Sedona Golf Resort – This One is Special
By Tim Cotroneo
A golfer will look back on playing 18 holes at The Sedona Golf Resort as a rare and special event in a player’s life. Sometimes the most memorable rounds are because of a shot, a score, or a playing companion. When teeing it up at the Sedona Golf Resort for the first time the sheer beauty of your red rock surroundings is something that falls under the category of unforgettable.
This 6,600-yard championship layout opened in 1988, back when Sedona was still a glimmer on the golf vacationer’s radar. Post Covid and post Instagram, this Northern Arizona city is now a headliner for the those seeking the best in mountain golf.
Course designer Gary Panks overachieved when he was handed the blank canvas of inserting an 18-hole golf course framed by the Lee, Castle Rock, Cathedral, Courthouse Butte, and Bell Rock Mountains. With that introduction, let’s do a bit of hand holding regarding advice for someone playing Sedona Golf Resort for the first time. Take a breath, buckle up, and get ready for a stunning red rocks journey.
Went Up to the Mountaintop
Hikers and photographers from around the world come to Sedona to indulge in their 200 trails and 400 miles of copper mountain terrain. The Sedona Golf Resort’s pro shop and Juniper Bar & Grille Restaurant offer an early sneak peek into what you’ll experience during your four-hour golf rock of ages.
The visuals are awe-inspiring and they will come at you in waves. What you may not realize, or possibly take for granted, is the air that you’re breathing is like an oxygen rush of the best kind. This ties in with another Sedona dividend that no longer flies under the vacation radar: The Vortex energy invisibly generating from the red rocks is a quiet companion throughout this beautiful setting.
In addition to your backswing, pay attention to any extra adrenaline, clarity, or gratitude you may be feeling during your Sedona round. After your lush green fairway meets red rock introduction on the Par 4 first hole, you step up to an elevated 2nd hole tee box that may rock your world.
Between a Rock and Stunning Place
The 183-yard 2nd hole tee box is mindful of what skiers might feel before shooshing down the Matterhorn. Whatever iron shot you pull off will plunge to a vertical drop before reaching the green.
Take a moment and survey what you’re gazing at. The Lee Mountains on the horizon rise to over 6,400 feet in elevation. Your left to right image behind the green appears to take in the entire community residing in a Sedona zip code showing 86357.
If you played this hole post sunset, there’s a decent chance you’d hear coyotes in the distance howling, “Commit to your shot.” Okay, you’re on the green. Congrats! Now hitch up your pants Arnie style and move on to the next Sedona Golf Resort treasure.
Suitable for Framing and the Iconic 10th
As you approach the 8th hole green, that’s the Castle Rock Mountains framing what you are seeing. Again, take a moment to reflect on what you are experiencing.
Castle Rock was formed 275 million years ago, and this glorious image is what the neighboring city of Oak Creek awakens to every morning. If you feel a little something extra as you approach this green, consider that Sedona’s original native tribes believed Castle Rock to be a sacred place.
You’ve made the turn and you step up to the 10th hole tee box. You read the sign that declares the “10th hole is the most photographed hole in the Southwest.” This 210-yard Par 3 features two bunkers that seem insignificant to what you’re absorbing on the horizon. Yes, that’s massive Castle Rock to the right, but what grabs you is Cathedral Rock directly behind the green. Cathedral Rock’s vertical spires appear to salute like red rock soldiers standing guard. If you haven’t already, it’s okay to chronicle this golf hole with a keepsake photo.
Remembering 18, Remembering Sedona
Designer Panks decided to close with a splash to culminate your Sedona Golf Resort journey. Your second shot on the Par 4, 336-yard 18th hole contends with a lake hugging the fairway on the left side.
You remember the coyotes’ advice on the front nine, and you commit to your shot. The gallery of golfers enjoying a late lunch at the Juniper Bar & Grille generate a smattering of applause as your ball lands 20 feet from the pin.
Upon holing out, you turn around and look back on the 18th hole and the Lee Mountain range in the distance. Feel the Vortex energy, see the red rocks, and appreciate the Sedona Golf Resort. This one was special. This one is unforgettable.
