• Breakfast - tasty buffet or a cook to order omelette (or both)
• Range balls
• Unlimited golf - we’ve played 2 rounds each time
• Lunch
• Some drink and food coupons for on the course

The course was in great condition on both occasions and the staff was courteous and helpful.

The range is fine with good targets and the putting green near the first tee is a good match to the speed of the actual greens.

On the course, it can get quite windy. The course naturally plays a lot tougher in the wind. One day this was a real challenge (putts breaking uphill due to the wind), the other it was manageable.

The course has some pretty generous landing areas on some holes, but if you go offline you’re in the desert and a punch-out or drop is fairly likely. Bring a rock-club , I wish I had. If you’re hitting the ball well, the course is challenging but fair - with some nicely tricky holes.

The only negative I can think of is the course is a little ways out, so you have to get up early.

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The course starts out pretty wide open, with water coming into play on a number of holes. The front nine was very wet and the greens were not in good shape. They were slow and rather bumpy.

On the back nine there is less water and more tree-lined fairways. This half of the course played a little better, but the greens were still not that great.

The par 5 16th hole was quite challenging. Playing into the wind, I was able to drive the ball through the neck into the second landing area, but was only able to reach the greenside bunker with a perfectly struck 3-wood. Left and long of the green is a steel hill that runs into the water - it’s a tough hole.

I didn’t enjoy the round as much as I have at other courses in the area. We were paired with a couple that struggled to get the ball around the course, which was probably a contributing factor.

The driving range at McCormick ranch was nice, tree lined and wide enough to let you play a variety of shots to the flags.

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The course is pretty much straight in front of you the whole way. There isn’t much rough to speak of but the greens were hard and it was hard to stop the ball on the green from an approach shot. Even a 100 yard shot with a 52 degree wedge released from the front of the green all the way to the back (and the green sloped down towards the fairway).

The greens were fast an undulating and a little patchy, but the ball rolled true more often than not. The wind really kicked up around 11:00am and we played the rest of the round in about a 1 1/2 club wind. The wind and the greens were about the only defense the course had, otherwise it was there for the taking. I played it from the tips and managed to shoot 88.

There are three par 5’s and three par 3’s on each side (instead of the usual 2) which was an interesting quirk. The par 5’s are pretty easy with wide fairways, though some of the greens were bunkered enough to make running it onto the greens a little tricky.

It was a nice round, but I doubt we’ll go back there on our next trip. If I lived in the area, I’d definitely play this course from time to time.

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This is a fun/quick round of golf.

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The staff are primarily ASU students that provide excellent and courteous service. We’ve felt well taken care of in all aspects of each of our visits and try to leave generous tips.

The ASU/Karsten is a little pricey, but it is in wonderful shape and it a great challenge. This is a course that we plan to leave in as part of our annual trip.

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