del Lago GC, Vail. Dave Marr and Jay Riviere, 1981.

Up in the hills about a half hour east of Tucson is an unusual course that I loved driving out to while I was in college. The back tees here are not for the faint of heart, as the carry required from the first tee makes abundantly clear. The front nine offers a few nice holes but the back nine is the star, from the long par-4 10^th tumbling downhill to a green protected by a pond, to the long 12^th skirting the edge of a dry riverbed, the drive-and-pitch 14^th, and the wonderful par-5 17^th playing uphill through a canyon, daring the player to challenge blind shots over the canyon walls to perhaps get home in two. It’s not worth a special trip to visit, but if I was in the area I’d certainly try to stop by again.

Arizona 5th Decile [2001]