Top Casino Golf Courses as ranked by Golf Digest

Troll_Inc · #1 10-21-2007, 09:49 PM

http://www.golfdigest.com/rankings/c...0casinocourses

I'd put this in a low content thread, but thought people might be interested.

Sadly, the top casino course that I've played is the Sycuan Resort. Saw a moutain lion walk 30 yds in front of me though, that was kind of cool.

Anyone play any of these where you actually get a decent package deal?

offTopic · #2 10-22-2007, 12:54 AM

My wife and I did not stay at the casinos/hotels by We-Ko-Pa and Talking Stick, but IMO, the Cholla course at We-Ko-Pa was great, and if you're a poker player, you'd do just as well to skip Talking Stick and play poker at Casino Arizona. (The course wasn't terrible or anything and was kept in top shape by Troon Golf, but it was just pricey and not worth it.)

tuq · #3 10-22-2007, 01:05 AM

I won't be a party to the choosing of courses at We-Ko-Pa. How the hell does Cholla make the list but the original doesn't, while both Whirlwind and Talking Stick courses do? Someone is completely asleep at the wheel on that one. I slightly prefer the original to Cholla, and that seems to be the consensus, but can understand people preferring Cholla. To leave it off the list is a gross oversight which compromises the list's thoroughness. Both are top ten daily fees in the state of AZ. (EDIT: to make this clear, both courses are way better and way better values than either TPC Stadium and Grayhawk Raptor, which host PGA events, and probably better than Troon North.)

The rest that I know are meh. Talking Stick is as flat as a pre-teen girl's chest but it's always in good shape. It has two distinctly different layouts which are enjoyable but nothing memorable. They correctly put Whirlwind Cattail ahead of its predecessor Devil's Claw, but both are very good courses. From what I've heard Apache Stronghold is an outstanding course and probably too low on this list but haven't bothered to venture out there since it's halfway to New Mexico.

offTopic · #4 10-22-2007, 01:14 AM

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How the hell does Cholla make the list but the original doesn't

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WTF we were there last Dec and there was only one course open [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Oh, and frost delays FTL [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

tuq · #5 10-22-2007, 01:55 AM

Ugh, I am stupid. Cholla (the course you referenced) IS the original course. Saguaro is the new one. Not that anyone should care but here is the link to various awards for both courses. The newer one won more awards which I basicaly disagreed with, although it is a sweet track. I played there the day after Christmas last year, which was the week after it opened, so you may have played there just prior to that.

JTrout · #6 10-22-2007, 10:29 AM

I'm sure Fallen Oak will be high on this list as soon as it is ranked.

offTopic · #7 10-22-2007, 12:12 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Ugh, I am stupid. Cholla (the course you referenced) IS the original course. Saguaro is the new one. Not that anyone should care but here is the link to various awards for both courses. The newer one won more awards which I basicaly disagreed with, although it is a sweet track. I played there the day after Christmas last year, which was the week after it opened, so you may have played there just prior to that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just about exactly...IIRC, we played Cholla on the 22nd, Monument on the 23rd, and Talking Stick on the 24th.

After Talking Stick, we went to CA, and I won a little bit of money playing poker, a lot more by getting the 6-0 Cardinals football card, and then we had a lovely meal at "Oriental Ganden" on Indian Bend Rd. (If you look at the name of the restaurant on the plates, it's misspelled...quite awesome.)

tuq · #8 10-22-2007, 12:35 PM

Hmmm, not familiar with that restaurant but I bet I know where it is.

Here is a disturbing thing I found out over the weekend: Troon North recently flip-flopped nines and now the "Monument" is comprised of the original front nine + the original front nine of the Pinnacle (both on the same side of the street, I guess that's their logic) and the "Pinnacle" is now comprised of both back nines, not sure which one goes first. That's hella lame to me, the Monument was always the better/fairer of the two, although Pinnacle did have better views.

tuq · #9 10-22-2007, 01:26 PM

I figured out what they did by going to their site (although the site was no help other than to pimp the "two new courses", WTF that's a stretch considering they were only re-routed). Had to stare at the scorecard for a bit but it makes sense.

The original #10 for the Monument is now #1. The original #10 for Pinnacle is now #2. The yellow line I drew was the original way to get to #10 of the Pinnacle, it was goofy and you literally had to drive through a neighborhood for a couple hundred yards. The original #18 of the Pinnacle is now #10, and then it swings around to the original #11 and the rest of the holes follow their original numbering. It makes sense, the neighbors are probably happy, but there is no longer a return to the clubhouse at the turn.

westhoff · #10 10-22-2007, 06:57 PM

not a return to the clubhouse at the turn.

I can't [censored] stand this at courses for some reason. It doesn't seem like something that should matter, but when I'm playing a new course and get to #10 tee and there's no where to go the bathroom and/or get something to eat I go [censored] bananas!