Even before recent improvements, Troon North has been a staple of Scottsdale golf vacations.
Troon North Golf Club, one of the 36-hole facilities that has become a staple of Scottsdale golf vacations, has been touting its “two new golf courses” lately. Intrigued as to why the golf club would monkey with its acclaimed Monument Course, a Jay Moorish/Tom Weiskopf creation, and its Pinnacle Course (1996), a solo Weiskopf effort, we made one of our usual anonymous site inspections to find out.
Specifically, the Troon North Golf Club website declares that Tom Weiskopf recently returned to create, “two new layouts” and a “completely new playing experience.” The truth is, while Weiskopf modified some bunkers, re-worked a few holes, and added a superior strain of bentgrass to the putting surfaces, his main change was transferring nines between the courses to create more cohesive routings.
Troon North is also touting its “new courses,” especially the Pinnacle, as “more walkable.” Don’t believe it. While it is true that walking is now permitted, these layouts are anything but conducive to walking. Given the expansive nature of the routings, the tee boxes that are often perched on raised pods, and the lack of caddies and prohibition on pull carts, play would slow down considerably if walking became commonplace. Practically speaking, other than a few members, nobody walks here.
The reality is, if you’ve played at Troon North Golf Club on previous Scottsdale golf vacations, the game won’t look or feel much different than it did before. But that’s a good thing. Troon North never needed to invent reasons for golfers to pay it a visit. Its holes have always provided one gorgeously framed desert test after another at a facility that was equally renowned for its superb service and immaculate course grooming.
If you visit, keep in mind that, typical of the courses your find on Scottsdale golf vacations, green fees fluctuate wildly between the summer, shoulder, and peak seasons. Other than the sometimes pricey green fees, the only other real negative is that oftentimes “cart-path only” rules are in effect.
If you’re planning on playing multiple rounds at this or other Troon Golf-managed facilities on your Scottsdale golf vacation, consider buying the Troon Card (troongolf.com), which provides 20 to 60 percent golf discounts.
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