizona Amateur Championship. The 22-year-old from Peoria’s worst round was a 67 at Seville Golf & Country Club, and he shot as low as a 64 (-8) en route to the championship title. In a field of 144 golfers, Valociek had to navigate 36 holes of stroke play to reach the match play bracket of the event’s top 64 players.From there, he knocked off Arizona’s best in head-to-head matches before delivering a dramatic 1-up win in the championship over Tucson’s Jorge Parada. The victory earned Valociek a spot in the 2026 U.S. Amateur to be played at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.

@azgolfassociation

UPCOMING EVENTS Summer is in full swing and AZ GOLF’s event season continues to take center stage with competitive and social events across the state. Upcoming events include the Arizona Northern Amateur, the Arizona Women’s Senior Amateur Championship and Arizona Women’s Partners Championship. For the current schedule, including One-Day Series events, azgolf.org/play-golf.

AZ Under30 Returns After a brief hiatus, AZ GOLF’s AZ Under30 Club is back! AZ Under30 is an affordable membership program designed for young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 who want to play more golf while spending less money. For just $29 a year, members get access to discounted events, range meetups and other exclusive perks. The Club is debuting its first Range Meetup Series this September at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa, with plans to expand across the Valley. To join the club, visit azgolf.org/azunder30.

Grass League & AZ GOLF AZ GOLF has joined forces with Grass League — the world’s first high-stakes par-3 golf league — as its exclusive Tournament Operations Partner. The AZ GOLF Championships team was on-site at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe for four days this spring during the league’s inaugural qualifier and draft, followed by its flagship event, the Grass Clippings Open. From on-course operations to officiating, the team brought operational expertise to ensure a high-quality and professional standard. As Grass League reshapes the future of competitive short-course events, AZ GOLF remains a key player in helping deliver top-tier tournament execution.

Arizona Golf Insider

Front Nine | News + Notes

High-Level Events at Forest Highlands GC Flagstaff’s Forest Highlands GC continues to host championship golf, most recently this past July with the AJGA East vs. West Wyndham Cup, which saw the 20 junior golfers making up the East squad defeat the West’s team 28-22. Forest Highlands has hosted the

CORRECTION:

most USGA championships in the state,

In the April 2025 issue of Arizona Golf Insider,

including the 1996 Junior Amateur, 2006

we incorrectly identified a photo of the third

Mid-Amateur, 2014 Girls’ Junior and the

hole on the Mountain Course at Ventana Canyon

2019 Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Club and Lodge in Tucson as being located at the neighboring Lowes Ventana Resort. Ventana Canyon Club and Lodge is the sole owner and operator of both the Mountain and Canyon courses.

@azgolfassociation

Course Record Alert! At the 2025 Arizona Stroke Play Championship at Camelback GC in Scottsdale, Brody Leid delivered a standout performance, tying the course record with an impressive 62 (-9) on the final day of the fourday championship, leading to a third-place finish. Leid credited his success to “hitting wedges close and making some good 8- to 10-footers.” It was a memorable finish that capped off a weekend of elite competition and rising talent.

PHOTO BY BRODY LEID

Arizona Golf Insider

Front Nine | Oasis

The Twilight Zone THE SEASONAL BEAUTY OF LATE AFTERNOON GOLF BY JOE PASSOV

Desert dwellers are all too familiar

blissful breezes help make it feel cooler,

with that yelp of pain when their skin

even if it isn’t. Toss in an artist’s palette of

accidentally brushes a sunbaked steel

changing colors, textures and shadows,

shaft in June, July or August. Aside

the emergence of local wildlife and

from keeping some soothing aloe vera

reduced green fees, and the appeal of

handy, most intrepid golfers cope

twilight golf should be obvious.

with the sizzling summer climes by teeing off at zero dark thirty — well, at first light, anyway. Not me. When the mercury hits triple digits, I enter the twilight zone. There’s nothing like the underappreciated joy of playing late-inthe-day, golden hour golf. TIMING IS EVERY THING

Meteorological-minded dissenters, hear me out. I realize that at 6:30 p.m. it may still be 110 degrees, whereas it was a

long ago, the 11th commandment stated that a round of golf had to be 18 holes on a championship layout. But that’s so 20th century thinking. These days, nine-hole rounds are up — according to the National Golf Foundation — as are rounds on short courses. Many golfers now prefer a faster, more fun, more family friendly and less expensive experience.

other hand, humidity drops considerably

Twilight golf rings those bells. Moreover,

are less intense after 4 p.m. and often, @azgolfassociation

finish your round. Is that so bad? Not

mere 84 at 6:30 a.m. Fair enough. On the as the day progresses, the sun’s rays

Also apparent is that you might not

a 2024 handicap initiative by the USGA has elevated the nine-hole experience

For late in the day golf, the savings are reason enough to work a full day at the office before teeing it up. All the state’s premier public-access spreads are already deeply discounted from high season rates, and twilight rates in summer typically run half of what you’d pay in the morning. So, if that trophy course was previously out of reach, you can fit in 12 holes at a bucket-lister without squeezing your wallet. And you likely won’t be alone on the course at that time of day, either. C O U R S E C O M PA N Y

At Pine Canyon in Flagstaff, dusk means happy hour for elk. A recent afternoon round at Desert Mountain’s Outlaw course was delightfully interrupted by mule deer trotting across a fairway, stopping occasionally to graze. I don’t know whether you call the group a bevy or a herd, but there were 10 of them. Coyotes are as common on our courses as sandbaggers and only marginally more welcome. Add to the mix Gambel’s quail, roadrunners, the occasional bobcat, javelinas, the odd rattlesnake

… not only has the stigma of playing fewer than 18 holes vanished into the ether, but it’s almost become cool to go out and enjoy seven, nine or 12 holes. —JOE PASSOV

even higher, allowing registered golfers

and bunny rabbits everywhere, and a

to post scores without having to venture

twilight round of golf in Arizona can

to a back nine. So not only has the

resemble a trip to the zoo.

stigma of playing fewer than 18 holes vanished into the ether, but it’s almost become cool to go out and enjoy seven, nine or 12 holes.

