Scottsdale country club serves as launching pad for Valley’s top junior athletes

Northwestern University golfer, two-time state high school tennis champ honed skills growing up at The Country Club at DC Ranch

Nick Losole
slideshow

Serving as a center point of the North Scottsdale community for over 10 years, several of the Valley’s top junior and youth athletes got their start at The Country Club at DC Ranch.

Nicholas Losole was just 10 when he first tee’d off at The Country Club at DC Ranch and today has garnered such top recognitions as being named a 2008 Rolex Junior All-American, the nation’s 15th ranked player in the 2009 class according to Golfweek, and 17th on the American Junior Golf Association circuit. Today, Losole is a top freshman golfer on the prestigious Northwestern University Men’s Golf Team.

Developing his skills under the Club’s Junior Golf Program, Losole was a regular participant in the Club’s youth golf events, activities and tournaments, taking home four of The Country Club at DC Ranch Junior Club Golf Championships. Losole’s sister, Gina Losole, has also followed in her brother’s footsteps recently claiming her second consecutive Arizona 4A-II State High School Tennis Championship. Gina Losole is a junior at Notre Dame Preparatory Academy and has grown up playing tennis under the direction of the club’s longtime Director of Tennis Craig Purcell, a former ATP Tour Coach.

A top destination for active families, The Country Club at DC Ranch is located at the base of the picturesque McDowell Mountains in the DC Ranch community. Featuring a traditional golf course designed by PGA Pro Tom Lehman, the course is recognized as one of the most well-maintained in the state and offers both advanced players a challenge while allowing beginning players to develop their skills. With ideal conditions to assist junior golfers in building their games, the club’s renowned junior golf program offers weekly golf clinics, golf camp, parent/child golf tournaments and more under the direction of former PGA Pro Danny Edwards, the club’s Director of Instruction. In addition to golf, the club offers one of the most active tennis programs for all ages and skill levels, including junior tournaments and social events, player development programs, a junior tennis academy, junior ladder challenges and more.

Even the youngest of athletes have discovered their passion on the greens at The Country Club at DC Ranch. Ten year-old Frankie Capan has been playing golf at the club for 7 years and today has competed in over 100 competitive golf events across the Valley and has clocked 250 rounds of golf competition. Glued to the practice greens at the club, Frankie’s parents recall days he would beg his mom bring him lunch and dinner on the greens because he did not want to stop playing. His parents have since installed a practice green in their yard, so he can still practice when not at the club. He looks forward to playing in many future tournaments, as he gets older.

Memberships are available to residents and non-residents of the DC Ranch community. Social Memberships start at $5,000. To learn more about membership opportunities, visit www.ccdcranch.com or call 480.342.7246.