19th Hole

Heimo Brandstatter
Verde River Golf & Social Club
Rio Verde, AZ
http://www.verderivergolf.com

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Golf meets adventure in North Scottsdale

Go ahead and call it a golf shop, but soon you’ll come to find, it’s a whole lot more.  

I’m standing in The Outfitter, one of the newly opened amenities at Verde River Golf & Social Club. For those who know the project here, a permanent club has been a longtime coming, but now seeing phase one come to fruition, what’s promised will be well worth the wait.  

More than a traditional “pro shop”, The Outfitter is designed and stocked to feel akin to an adventure store. Nestled among the displays of trendy golf apparel you’ll find hiking guides, athletic tees, Hydro Flasks®, kayaks and more. And yes, you read me right, kayaks – and stand up paddle boards, mountain bikes, cruisers, long boards, pickleball and fishing gear. Some are available for purchase, while others are rentable by the hour, half day and day.  

It’s an interesting concept, and one, given our incredible location, makes a lot of good sense. Members and guests can just as easily check in for their round of golf as they can rent a tandem kayak to explore the nearby Verde River or tune up their mountain bike with a plethora of biking tools readying cyclists for adventures ahead. 

It’s cool, authentically so and it’s already being exceptionally well received. Those who expected a more traditional take on the golf shop are perhaps those who are most pleasantly surprised with the utilitarian design and adventurous vibe. I overheard one guest joke with our team that he’d like “one round of golf, a sleeve of golf balls and a kayak please!” 

As we speak, The Outfitter is proudly serving as the hub of a week-long, Member focused outdoor adventure. Lead by our lifestyle team and local guides, Members are enjoying hiking excursions, mountain biking, kayaking and more. 

Accompanying The Outfitter are tennis and pickleball courts, a resort-style swimming pool, lap pool and the newly opened Eddy’s Poolside. Eddy’s is a win for hungry golfers, guests and Members alike who are sure to enjoy the Millionaire Burger ($12), Thai Chicken Noodle Salad ($9) and the Eddy’s favorite, Not-So-Sloppy-Joe ($8). But what has inspired the adventurous spirit of The Outfitter and will keep guests coming back to Eddy’s Poolside is more than the cool vibe and friendly people – it’s the striking 270-degree views from Weaver’s Needle to the Mazatzals that highlight all that really make this location special – the tranquility and splendor of the Tonto National Forest.

The full resort club campus is expected to debut sometime later in the year and is set to include a community market and a full-service spa as well as a culinary events kitchen, art studio, and signature bar and restaurant. Until then, we are more than ready for action, adventure, golf and great eats!

Heimo Brandstatter is the General Manager at Verde River Golf & Social Club, the centerpiece to Shea Homes’ exciting new Trilogy at Verde River master-planned, resort-style community. Learn more about Heimo and Trilogy at www.trilogylife.com