We played McCormick Ranch on our trip to Arizona this spring. We played the Palm course.

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.