Wickenburg Ranch – Flawless Greens!
Ever wonder what it would feel like to smash a 320 yard drive down the center of the fairway leaving yourself just a short iron shot to the pin with a perfectly manicured, tightly mowed green surround? After all, that’s what the tour players do. Although 300+ yard drives may not easily happen for most of us, you can experience that second shot nine times at the Wickenburg Ranch Li’l Wick course. It is the perfect companion to the spectacular championship Big Wick layout which is at the center of the lifestyle driven Wickenburg Ranch community located about an hour outside of Phoenix.
The 9-hole par-three Li’l Wick course has greens that are huge like many modern day courses complete with bunkering and mounding nestled around tightly mowed fairways. The flawless bent grass greens and surrounding elevations feature the type of land movement that are most often present on only the best golf courses. The result of placing nine sophisticated green complexes in close proximity is simply exhilarating to see for the average golfer that values the approach shot. You feel like you should have a shot at birdie on every hole. However, the greens themselves, with plenty of movement and break, offer a nice defense against shots that hit the green but are less than perfect in distance or direction.
With three sets of tees, there are several ways to play the course. Many experienced golfers could certainly enjoy a round with just a putter and a wedge from the forward tees but as you move to the back tees, the holes become much more challenging as they can play as much as 187 yards and nearly half the holes are 148 yards or longer.
While the course itself is impressive, it may be the relaxed vibe at the center of the layout that most separates this facility from so many others. It is really an entertainment complex as much as it is a par-3 golf course. The “Watering Hole” is situated to be the focal point of Li’l Wick and is located dead center of the holes with room for more people on the lake front patio than on the course itself. Music is played not only on the patio but also on several holes of the course itself through a network of speakers. It is designed to provide the perfect setting to socialize with friends and family. There are also several seating areas located amongst the holes including a large hammock area so spectators can just chill closer to the action. The vistas are magnificent with a few elevated tees offering views that seem to feature the entire Sonoran Desert offered by the state of Arizona.
Although the club already has an active membership, there is still time to play it before it eventually turns completely private. It is definitely worth the hour plus drive to experience this unique short course. However, most players also make the drive to play the also notable Big Wick as well as it can be a truly memorable 27-hole day of golf in the Arizona desert. For more information: www.wickenburgranch.com