My favorite golden hour golf destination? The 36 holes at The Boulders in Carefree, on the northern edge of Scottsdale. I have seen a

Granted, Arizona’s maverick status —

javelina family emerge from the brush

we don’t observe daylight saving time —

on the South course, a bobcat stare me

doesn’t permit golf to be played at 8:30

down on the North course and stunning

p.m. as in other states. Unless you head

shadows dance off the mountains,

to Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe,

saguaros and the gigantic, ancient

the state’s only fully illuminated 18-hole

rocks that give the resort its name.

golf course. A par-59 layout by day, it transforms into a par-54 track under cover of darkness. Hole yardages range from 118 to 200 yards, so you’ll hit most of the clubs in your bag. The lights stay on from dusk until 1 a.m., with tee times after 10 p.m. limited to nine holes. But I digress.

An afternoon romp on the South front nine is guaranteed to astonish, given a setting out of the Flintstones and animal encounters straight from RoadrunnerCoyote cartoons. If that sounds appetizing, tell your loved ones that you’ll be late for supper. It’s twilight time on the course.  Arizona Golf Insider

Front Nine | Sustainability

TURF TRIAL

NEW GRASS MAY LEAD TO DEMISE OF OVERSEEDING

BY TOM MACKIN

It’s never easy being the first to try something new. Just ask Dan Cutler, superintendent at FireRock Country Club in Fountain Hills. He’s installing Stadium Zoysia™ grass on the club’s tees, fairways and approach areas. The move, in conjunction with the installation of a new irrigation system, means no longer performing the annual rite of overseeding, where turf is transitioned from heat tolerant Bermuda grass to cooler season rye grass. It’s likely the first Arizona golf facility to ever do so across an entire course (except for greens, which will remain Bermuda). “Typically coming out of overseeding, golf courses are always wet, it’s cart path only and the greens are slow, so all that goes away with this new grass,” said Cutler. “We may lose three to maybe five weeks of really green grass in peak season due to traffic, but we gain through saving time and resources by eliminating overseeding, so it’s a net benefit for the club. I think FireRock is unique in that the club looks at playability over aesthetics more of the time. I also think it was 96 percent of members voted in favor of the project.”

@azgolfassociation

“It ultimately comes down to the golfer. How do they react? Is it acceptable?”

The playability of the new Zoysia grass is fantastic, according to Cutler, who joined FireRock in 2023. “If you were to roll a ball over Zoysia, it almost looks like it’s on a tee, and it has good green color. It’s really rigid and compact though, so it takes a lot more cultural practices (topdressing, verticutting, and aerification) just to keep it healthy and playing properly.” I M P O R TA N T S A V I N G S

While water savings were not the main driver behind the grass transition, that will be an added benefit. “I think if we had a better quality of water (the club uses effluent water with a high salinity content), then we wouldn’t have looked at Zoysia as much and would probably continue to overseed because those conditions are good,” said Cutler. “But growing in the rye grass during overseeding requires a lot of water. We won’t have to do that anymore. I think the water requirement in the summer for Zoysia is going to be about the same as it was for Bermuda. In the winter season, while you still have to water the Zoysia or it will die, the water savings should be pretty good then, too.”

The project began this past

not overseeded, can kind of

reduction with quality

January, with the new grass

break up. Zoysia grass doesn’t

improvement, then you’ve got

installation completed in July.

do that nearly as much. We

it. That’s what makes change

Play is expected to resume

also have some new Bermuda

happen. I don’t know if this

this November. And other

grasses on that hole that we’re

Zoysia grass is that yet. I think

courses are very interested in

looking at as well, and those

the verdict is still out, but

the results.

are showing significant water

we’re all hopeful.”

W AT C H I N G C L O S E LY

“I think we’re all eager to see how that (the project at FireRock) goes,” said Rob Collins, long-time director of greens and grounds at Paradise Valley Country Club and a 2024 Arizona Golf Hall of Fame inductee. He’s been conducting trials of Zoysia grass installed on parts of his

savings.” For Collins, there’s one main

the progress of the project so

challenge of not overseeding.

far, he’s not able to relax quite

“When you get to January

yet. “We’ve got a long way to

and February, the contrast

go, but from what I see on the

between how your grass

first Zoysia we’ve laid down,

is performing as a non-

it’s pretty exciting,” he says.

overseeded grass, and what

“But I’ll probably relax this

an overseeded golf course is

time next year.” 

doing, can be pretty stark,” he says. “We hope that’s not

club’s eighth hole.

the case at FireRock. But it

“One thing we noticed

golfer. How do they react?

immediately is that as a non-overseeded turf, during dormant or semi-dormant periods, it is much more tolerant and durable than

So is Cutler. While happy with

ultimately comes down to the Is it acceptable? The thing that I’ve talked about with our members is the idea that if you can couple resource

Bermuda grass,” he says. “Bermuda grass, when it is Arizona Golf Insider

Cathedral of Golf

TROON COUNTRY CLUB, HISTORIC HOST OF THE 2025 U.S. MID-AMATEUR

@azgolfassociation

BY JOE PASSOV

COURSE IMAGES: PATRICK KOENIG

Front Nine | Classic Course

When the grill room topic turns to greatest debuts, “Led Zeppelin I,” season one of “The Sopranos” and Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” inevitably enter the discussion. For golf course architecture, the late Tom Weiskopf’s out-of-theblocks design of Troon Country Club in 1986 surely makes the short list. Co-designed with industry veteran Jay Morrish, Troon CC immediately raised the bar for excellence in desert target golf, winning Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course honors that year. Nearly four decades later, it will make a superb, scenic venue for both stroke play qualifying (along with nearby Troon North) and all of match play for the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship September 13-18.

Arizona Golf Insider

Wallace lauds his course for how it embodies what the USGA likes in its championship tests: tough but fair.

@azgolfassociation

Front Nine | Classic Course

A SCENIC TEST Wallace lauds his course for how it embodies what the USGA likes in its championship tests: tough but fair. “It is target golf, desert golf, but it’s right in front of you,” he said. “There’s 64 acres of turf on our course, the smallest turf footprint for desert golf in North Scottsdale. If you can keep it on the grass — white on green, as we like to say — you can score. But if you miss the grass, you can make doubles, triples and Xs. It is relentless if you spray the golf ball.” No matter where your ball is going, your eyes will feast on stunning scenery. Outside of the 15th — lovely in its own right — there’s not a hole on the golf course where you don’t have a view of Pinnacle Peak. What truly elevates Troon CC, however, are greens that Wallace proudly says are as good as anything you’ll find. CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE

Jim Stuart edged three-time

Brenda Corrie Kuehn, 1-up.

