McDowell Mountain Golf Club (formerly the Sanctuary Golf Course) re-opened with more than just your usual pomp and circumstance. PGA Tour great and former Arizona State Sun Devil, Phil Mickelson struck the first tee shot and took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony with Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane in October. Mickelson, Honorable Mayor Lane, Steve “Coach” Loy and course architect Randy Heckenkemper unveiled the newly enhanced McDowell Mountain Golf Club.

Located in the heart of Scottsdale on natural desert landscape owned jointly by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation and the City of Scottsdale, McDowell Mountain Golf Club is certainly creating a buzz in the Scottsdale golf scene. In spring of 2011, Phil Mickelson and “Coach” Steve Loy acquired the operating rights to McDowell Mountain Golf Club, and this summer with Scottsdale-based OB Sports, took on a significant golf course enhancement and renovation that was designed to make the course more challenging for the better players, while at the same time making the course more forgiving, enjoyable and fun for beginning golfers, families and players of all ability. Course revisions were overseen by golf course architect Randy Heckenkemper and included widening of the playing corridors, the reshaping of a number of fairways, several new teeing areas, additional strategic waste bunkers, and more! More than 20,000 cubic yards of reshaping was done throughout the course to improve playability, widen the playing corridors, and to create a more enjoyable overall experience. Other specific enhancements included over 460 yards added to the “Back Tees,” the nines were flipped to create a more dramatic finish to the round, a number of bunkers were filled-in to create a more playable experience for the average golfer and new signage and decorative features were added throughout the property including new tee markers, new hole monuments, several bronze animal sculptures, and the addition of an elegant new McDowell Mountain Rolex Clock!

“We really wanted to make the golf course family friendly and fun to play,” stated Phil Mickelson. “By strategically adding grass and cleaning up the desert areas, and making the corridors much bigger, we feel like we made it a much more enjoyable experience. We now feel like this is a fun experience for everyone,” added Mickelson.

McDowell Mountain will also be an even better place to learn the game for improve your swing. World-class instruction will be offered with the Rick Smith Golf Academy and the practice facility was expanded significantly with new practice putting and chipping greens, a larger teeing ground and distinctive target features in the landing area.

After golf, you can take in the stunning views from the restaurant at McDowell Mountain Golf Club and enjoy a post round serving of appetizers and libations. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, McDowell Mountain offers a unique dining venue that is set in the heart of the native Sonoran Desert. Area residents and visitors alike often speak to the highlight of dining al fresco on the spacious patio while watching in amazement as the sun makes its majestic descent beyond Camelback Mountain. It is no wonder why McDowell Mountain Golf Club is also a truly amazing venue for weddings, parties and special events. McDowell Mountain’s restaurant, event lawn and outdoor pavilion offers you a picture perfect setting for a Scottsdale wedding, receptions, birthday celebrations or entertaining business events.

Golfers looking to make McDowell Mountain their home course need to check out McDowell Mountain’s new Player’s Club. This new club offers preferred rates for you and up to three guests plus a ton of other golfer-friendly benefits that are second to none. For those looking to tee it up at this exciting new Scottsdale golf venue, book tee times online at the club’s new website www.mcdowellmountaingc.com where the best rates are guaranteed! For more information on McDowell Mountain Golf Club, call 480.502.8200 or book tee times on-line at www.mcdowellmountaingc.com.

McDowell Mountain Golf Club – “At A Glance”

Par: 71   Yardage: 7,072
Address: 10690 E. Sheena Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone Number: 480.502.8200
Website: www.mcdowellmountaingc.com
Facebook: Search McDowell Mountain Golf
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mcdowellmtngc

Course Architect: Randy Heckenkemper               
General Manager: Chris Johnson, PGA
Superintendent: Greg Bergman, GCSAA
Management: OB Sports Golf Management               
General Contractor: Landscapes Unlimited/OB Sports Landscape Division