Daunting 16th Green

Wigwam Golf Club: Gold Course

Robert Trent Jones' Desert Masterpiece.

Posted by: Rick Parnham

Very few American course architects are held in the esteemed company of Robert Trent Jones. His significance to American golf is immeasurable with many of his courses considered design masterpieces. Many of his creations have been host sites for major championships and his name is synonymous with courses considered in the upper echelon of the sport. As one of the early pioneers of modern golf architecture his original designs and renovations are filled with remarkable challenge and creativity and many of today's designers have been inspired by his genius and mastery of the craft.

Challenging Hole 3

Wigwam Golf Club is widely considered as one of Arizona's finest courses. Built in 1965 to provide a western compliment to the famed Firestone South, RTJ set out to create a desert golf course to challenge the game's best players. Stretching to a beastly 7430 yards from the tips The Gold Course is a stern test of golf in typical RTJ fashion. Upon reaching the half century mark Tom Lehman was brought in to update the courses bunkers and maximize the playability of the routing  which flows gently on a relatively flat canvas traversed by a well incorporated canal. The layout is long and places demands on all facets of your game. Most greens are raised and protected by fronting or greenside bunkers making for challenging approach shots.

Location: Litchfield Park, Arizona

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks: Wigwam - Gold Course

Feature Holes Descriptions:

The first par 3 at Wigwam is a formidable foe. Hole 3 plays as the longest of the short holes and slightly uphill. The green is long and slender pinched by two cavernous bunkers. A long iron or hybrid must be struck purely to reach the heavily sloped putting surface. The best chance to hold the green is a high right to left approach letting the ball land on the front part of the green and releasing to the hole. The par 4 eighth hole plays as the most difficult on the routing. Your first encounter with the canal awaits in front of your tee shot. A solid drive will set you up for one of the most challenging approaches of your round. The long narrow green is fronted by the crossing canal and a steep face, suggesting an extra club just to be sure. Avoid the deep bunker left as there is little room to hold the uphill bunker shot and still have a chance a par.

Gorgeous Mountain Vistas

The second nine begins with the course's most lengthy par 5. Be careful to avoid the new ridge created by Lehman in the renovation. Protecting the left side of the landing area few good options present themselves if your drive finds this steep slope and rough. Care must be taken on the second shot  to avoid the pond short and left of the green and anything right of target risks a return visit to the canal. The plateau green is one of the most severe of the round and a par here will feel like a huge accomplishment. The final par 3, Hole 16, is listed as the shortest of the quartet, but don't let that fool you. The green is tucked precariously behind a pond and fronted by a rock wall and trio of bunkers gathering anything struck timidly. The surface is filled with slope and a multitude of shelves making a shot at par difficult should you find the wrong part of the green with your tee shot. 

Course Stats:

Branded as Arizona's Monster, The Gold Course is a true test of skill and mettle. Rightfully placed in the conversation with some of the state's best courses, this superbly conditioned parkland course is pure golf. The wow factor is in the subtleties of the angles, the slopes and demands of the shot making. Those wanting to include a round to challenge your game will meet your match with this beast. As with any RTJ course you know you will be tested, but never disappointed. Combined with a fantastic stay and play package at The Wigwam Resort, The Gold Course is a most memorable Arizona golf experience.  

Drive Times: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport 40mins

Contact:

Wigwam Golf Club

451 N. Old Litchfield Rd.,

Litchfield Park, AZ

85340

623-935-9414

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