“They are pure and quick,

“Back in 2018 or so, (Weiskopf)

Arizona Amateur champion

Two years later, the U.S.

with subtle mountain slopes,”

was telling us stories from the

Mark Sollenberger 1-up to

Mid-Amateur is back.

he stated. “There’s excellent

early days,” recounted Chief

claim that title. In the 21st

Operating Officer Garrett

century, the club hosted 11

Wallace, an 11-year-veteran

editions of the Arizona Open:

of Troon CC. “He talked

from 2000-2005, and again

about how cool it was to get

from 2014-2018. Jake Younan

the Best New Private Course

won the most recent edition,

ranking, and said he then

posting a course record 61

started thinking about how

in the first round.

great it would be to host a significant championship. We were fortunate to get the 1990 Mid-Am.”

“Fast forward to 2018,” said Wallace, referencing his earlier chat with Weiskopf. “We’re walking the golf course and Tom says, ‘It would be great to get a USGA championship again.’ I called Ed Gowan [then the Arizona Golf Association

The USGA returned to Troon

Executive Director] and he

CC in 2023 with the U.S.

said, ‘Write this person a letter.’

Women’s Senior Amateur.

And here we are again, seven

In another down-to-the-final-

years later.”

variety, some small, some large, and Tom did a great job of pulling on his Scotland influences. The second and seventh holes share a double green, reminiscent of what you see at the Old Course at St Andrews. They’re very challenging if you get on the wrong side of the hole.”

hole finish, Sarah Gallagher (pictured left) slipped past Arizona Golf Insider

@azgolfassociation

Front Nine | Classic Course For the Mid-Am, the A-4 bentgrass greens will likely roll at close to 12 on the Stimpmeter, depending on the weather. The one unique course setup factor the USGA has mandated is a higher cut of rough than normal. The 419 Bermuda bracketing fairways and greens is expected to be maintained at a height of three-and-a-half inches. Wallace asserts that the narrowed fairways and thicker rough will place a premium on accuracy. A 2020 “resto-vation” by Weiskopf and design colleague Phil Smith was successful at “De-80-izing it” as Weiskopf called it. The work imbued the course with a more traditional feel, even as it remains a modern, target-style layout. Weiskopf restored green sizes to their original dimensions and softened some contours to accommodate modern turf grasses and green speeds. He cut back encroaching trees to re-establish sightlines from the tee boxes. Overgrown underbrush was cleared from the desert to allow golfers not only to find their ball but perhaps play a recovery shot. Most

Outside of the 15th – lovely in its own right – there’s not a hole on the golf course where you don’t have a view of Pinnacle Peak.

prominently, Weiskopf’s team eliminated the superfluous mounds and grassy swales that were fashionable in the 1980s but which are little more than maintenance headaches in today’s game.

DA ZZLING DESIGN

Unquestionably, this year’s Mid-Am competitors will face some of the greatest desert golf holes ever conceived. Atop that list is “The Cliff,” the aptly named par-4 14th that Wallace calls the most interesting hole on the course. Ninety-nine percent of the players will hit a long iron or a hybrid to the top of the fairway, which ends abruptly on a ledge. What follows is an anxiety-inducing downhill shot over a deep abyss of desert flora to a green surrounded by bunkers. Lay up too far back and the second shot is 200 yards — and blind. Driving it close to the edge risks running down into an unplayable lie. Wallace notes that big hitters who need to gain ground in match play can try and bust a drive over the diagonal desert crossing. It will take a 300-yard carry and then some to a 30-yard-wide fairway, but if successful, leaves a simple

More dramatic is the 139-yard 15th, “Troon Mountain.” When selected as one of the World’s 500 Greatest Golf Holes in 2000 by GOLF Magazine, the reviewer called it, “an oasis of green amid a desert moonscape. The green’s position, backdropped by a red rock hillside and ringed by cacti, makes the distance hard to judge from the tee.” Of course, Weiskopf was renowned throughout his 37-year design career for his risk/reward drivable par 4s, and it all started here, with the 296-yard fourth hole. Called “Short Four,” it looks simple enough, but with a deep swale and out-of-bounds left and desert right, things can get complicated in a hurry. The 347-yard 16th, “The Gunsight,” sports rock formations and mountain backdrops that make you feel like you’re looking down a gun barrel, but with a desert wash running about 20 yards short of the green, hitting the target

pitch of 65-70 yards.

can prove elusive.

Troon CC’s quartet of par-3s

With mid-September not far

is outstanding. Notable is the 207-yard seventh, “The Lake,” which, as the name implies, features a lake on the left side and a long double-green that also serves the 460-yard, par-4 second hole. In those 11 Arizona Opens, the seventh played as the toughest hole. The 189-yard 13th, called “Postage Stamp,” is Weiskopf’s homage to the eighth at Royal Troon in Scotland

off, Wallace and the Troon CC membership are proud to welcome another national championship. “The USGA likes to say that they look for cathedrals of golf to host their championships,” says Wallace. “We hosted the Mid-Am in ’90 and 33 years later, the Senior Women’s Am and now the Mid-Am again. “That makes us a cathedral of golf, and not many clubs can say that.” 

(where he won the 1973 Open Championship) with a similar bunkering pattern, but 60 yards longer.

Arizona Golf Insider

Gorgeous St. George

Red rocks and stellar golf options make southern Utah a mustvisit destination.

BY VIC WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY @BRIANOAR

Southern Utah is the perennial leader in the American West adventurer’s clubhouse when it comes to memorable drives, but two stand out in St. George, the Beehive State’s fastest growing city. First is the hour-long jaunt east to Zion National Park, where a jagged geologic panorama of deep red and blazing orange cliffs and plateaus carved against a cumulus-stuffed azure sky is natural beauty so extreme that the human mind can barely fathom it’s real.

