Red Mountain Ranch Country Club

Red Mountain Ranch Country Club, located in Mesa in the far northeast reaches of the Valley of the Sun, is an exciting, beautiful, and tough golf course. Although it was exclusively private when it debuted in 1986, the club, located a half-hour east of Phoenix, now warmly welcomes public play. When you have a tee time to play this desert layout, you ll experience one of only five courses Pete Dye designed in the state of Arizona. In tandem with son Perry, the late father and son duo created a shotmaker s course at Red Mountain Ranch Golf Club with all of Pete s signature  Dye-abolical design elements. Spectacular scenery adds even more to the fun. A constant parade of rock formations, cacti and mesquite trees, along with four water features, make for a very pretty playing field. The back nine, breathtakingly backdropped in spots by Red Mountain, is especially memorable. While desert hazards factor into play throughout the round the desert lurks between the teeing areas and off to the sides of the fairways you are just as apt to have your score at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club threatened by sand and grass bunkers lined with railroad ties, or by pot bunkers, intriguing mounding, and tricky greens. Though the fairways landing areas at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club are somewhat narrow, the challenge really ramps up on approach shots to the elevated and often plateaued greens that tend to run off at the edges. Due to the mounding around the putting surfaces and the slopes built into the greens themselves, approach shots must come in high and soft or from the proper angle to avoid being sent careening in some unforeseen direction. Even when you get onto the putting surfaces, the internal slopes make putts tricky to read. Typical of Pete Dye s designs, Red Mountain Ranch Country Club forces players to think on every swing. If you want to warm up before your round, practice facilities include a small grass driving range, a chipping area and a putting green. The clubhouse features a pro shop and a restaurant, though the restaurant may not be open every day. If you are a fan of Pete Dye or just curious about his courses, or if you simply enjoy putting your game to the test on a fun, varied and challenging layout, make a tee time to play Red Mountain Ranch Golf Club in Mesa in the East Valley.