Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club

Private Country Club ‘Member for a Day’ Open to Public Prospector Course Review

Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club – Lost Gold course Hole #10, par 5, 589 yards from the tips

Superstition Mountain Country Club

General Manager: Gene Blum
Director of Golf: Pat Tyson 
Director of Agronomy: Scott Krout
Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus and Gary Nicklaus
18 Holes of Championship Golf
Par 72 – 7,225 yards from the tips
Rating /Slope: 
Men’s – 73.4/135; 71.4/130; 69.4/124
Ladies’ – 76.6/139; 73.1/130; 70.2/121
Tee Time Reservations: 480.983.1411
8000 E. Club Village Drive
Superstition Mountain, Arizona 85118
www.superstitionmountain.com


By by Nancy Howard

Heading east to the Superstition Mountains, just 40 minutes from Sky Harbor, is one of the most elite golf outing experiences you could dream of, with gorgeous views of the Superstition Mountains throughout your round, serene surroundings and a challenge that takes focus and thought provoking greens reading to score well. Welcome to Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. 

The Prospector Golf Course, which opened in 1998, combined the creative skills of Jack Nicklaus and his son Gary. The designers have delivered a community-based course with inspirational vistas, fairways that are wide and friendlly, and green speeds that are faster than at some major tournaments.

This Nicklaus course has been the site of the 2002 Countrywide Tradition tournament and the home of the LPGA Safeway International from 2004 to 2008. And, recently the Prospector Golf Course was selected by Golfweek magazine as one of the “Top 100 Residential Courses.”

Although the practice greens were super slick, the greens were a bit less, thank goodness, however still slick. You have to play here regularly to be able to read these greens…they are surpising to say the least. Even though you may make the tee shot on the surface, no guarantee you’ll be taking a birdie or a par on these par 3s. For sure.

Even with the tee sheets filled, we rarely saw the group in front or back of us. Never waited a second nor felt pressure from behind, even though some of our shots were worthy of a gallery to attest how great they were. Pace of play was excellent which makes for a fantastic round of golf.

The greens are treacherous and on one par three that looked so nice for a birdie, don’t be fooled. The green took our team down with only one par and the rest bogies. Talk about an optical illusion. Never relax with the visuals on this course, it’s a thinking man’s course that demands good golf course strategy and plenty of thoughts on mountain golf when putting to score. What a fabulous challenge yet fun for all skill level of golfers.

Hole #9, par 4, 442 yards – by Michael Schieffer – This hole is a 90 degrees dogleg right that starts out with a beautiful view of the clubhouse from the tee boxes. Bunkers to the left, desert to the right, aim straight down the fairway and hope for a safe ball flight. Longer hitters will be tempted to cut the desert corner in order to have a nice look at eagle. However, it is longer than it looks and going for eagle on this hole can just as easily turn in a double bogey.  Also, be sure and club up appropriately for your approach shot to the elevated green. Respect the line of the fairway and par is in the bag. Risk hitting over could be a disaster and more often than not the result is just that, a disaster.

Hole #13, par 5, 589 yards – by Steve Padgett  – This is an interesting par 5 that bends to the left off the tee and then bends back to the right for your second shot. From the tee, a bunker on the left helps shape the hole offering a tee shot to the right. The ideal tee shot requires a draw around the bunker or if one feels strong, hit it over if possible. The second shot has a couple of options. There is a big hill with bunkers on the right that hides the green from you. The first instinct is to hit your second shot over to the left to avoid the bunkers on the right, but this will require an accurate third shot to avoid the front left bunker or a collection area behind this shallow green.  

Shortcut:  The bunkers and hill on the right ends at 40 yards from the front of the green. The sprinkler heads have markings to the front of the greens. If you hit your second shot to land 35 yards from the green over the hill, then the backside of the hill will catapult it towards the green. Don’t leave it short in those bunkers, but if you pull off the risk, the reward could be great. Maybe you can say with Neil Armstrong, “The eagle has landed”.  

Hole #14, par 4, 331 yards – by David Brink –
A short par 4, but play it safe at all costs! This hole had our entire group fooled from the start. A well-placed tee shot is crucial as the landing area is very small. Be sure to keep it right as the left side is what I would call ‘bunker city’. A short second chip shot can leave you with an easy tap in par. Just keep your chip shot under control and don’t end up in the bunkers that surround the green, as I did!

We could not have asked for a friendlier or more serving staff. This team provided impeccable service.

The 50,000 sq. ft. Clubhouse is bathed in Old World elegance and is the crossroads for social life at Superstition Mountain offering a superb restaurant, clubhouse bar, and dining room each serving up epicurean delights. Be sure to try their pork wings…out of this world delicious for an appetizer. Locker rooms feature spas, lounges and outdoor patios within the clubhouse, which also houses the well appointed and touted among the world’s best Golf Shop.

Needless to say, if you have the opportunity to play on one of these courses, jump on it. Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Cub offers “Member for a Day” tee times to the public. It’s a day not to be forgotten. And, I guarantee you will return to take in both courses, more than once. It’s a definite “Must Play” recommended by Arizona Golfer.

If you are looking for an exquisite golf club membership or real estate offerings for custom home sites, custom-quality homes or luxury custom homes visit www.superstitionmountain.com or call 480.983.3300 for more information. Be sure to ask about their special Junior Executive Golf Membership being offered at this time.

This is a community you will be thrilled to call home here in Arizona.