@azgolfassociation

Halfway House | Green Highway

BLACK DESERT RESORT

Arizona Golf Insider

DYNAMIC DESERT The second is the first tee shot at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, an uphill, right-to-left drive between sole-chewing, ball-eating swaths of black lava, framed by the Beaver Dam Mountains in the distance and the red rock formations of Snow Canyon State Park to the immediate right. The view is no less dramatic in scope or emotion than Zion, at least for golfers — and just the first chapter in an 18-hole epic that is the final word in the late Tom Weiskopf’s design portfolio. The vistas at Black Desert get better as the round goes on, one reason why it’s already hosted both the PGA and LPGA tours a scant two years after opening. It’s also No. 1 with a bullet on St. George’s 14-course hit parade of I-can’t-believe-what-I’m-seeing golf experiences. Every hole rolls through volcanic rock punctuated by native brush; several sport man-made water features that add beauty and challenge while helping preserve the site’s delicate environment. Sustainability was a guiding principle for Black Desert from the first shovel-turn, leading it to become the first-ever candidate for Audubon International Signature Sanctuary Platinum certification for the golf course, resort, residences and infrastructure. But unless you package a round with at least one night’s resort stay, or have a group of 12 or more, both of which allow advance booking through the property itself (or via a booking partner such as stgeorgeutahgolf.com), you’ll need a flexible schedule and some luck to snag

@azgolfassociation

The vistas at Black Desert get better as the round goes on, one reason why it’s already hosted both the PGA and LPGA Tours a scant two years after opening.

Halfway House | Green Highway

ENTRADA AT SNOW CANYON

a Black Desert tee time. It’s worth the wait, especially with a forecaddie, Trackman access at the practice facility and a cart GPS system featuring hole-by-hole introductions voiced by Weiskopf himself … or at least the AI version of him. At Black Desert’s private neighbor, Entrada at Snow Canyon, you’ll need to stay at the adjacent Inn at Entrada to secure a time. The first St. George track to reach into lava rock when it opened at the turn of the 21st century, Entrada was originally designed by Johnny Miller, but David McLay Kidd’s 2022 renovation BLACK DESERT RESORT

revealed the routing’s true links-style nature. He created more opportunities to run a ball onto greens that range from large to mega-huge (think Kidd’s original work at Bandon Dunes), and wider driving corridors. It’s a very different experience from Black Desert, but no less engaging in its own upscale way. Arizona Golf Insider

FULL MENU On the other side of town, the suburbs of Washington and Hurricane boast three more must-plays. Routed among arroyos and low desert hills just off I-15 with cool views of the Pine Valley Mountains, Coral Canyon is a Keith Foster layout with a new lease on life thanks to a 2020 ownership change and investment in course conditioning and enhanced service. With elevated tee shots to gently canted fairways, limited forced carries, and greens that aren’t tricked up, this is “classic” desert golf and perhaps the most scorable of St. George’s top-tier offerings.

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Halfway House | Green Highway

CORAL CANYON

Arizona Golf Insider

SAND HOLLOW RESORT

If you are flying instead of driving to town, Sand Hollow Resort is just 15 minutes from St. George’s recently expanded airport. Any casual canvass of St. George golf connoisseurs will put it at or near the top for fun, variety and memorability, if only for its famed cliff-clinging stretch of holes 12 through 15 on the Championship Course, which architect John Fought could have pulled off one of those extreme, 1970s-era golf calendars. You simply can’t take a bad photo on this rust-tinted run above the Virgin River, though you can wreck your card if you get too greedy off the tee or miss a green on either side. The other 14 holes play through open high-desert terrain with (you guessed it) epic 50-mile mountain views, as do the nine-hole Links Course and the new par-3 Wee Course. With town homes available along the big course’s seventh and eighth holes, Sand Hollow is a solid home base for groups. In the clubhouse The Grille at Sand Hollow Resort serves excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner fare.

Farther east on the Hurricane outskirts, beyond Sand Hollow Reservoir (a popular spot for boaters, RVers and ATV riders), is the Virgin Valley’s second-newest destination course, Copper Rock. With a permanent clubhouse yet to materialize and the first wave of homes popping up here and there, its look will change over the years, but with a setting against a handsome mesa and routing across broad expanses of black brush and sage, it won’t lose those classic Southern Utah views. It’s flat-out fun to play with tee-togreen drama and beautiful hole-tohole transitions that will only get

COPPER ROCK

prettier as the development fleshes out. One standout design feature: The ninth and 18th holes share a

BEYOND THE LINKS

massive green with a fountainadorned lake separating their fairways. It’ll present a gorgeous sunset scene when the clubhouse takes root on the bluff above.

Hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, fourwheeling and ATV trails dot the Southern Utah landscape. Zion itself is just the start for impressive trails, though a great one, led

St. George’s golf largesse doesn’t

by famed treks such as the Emerald Pools,

end there. Other courses worth

the Narrows and Angels’ Landing. Or stick

consideration are Sky Mountain

closer to town, rent an e-bike and wander

(which wins the “Best Driving Range

Snow Canyon State Park’s network of paved

view” award), The Ledges, Green

bikeways. There’s also boating and fishing at

Spring, Sunbrook, SunRiver and

several nearby lakes and reservoirs, shoulder

Red Hills, the area’s scenic nine-hole

season skiing at Brian Head Resort an hour

original located closest to the city’s

north and, further afield, the rest of Southern

downtown core.

Utah’s incredible collection of National Parks to explore, including Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands.  Arizona Golf Insider

Halfway House | ASU Champions

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The Best

Ever Celebrating a third consecutive NCAA Championship: (Kneeling) Kristel Mourgue D’Algue, Wendy Ward. (Standing) Coach Linda Vollstedt, Kellee Booth, Linda Ericsson and Heather Bowie Young.

1994-95 ASU Women’s Golf Team Set a New Standard.

Three decades later, the numbers compiled by the 1994-95 Arizona State Women’s Golf team remain staggering. A third consecutive national championship, which it won by 26 strokes. An average winning stroke margin of 25 shots during an undefeated regular season. Five players on the All-Pac-10 Team, and four first team All-Americans. What Coach Linda Vollstedt (who was named Golfweek Coach of the Year) and assistant coach Ashley Adleta Biffle, along with their team — Wendy Ward, Heather Bowie Young, Kristel Mourgue d’Algue, Kellee Booth, Linda Ericsson, Vinny Riviello, Keri Cornelius and Tui Selvaratnam — accomplished remains unrivalled in college golf. Arizona Golf Insider Managing Editor, Tom Mackin, talked to some of the participants about that magical season.

