Gray Hawk Golf Club offers two great courses for a great day of golf in the Scottsdale and Phoenix area. The club itself is great, with restaurants, and space for special events, as well as a pro shop, practice area and many other amenities.
The two courses – Talon and Raptor – have different personalities. They offer different challenges, and are forgiving in certain areas, but in different ways. Whichever course you play on, you will enjoy some of the finest Sonora Desert scenery imaginable. Both courses are rated among the best in the state by various publications, and Golf Magazine has proclaimed both in the top 100 nationally.
Because of Gray Hawk’s quality experience you may want to considerer renting a set of premium clubs form Scottsdale’s top golf club rental company.
The club advertises itself as “tour tested,” and it has had some prestigious events over the years. They may however, be referring to Phil Mickelson, who is sort of the patron saint of the course. He represents the club and is its face publicly. The grill – Phils’ Grill – is even named for him.
Both courses are very good and fun to play, and they would be even without Mickelson’s endorsement. The staff is also attentive and very helpful. If you are looking for golf club rentals in Scottsdale ClubHub will ship your TaylorMade M2 rentals direct to the course.
Talon Course
The Talon Course, which opened when the club did in 1994, is 6,973 feet. It is the more popular course, and considered a bit more player friendly. The course has great views of the McDowell Mountains, and the Phoenix and Scottsdale skylines The back nine is built around a few box canyons, with steep drop offs and thick Mesquite in places. Certain times of year the scenery is gorgeous.
This course is designed to reward players who can hit long and get good position off the tee. It’s fairways are wider than they look, but the rough can be unforgiving. The greens are large, but watch out, because they are multi-tiered to add some challenge to the putting surface. Even though the fairways can get rough, the area around the greens tend to have short grass so you can salvage par with a good shot onto the green.
Raptor Course
The Raptor Course opened for public play a year after Talon opened. It was designed by Tom Fazio, and offers players a challenge. Players with skill will appreciate the design that offers risk and reward if you are daring enough to take risky shots. The course is 7.090 yards from the back tees. The course covers rolling hills of the Sonora Desert, though not as dramatic as the canyons of the Talon Course.
The fairways are wide and generous, and the greens are large. Even so a bad approach gets a penalty because of the slops near the greens. The greens are above deep bunkers, and some have tall grasses that offer hazards to golfers. In 2015 there was some major renovation, with holes 15, 16, and 17 moved, This makes routing easier for golfers, so the practical moves will be appreciated by those that play the course regularly.
