 |
8620 East Thompson Peak Parkway | ||
| Scottsdale, AZ 85255 | |||
| 480-502-1800 | |||
| www.grayhawkgolf.com | |||
 |
PAR: 72 / 72 | 7,135 / 6,973 Yards | Public |
Grayhawk Golf Club is a paradise for those with a passion for the game. Since bursting onto the Scottsdale golf scene in 1994, Grayhawk Golf Club has become one of Arizona’s most celebrated daily-fee golf clubs. Both of its golf courses – Talon and Raptor – offer unique challenges as they wind through some of the most spectacular Sonoran Desert on the planet.
Talon opened first in 1994 followed by Raptor in 1995. Since then, both have earned numerous awards and accolades over the years, and have hosted high-profile competitive events such as the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open (2007-2009). Other PGA Tour-sanctioned events include the Andersen Consulting World Match Play Championship (now known as the Accenture Match Play Championship), Tommy Bahama Challenge, the Williams World Challenge (now known as the Chevron World Challenge), FBR Open Pro-Ams, Tommy Bahama’s Desert Marlin, Thunderbird International Junior and The Detour.
A few notable accolades garnered by Talon and Raptor over the years include:
- Golf Magazine – “Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.”
- Golf Magazine – “Top 10 New You Can Play”
- Golf Digest – “Top 10 in the State You Can Play”
- Golf World Business – “100 Best Golf Shops”
Which one is better you ask? That’s a hard one to answer because the differences between the two are a matter of personality not quality of play. Both Scottsdale, Arizona courses are generally considered to be one of the finest daily-fee golf courses in Arizona and are listed among the “Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.” by Golf Magazine and both the Raptor and the Talon have also hosted numerous high-profile events and tournaments. There are however, a few design characteristics that give each course its distinctive charm. You’ll just have to try them both and decide for yourself.
Raptor Course
Grayhawk’s Raptor course, designed by Tom Fazio, offers a thrilling challenge that commands a player’s respect through a daring, high-stakes game of risk and reward.
Stretching 7,135 yards from the back tees, the par-72 Raptor Course meanders over the gentle hills and across shaded natural washes that are typical of this picturesque corner of the Sonoran Desert. Raptor offers players panoramic views of Scottsdale’s rugged McDowell Mountains as it surrounds them with towering Saguaros, Palo Verde, Ironwood and Mesquite trees that were preserved in creating the golf course.
Typically, Raptor’s fairways are generous, however, strategically placed fairway bunkers can quickly transform an offline drive into a scramble for bogey. The greens tend to be large, with a fair amount of undulation. Wayward approaches are duly penalized as most of the greens are perched above deep bunkers and grass collection areas. Fazio utilized water sparingly, but where it does come into play, he created intriguing hazards that add drama as well as aesthetic value to the golf course.
Talon Course
Designed by former U.S. Open and PGA Champion David Graham and golf course architect Gary Panks, Grayhawk’s Talon Course is one of the most exciting and dramatic tests of golf in the Southwest.
The Talon Course provides breathtaking views of the nearby McDowell Mountains as well as the distant skyline of Phoenix and Scottsdale. However, Talon’s true beauty lies in the way the golf course blends with its natural surroundings. The back nine of the golf course was built around a series of deep box canyons and many holes skirt thick stands of Mesquite, Palo Verde and Ironwood trees while ancient Saguaros and numerous species of native flowering plants dot the out-of-play areas.
Graham and Panks place a premium on positioning off the tee, but a little extra distance will come in handy. As a design element, the fairways appear smaller than their true size – adding a component of confidence to the scoring equation. Most of the greens are quite large, however, they are multi-tiered which effectively reduces their size. Careful consideration of the day’s pin sheet is required to avoid difficult putts from tier-to-tier. The areas around the greens are typically generous, giving golfers a shot at salvaging par after a wayward approach.
Length, Slope & Rating – Raptor Course
| Tee | Par | Yardage | Slope | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raptor (Gray) | 72 | 7,135 | 143 | 74.1 |
| Palo Verde (Green) | 72 | 6,593 | 137 | 71.4 |
| Terra Cotta (Orange) | 72 | 6,150 | 127 | 69.6 |
| Heather (Purple) | 72 | 5,309 | 127 | 71.3 |
Length, Slope & Rating – Talon Course
| Tee | Par | Yardage | Slope | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talon (Gray) | 72 | 6,973 | 143 | 73.6 |
| Palo Verde (Green) | 72 | 6,391 | 133 | 70.6 |
| Terra Cotta (Orange) | 72 | 5,867 | 120 | 68.0 |
| Heather (Purple) | 72 | 5,143 | 121 | 70.0 |
7-Day Annual Pass (“Black Tee”) – $4,995 |
|||
| Cart Fees: | |||
| Jan 1 | to | May 14 | $25 |
| May 15 | to | Sep 15 | $15 |
| Sep 16 | to | Dec 31 | $25 |
| Guest Rates: | |||
| Jan 1 | to | Jan 13 | $60 All Week |
| Jan 14 | to | Apr 13 | $60 Mon-Thu, $80 Fri-Sun |
| Apr 14 | to | May 14 | $60 All Week |
| May 15 | to | Sep 15 | $25 All Week |
| Sep 16 | to | Dec 31 | $60 All Week |
Membership Includes:
|
|||
Discount Card (“White Tee”) – $495 |
|||
|
|||
Coupons & Specials
No coupons or specials at this time
[/tab]
[tab id=”4″]
Build Your Vacation
Use our vacation tools below to plan a convenient golf vacation at hotels and courses within a short distance of each other. Click on the hotel photo or name for detailed information, including current rates and deals, and click on the golf course logo for currently available discounted tee times.
OUR TIPS: Grayhawk doesn’t offer any discounted tee times, so you’ll need to book directly through their website www.grayhawkgolf.com or call the pro shop at 480-502-1800.
If you’re looking for a challenging course in great condition, you’ll also love the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale (home of the Phoenix Open), and the Monument Course at Troon North. Click on the course logos below for current discounted tee times.
[iframe: src=”http://merchandising.expediaaffiliate.com/campaign/?campaignId=10743&cid=345870″ width=”500″ marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:none;” height=”175″ scrolling=”no”]
| NEARBY HOTELS BY DISTANCE | RATING | DIS |
|---|---|---|
Sheraton Desert Oasis |
 3.5 |
2.1 miles |
| Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale North/Perimeter Ctr |  3.0 |
2.2 miles |
| Scottsdale Villa Mirage | 3.0 |
2.2 miles |
| Xona Resort Suites | 3.5 |
2.3 miles |
| Fairmont Scottsdale Princess |  5.0 |
2.5 miles |
| Scottsdale Links Resort | 3.0 |
2.6 miles |
| Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mntn | 3.5 |
2.7 miles |
| SpringHill Suites by Marriott Scottsdale Airpark | 3.0 |
3.0 miles |
| Residence Inn by Marriott North Scottsdale | 3.0 |
3.1 miles |
| Courtyard by Marriott Scottsdale North | 3.0 |
3.1 miles |
NEARBY REGULATION COURSES |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||
|
3.0 miles | |
6.2 miles | |
6.4 miles | ||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||
 |
6.8 miles |  |
7.5 miles | |
8.0 miles | ||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||
|
8.7 miles | |
10.7 miles | |
12.1 miles | ||||