Arizona Golf Insider

Halfway House | ASU Champions (L to R): Ward, Mourgue D’Algue, Booth, Ericsson and Bowie Young formed ASU’s dominant starting lineup in the 1995 NCAA Championship.

HEATHER BOWIE YOUNG: “We stayed in the present pretty well. We just took each tournament as it came. I think that we were confident because if we had done it the year before, why couldn’t we do it this year? You know, why not us?” ASHLEY ADLETA BIFFLE: “Winning

26 The number of strokes the team won by in the 1995 NCAA Championship

just became natural to the team.”

ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER: Aiming for a third consecutive national title, the team was stacked with talent. KELLEE BOOTH: “It didn’t feel like we had like a top two and then with the others, we’ll be lucky if we get a good score from them this week, right? It was really all five of us out there contributing day in, day out.” COACH VOLLSTEDT: “It was one of those deals where we knew we were really good. Wendy (Ward) mentioned this the other day when we were visiting. She goes, ‘Coach, remember it became not that we were going to win, but how many were going to win by?’ How many teams can say that?”

ASU steamrolled its way through an undefeated regular season, with a team member winning the individual title in seven of the eight tournaments. COACH VOLLSTEDT: “We wanted to make history by being the first team to win three in a row. No one had done that before.”

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Before competing in the NCAA Division I Championship at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, North Carolina, Coach Vollstedt faced her hardest call of the season: Who would be the fifth player in her lineup? COACH VOLLSTEDT: “It was so tough, because I loved Vinny (Riviello), and she worked so hard to get into that slot. I just felt like I hadn’t gotten the best out of Kristel. So I took her as my fifth player. She ends up winning the tournament (by 2 strokes over teammate Wendy Ward). My fifth player!” KRISTEL MOURGUE D’ALGUE: “It is hard to describe even after all those years, but I was in awe with what I had accomplished.” WENDY WARD: “Coach had this instinct. Her gut was to play Kristel. Coach always seemed to make the right calls. Even if plenty of times in my career I disagreed with her — and we laugh about that now — I respected her. I just think for Kristel it was her week, her time to shine.”

COACH VOLLSTEDT: “Wendy was a little disappointed, because she wanted that title so bad. I mean, here’s someone who won a U.S. Women’s Amateur the summer before. Later I sent the recording of the final round to Wendy. I said, ‘You got to see this. You did not lose this tournament. Kristel flat out won it.’ So she watched, and she goes, ‘Oh, man, she did.’”

Much of the team’s success could be attributed to the culture established by Coach Vollstedt. COACH VOLLSTEDT: “They were so competitive with each other. I think they helped each other get better. People say, ‘How did you win so many championships?’ I said, ‘It’s an energy bubble.’ And we never talked about anything negative. We only talked about what we did well, complimenting each other. And when you get that energy bubble, it just elevates the performance of everybody. That was how I coached.” WENDY WARD: “Coach constantly was a goal setter. Short term, long term. We had to reevaluate our goals because just going out to win wasn’t really going to stimulate us and push us the way we needed to be. I think that was probably the key to that year; we pushed each other, not even realizing it. We were competitive, but we were the best of friends, too. So it was the best of both worlds.” KRISTEL MOURGUE D’ALGUE: “There was a fierce competition but it was a healthy and friendly one. I sensed it was not easy for Coach to deal with such strong personalities, but she did an excellent job!” Kristel Mourgue D’Algue reacts to making the putt to win the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf individual championship in 1995.

Arizona Golf Insider

Halfway House | ASU Champions

“It was just a once-in-a-lifetime team. It will never be done again.” —ASHLEY ADLETA BIFFLE

HEATHER BOWIE YOUNG: “The

team with a positive attitude. That

greatest thing Linda (Vollstedt) did

is really one of the most important

for us was control our environment.

things you need as a team to be a

She put me in an environment of

cohesive unit.”

high achievers, and when you are around that mindset every day, it just makes you a better person no matter what you’re doing. I see that so much in life now. Just to have that kind of self-discipline, like you do what you’re supposed to do whether you want to or not.” ASHLEY ADLETA BIFFLE: “Coach Vollstedt really set the tone on our

AFTER ASU…

LINDA VOLLSTEDT was named

WENDY WARD played for 17

to the International Women’s

years on the LPGA Tour, winning

Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and to

four times, and also played on

the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in

three U.S. Solheim Cup teams.

2009. She works as an ambassador

She and her husband raised beef

for ASU Athletics.

cattle for 20 years on a ranch near

ASHELY ADLETA BIFFLE remained as an assistant coach at ASU until 2001, and served as head women’s golf coach at the University of Hawaii from 20042008. She lives with her husband and daughter in Texas.

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The 1994-95 squad became the first team ever inducted into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame in 2019. COACH VOLLSTEDT: “That was kind of the culmination of my career, because I stopped coaching in 2001 (her teams won six national titles between 1990-1998). The players needed to be honored, and that’s what I always wanted.”

Spokane, Washington. She has taught golf for the past decade at Manito CC in Spokane and The Golf Club at Black Rock in Idaho, and she trains her dogs to compete in AKC agility trials.

KELLEE BOOTH: “I think when you’re in it, you don’t realize the magnitude of it. People kept talking about how we won by an average of 24 shots, or whatever the number was. But I don’t think the gravity of it comes until you look back on it later and say, ‘Nobody’s done that ever,’ that I can appreciate I was a part of it and how incredible and amazing that was.” WENDY WARD: “We always say, ‘Sun Devils for life.’ That’s one of our hashtags that we have amongst us. ‘You bleed maroon and gold,’ that’s another one. I had no idea what it was going to mean to be a Sun Devil, and you could say the accolades we got are fantastic. But if you get us in a closed room, it’s about that family we created. It’s in our hearts, you know?” ASHLEY ADLETA BIFFLE: “It was just a once-in-a-lifetime team. It will never be done again.” COACH VOLLSTEDT: “I think it’s the

Coaches and players from the 1994-95 team celebrate their 2019 induction into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame.

best collegiate team ever, but that’s just my opinion.” 

