An Oasis in the Desert

Article by: Billy Satterfield

As the days in Idaho get cooler and the threat of snow looms, golfers start turning their thoughts towards the desert and with it the promise of warmer temperatures and an extended golf season. With Arizona being just a short flight south, the cactus covered terrain of America's southwest is an easy destination to reach when trying to scratch that need to golf in the winter.

When you leave on vacation you want to be pampered; no worrying cleaning dishes, making your bed, or daily responsibilities. If that is the experience you desire, look no further than The Phoenician, a AAA Five-Diamond resort in the golfing hotbed city of Scottsdale.

Boasting a 22,000 square foot spa with 24 private treatment rooms and plethora of treatments available, The Phoenician offers the ultimate buffet of relaxation. In addition, tennis facilities, swimming pools, a kids club, art collection, and shopping center add to the list of activities available for the patrons.

But the most important question of all is, "How is the golf?" The Phoenician offers a trilogy of 9-hole courses that feature holes being framed by Camelback Mountain on the north while others play through palm trees and over beautiful water features. Named Canyon, Desert, and Oasis, each track offers its own unique flavor and terrain for the golfer to experience while at The Phoenician.

The par 35 courses each play to a modest length in a successful effort to deliver a fun golfing experience rather than a punishing one. The signature hole of the complex is the par three 8th on the Canyon course. Sitting behind a pond of glass-like blue water, the sand protected green is framed along the sides and rear by mature palm trees that seem to wisp you away to the South Pacific.

The final hole on the Canyon nine is a par five that features a pond to carry off the tee before being challenged by water up the entire right side of the fairway. As the hole doglegs to the right players are greeted by an approach shot to a peninsula green with a crowd of water fowl and fountain awaiting the result of this high risk, high reward shot.

From exhilarating par 3s, a pair of driveable par 4s, and numerous opportunities to put your digital camera to work, The Phoenician offers some of the most enjoyable holes in the desert and is ideal for a corporate or family retreat.

Last but not least, you can't mention The Phoenician without talking about the food. With a range of options ranging from casual to upscale, the resort offers exceptional Italian dining, a world class steakhouse, and some of the best burgers in Arizona including the Big Bertha which features one pound of all-natural Kobe beef.

While some destinations, like Bandon Dunes, are only about the golf; a trip to Scottsdale's Phoenician Resort offers a more inclusive experience and rare opportunity to pamper yourself.