HEATHER BOWIE YOUNG

KRISTEL MOURGUE D’ALGUE

LINDA ERICSSON played on

transferred to the University

played on the Ladies European Tour

the Ladies European Tour from

of Texas where she won the

from 1996 through 1998, winning

1997-2003, and also won the

1997 NCAA Individual national

the 1998 Philippines Open. She then

2002 Ladies Finnish Open on

championship. She has been the

started a publishing career with the

the Swedish Golf Tour. She lives

head women’s golf coach at Florida

first worldwide golf course guide (The

in her native Sweden with her

Atlantic University since 2021 and

Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses)

husband and two sons.

was previously an assistant coach

and now has her own consulting

at Clemson University. During a

company while working for French TV.

16-year career on the LPGA Tour, Bowie Young earned 28 top-10 finishes and won the 2005 Jamie Farr Owens Corning LPGA Classic.

VINNY RIVIELLO earned a Master’s degree in computer

KELLEE BOOTH played on the

science at Oregon State. She is

LPGA Tour (2000-2003) and the

married and works as a software

Duramed Futures Tour (2004-2008).

engineer in Oregon.

She is a realtor in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.

Arizona Golf Insider

MOUNTAIN

FLAGSTAFF RANCH GC FLAGSTAFF

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N HIGHS

Back Nine | Shutterbug

Elevation can be a golfer’s friend. The thinner air helps the ball go a bit farther, and a location that soars well above sea level often means you will get to enjoy some pretty unforgettable views, too. Here in Arizona, elevation also means cooler temperatures, a respite from the summer heat if only for a few hours. Golf in the mountains, whether it be found by heading north to Flagstaff or driving northeast over the Mogollon Rim and out to the greater Pinetop area, is something to savor. Here are some places where you can tee it up and do exactly that. Arizona Golf Insider

PINETOP CC PINETOP

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Back Nine | Shutterbug

THE GOLF CLUB AT CHAPPARAL PINES PAYSON

Arizona Golf Insider

PINE CANYON CLUB FLAGSTAFF

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Back Nine | Shutterbug

Arizona Golf Insider

THE RIM GOLF CLUB PAYSON

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Back Nine | Shutterbug

FOREST HIGHLANDS GC - CANYON COURSE FLAGSTAFF

Arizona Golf Insider

Back Nine | Industry Q&A

Jane Spicer

INTERVIEW BY CAMERON MORFIT

PHOTOS COURTESY DAPHNE’S HEADCOVERS

Jane Spicer, who founded Phoenix-based Daphne’s Headcovers in 1979, talked with Arizona Golf Insider about the company’s unlikely origin story, who Daphne was and just how many Tiger headcovers the 15-time major championship winner orders every year.

ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER: Your headcovers are known worldwide. Was this always the plan? JANE SPICER: Absolutely not. I started the company when I was 16 as a fundraiser to buy a car. I bought a 1973 bright red Volkswagen bug that I drove all through high school, in college at Northern Arizona University (NAU), and probably a few years after that.

On the company website, you say your English “mum” Daphne invented the animal headcover in ‘78. Can you tell me more about her? When I was 10, I asked her for a sailboat and she said, ‘Think of a business; earn it yourself.’ I started making stuffed toys using fabric remnants. I would make enough to fill up a garbage bag and then knock on doors down the street and sell them. The toys morphed into puppets,

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which morphed into golf club covers. Mum and I were partners, but she was the brains behind everything.

Is it still a family business? My son Jack just graduated from the University of Utah with an MBA and will join Daphne’s as the director of marketing. The deal I had with my children is they both had to graduate college and work for somebody else for five years before they work for me. My daughter Sarah just graduated from NAU. How have your customer demographics changed? First, they were neighborhood customers who probably felt sorry for me. Now we sell to the best golf shops in the world and we’re in over 75 countries. How were you treated in the largely male-dominated golf industry? I think people looked at me like, Who’s this young girl? But I kind of get it. There aren’t any 16-year-old sales reps. Now I walk into a golf shop, and I’m treated with loads of dignity and respect. It’s only taken 46 years. (Laughs) Overall, people were good. What happened to Daphne’s after Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters using your Tiger headcover? We grew 400 percent in one quarter. We were growing steadily and then we exploded. It was total mayhem, but wonderful mayhem. If my friends

We grew 400 percent in one quarter. We were growing steadily and then we exploded. It was total mayhem, but wonderful mayhem.

How many would she order in a year? She would ask me to send her six at a time because that gave her time to embroider “Love from Mom” in Thai on them. Sometimes it would be a couple times a year, sometimes it would be once a year, it just depended on the circumstances. What other tour pros have you gotten to know? Our first was Craig Stadler. He asked us to make the walrus. My mom and I designed that one together. I was probably in my early 20s, and we just formed a lovely friendship with him. We were also very fortunate to make headcovers for Mr. Palmer. Are we right to assume the Tiger is the best-seller, or would it be the Gopher? It varies. The Tiger has been, for sure. The Gopher does very well. Have you made a headcover for any U.S. President? Oh, sure. We did a red, white and blue eagle for both the Bushes.

wanted to see me, they had to come into the office, where I’d draft them into helping me.

Have you met Tiger? Yeah! He came to town for the (WM Phoenix) Open. He’s wonderful, extremely polite. He always says thank you. Can you imagine? He changed my world. His mom, may she rest in peace, we had a long friendship because she would call to get the headcovers.

Nelly Korda, one of the top-ranked women golfers in the world, with Jane Spicer at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler during the 2025 Ford Championship.

How often do you get out to the WM Phoenix Open? Every year. I’m a standard-bearer. It’s a nice way to go and spend time with our golfers and thank them in person. I also get feedback from the caddies. How long will you keep going as CEO? You know what? I’m having a ball. As long as I’m having fun, I’ll keep going. 

Arizona Golf Insider

WE-KO-PA GOLF CLUB CHOLLA COURSE | 8TH HOLE | PAR 5

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Locker Room| Challenge | Rules ofHole Golf Back Nine

WE-KO-PA GOLF CLUB “The ideal tee shot on Cholla’s par-5 eighth hugs the right side to create a better approach angle into this dogleg right. Easier said than done. Longer hitters can get there in two, but a hole location on the more narrow second half of the green demands precision with long irons and fairway woods. For most players, a smart layup sets up a makeable birdie opportunity on one of Cholla’s most strategic holes.”

— ERIC DETTMAN, PGA Head Golf Professional, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club

HOLE YARDAGES CHOLLA TEE | 605 PURPLE TEE | 587

COMPOSITE/WHITE TEES | 558 GREEN TEE | 452

DID YOU KNOW? Before Cholla’s 2016 renovation, this hole featured a fairway that tightened dramatically as it approached a deep desert arroyo guarding the front of the green, leaving little room for a safe layup. As part of the redesign, the landing area was widened and a portion of the arroyo was turfed over, creating a more playable — and more tempting — risk/reward opportunity.

Arizona Golf Insider

LOCAL FLAVOR BY PRISCILLA TOTIYAPUNGPRASERT

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Club Room | 19th Hole

Arroyo Grille offers a menu blending traditional and indigenous choices. When the Arroyo Grille at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club rebranded in 2014, the city of Maricopa was beginning to undergo its own transformation into one of the fastest-growing areas in Arizona. General Manager Brady Wilson, PGA described Maricopa as a bedroom community when he began working at the golf club in 2012, a city of commuters and fast food joints. The restaurant, known as Grille 109 at the time, prioritized breakfast and lunch for golfers. The area’s dining scene has grown since then and with it, so has the Arroyo Grille. In 2014, the food and beverage team made a concerted effort to reconnect with members of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, the Tribe that owns the golf course. The word “arroyo” was chosen for the restaurant’s name to tie it more closely to the Tribe and the Arroyo Grille’s logo features a sun based on traditional basket Arizona Golf Insider

Club Room | 19th Hole

patterns seen at the Ak-Chin

Arroyo Grille’s outdoor dining

familiar faces. It’s like Norm

Him-Dak EcoMuseum &

space, where the distant

walking into the Cheers bar.

Archives, a 15-minute drive

Estrella Mountains serve up

Our guests become repeat

from the club, and the printed

a pleasing backdrop. Inside,

guests.”

menu includes a few words in

the restaurant gives off a

the O’odham language with a

rustic charm with vaulted

pronunciation guide.

ceiling and hanging wagon

WELCOMING

It’s like Norm walking into the Cheers bar. Our guests become repeat guests.

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ENVIRONMENT

After driving past tall eucalyptus trees that lead to the parking lot, many diners head straight to the

wheels. Coiled baskets, handwoven by Ak-Chin artists, adorn the walls.

Executive Chef Justin Hilton changes the menu every six months, but some staples remain constant. For lunch, the Spicy Yardbird Sandwich features spicy grilled chicken,

“It’s hard to beat our location,

pepper jack cheese, bacon,

views and atmosphere,”

lettuce, tomato and chipotle

Wilson said. “We have longtime servers, so you have warm, welcoming,

aioli served on frybread or in a wrap. Steaks are handcut in house and cooked with a cowboy compound butter, which is seasoned with paprika, cayenne, lemon, herbs, white wine and garlic. Also popular are the Wednesday Fish Fry and weekend Prime Rib Dinner. Items inspired by Indigenous food culture are also on the lunch menu, including the Arroyo Pop-Over, featuring frybread topped with red chile ground beef, black beans, shredded cheddar, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream drizzle and avocado. Anyone with a sweet tooth will love Pastry Chef Tatyana Katsnelson’s desserts, from cream puffs to a deconstructed Twix bar cheesecake, and don’t miss out on the beloved rich and creamy milkshakes. SINGULAR EXPERIENCES

The Cure has “everything you want in a breakfast,” Wilson said. The cheekily named dish features scrambled eggs and bacon over a bed of hash browns, green chile sauce and cheddar cheese. Wilson, who hails from Durango, Colorado, said he’s inclined to like all the menu items featuring green chile. “For lunch, definitely try the Smoked Gouda Bacon Burger,” Chef Hilton said. “It’s a great seller and one of the menu items turning into one of our staples. It’s also the only burger on our dinner

Hours of Operation Sunday, Monday & Tuesday 5am – Last Golfer (No Dinner Menu)

The restaurant also hosts

“We have our own 180

special events throughout

bottles that have never been

the year, such as holiday

duplicated,” Wilson said.

brunches and a five-course

“Anyone can do a bourbon

fine dining meal paired

dinner, but how many people

with a bottle of bourbon.

are doing it with their hand-

But not just any bottle.

selected, single barrel pick?

Wilson traveled to Buffalo

We try to elevate the dinner

Trace Distillery in Kentucky

experience so it’s more one

Lunch menu starts at 10am daily.

last year and personally

of a kind.” 

Dinner service starts at 5pm. Reservations are recommended!

bourbon for Arroyo Grille.

Wednesday – Saturday 5am – 9pm Breakfast is served until 11am (Noon on Sundays)

selected the single barrel

menu.”

Arizona Golf Insider

Club Room | Allied Associations

Shaping Future Leaders Through Golf

Scott McNevin Leads the Way The Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA) was founded in 1983 to introduce youth in Arizona to the game of golf. Through over 100 competitive programs and activities annually, including tournaments, etiquette clinics and college prep seminars, it provides junior golfers with tools and opportunities necessary to develop both their golf and life skills. The JGAA’s mission of “educate, motivate and inspire future leaders through the game of golf” is carried out year-round across the state in support of junior golf. Executive Director Scott McNevin joined the JGAA in 2010 as assistant executive director and took the lead role three years later. “The JGAA plays an important role in the Arizona golf ecosystem, introducing the youth to the game, developing golf and life skills through our tournaments and creating lifelong friendships.” McNevin says. “What we do is important as it’s shaping the citizens and leaders of tomorrow through the game of golf.” Under McNevin’s leadership, JGAA tournament competition membership has grown 30 percent, and now serves more than 1,000 JGAA competition members annually. The JGAA also started Youth on Course-Arizona under McNevin’s leadership which now touts 7,800 members.

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JGAA’s support of junior golfers does not end when program participants graduate high school and move on to the next phase of life. Each year JGAA supports student athletes who exemplify the values of leadership, academic excellence and dedication to the game of golf through three scholarship programs. The AWGA Legacy Scholarship continues the Arizona Women’s Golf Association’s tradition of giving back to junior girls in Arizona by supporting young women pursuing higher education while continuing their journey in golf. In honor of three Life Thunderbirds — Payne Palmer, Phil Edlund and Tom Hornaday — who helped organize the JGAA in 1983, the JGAA Founder’s Scholarship was created and recognizes program participants who exemplify leadership, commitment to the game and academic potential. Jeremy Keck was a JGAA participant throughout his teenage years. He was also born with a congenital heart defect and had his first open-heart surgery at four months old. Tragically, Jeremy passed away suddenly at the age of 37, but throughout his life he held a special fondness for golf. The Keck Strong Scholarship is now funded every year with proceeds from the annual Keck Strong Fundraiser in support of junior golfers in the state.

2025 Scholarship Recipients AWGA Legacy Scholarship

Bella Slattery, Thunderbird High School  Colorado Christian University Bethany Sutherland, Cactus Shadows High School  University of Arizona Carrie Doss, Xavier Prep  Saint Martin’s University Grace Downing, William Field High School  Central Christian College of Kansas Angela Chen, Hamilton High School  Washington University

JGAA Founders Scholarship

Andrew Duke, Pinnacle High School  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Chase Pickering, Sabino High School  Drake University Joseph Perko, Paradise Honors High School  Purdue Global University Nolan Brunner, Home School  Yavapai Community College

Keck Strong Scholarship

Jack Hart, Chaparral High School  University of Arizona Luke Bratetic, Perry High School  Bloomsburg University Zufan Girard, Canyon Del Oro High School  Texas Southern University Elizabeth Feliz, Yuma Catholic High School  Benedictine University Jordin Cowing, Casteel High School  Austin Peay University

Recently, the JGAA awarded a total of $90,000 through the 2025 College Academic Scholarships to 14 accomplished and deserving student-athletes. “While golf may be the foundation of our association, supporting the academic dreams of our members is just as important,” McNevin says. “This year’s scholarship recipients represent the very best of what junior golf can produce — disciplined, resilient, and ambitious young people ready to make their mark on the world.” 

Future issues of Arizona Golf Insider will feature stories from across the Alliance, providing a look into how these organizations work to keep the game we all love healthy and prospering now and in the future. For more information on the Arizona Alliance for Golf, visit azallianceforgolf.org. Arizona Golf Insider

Club Room | Instruction Amy Fruhwirth, Championships Manager for AZ GOLF, played on the LPGA Tour for 12 years and is a member of the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame

Perfect Putting Path

WITH AMY FRUHWIRTH

The shortest swing in golf often gives us the most problems. The key to success on the green is improving consistency. 54

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Set up a piece of wood, or any other similar object, on the practice green aligned with your target hole.

Set a ball and your putter so the heel of the club is just outside of the wood.*

As you make your putting stroke, focus on the heel of your putter staying aligned with the wood on your backswing and follow-through.

If your putting stroke is more of an arc, set a ball and your putter so that the toe of your putter is just below the piece of wood (see image above).

If your putting stroke is too inside-out or outside-in, your putter will contact the wood.

This simple drill provides visual and physical feedback if your stroke moves off its intended path and also positively reinforces a correct path. Practicing with this drill will lead to improved path, better face angle, a more consistent putting stroke, and hopefully lower scores.

Arizona Golf Insider

Club Room | Rules of Golf

Beach Tips Greenside, fairway, pot, coffin … whatever the type of bunker you end up in, the

WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T DO WHEN YOUR BALL IS IN A BUNKER.

rules defining what you can and can’t do are the same. Bunkers are one of the five defined areas of the course and are there to provide an additional challenge to play. To preserve the challenge of playing from the sand, there are a few things you are not permitted to do when your

also restricted from touching the sand with your club immediately in front of or behind the ball, or during a practice swing. There are some actions in the bunker that are allowed

ball ends up in a bunker.

that may surprise you. Loose

First and foremost, you are

obstructions such as leaves

not allowed to touch the sand to test the condition of the bunker. That means no reaching down and running your hands through the sand or intentionally testing the sand with your club. You are

impediments or movable or a rogue water bottle may be removed since they are not considered part of the challenge of playing the ball from the sand. You are also allowed to place clubs or other equipment in the bunker, whether you throw or set them down.

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And while you are not allowed to touch the sand with your club immediately in front of or behind your ball, you are allowed to touch the sand with your club anywhere else in the bunker, as long as you’re not testing its condition. For some casual beach reading, you can refer to rule 12 of the “Rules of Golf” to see the do’s and don’ts of bunker play, and Rules 15.1 and 15.2 for clarity on loose impediments and movable obstructions. We hope you don’t need to reference these rules in your next round, but if you end up in a bunker, now you’re prepared 

For more information on the Rules of Golf, visit usga.org/rules

Arizona Golf Insider

Club Room | Handicapping

@azgolfassociation

YOU DON’T NEED TO PLAY 18 TO POST A SCORE.

Posting Partials Picture this … you snag the first twilight tee time with the hopes of squeezing in a full round before the Arizona sky turns from orange to gray, but the full tee sheet ahead of you leads to a drive back to the clubhouse from

So open up the GHIN App (that you can download for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play store) on your trusty mobile device

the 15th green. Oh well.

and submit your hole-by-hole

But whether it gets dark, bad

A Score Differential™ will then

weather rolls in, or you won your match on the 14th hole, don’t fret. All of the work that you put in out on the course in a partial round doesn’t have to go to waste when it comes to posting a

score through your final hole. be created based on the holes you did play. Back to the 15-hole round example mentioned above; post the scores for the 15 holes

score and your Handicap Index®.

you played and an expected

Under the current Rules of

holes not played will be added

Handicapping, an acceptable score for handicap purposes needs to be at least nine holes and must have a nine-hole Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™. Additionally, if between 10 and 17

Score Differential for the three to that number to produce an 18-hole Score Differential. We look forward to seeing you out on the course … even if it’s only for 15 holes. 

holes are played, scores can be posted in a hole-by-hole entry.

Arizona Golf Insider

Club Room | Parting Shot

Arizona Golf House

@azgolfassociation

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADDISON SHINN

As of June 2025, golf in Arizona has a new headquarters. Located just off the 18th green at Papago GC in Phoenix, the brand-new Arizona Golf House now hosts many of the state’s allied golf associations, including AZ GOLF, Southwest PGA, Cactus and Pine, Club Management Association of America, AZ Caddie and Leadership Academy, the Junior Golf Association of Arizona and First Tee Phoenix. The mission of this facility is to unite Arizona’s golf community under one roof, fostering collaboration and expanding the game’s impact across the state. It’s more than just a building — it represents unity and progress for the local golf scene.

Arizona Golf Insider

ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER