Golf



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Play a round at The Short Course. Book your tee time online or at 480.624.5433.

Golf Intro

THE SHORT COURSE

"Best Par-3 Courses in America" | GOLF.com

"Renovation of the Year" | Golf Inc.


Tee off on our scenic, 18-hole course that offers fun and fast rounds, ideal for beginners and pros alike. Each hole is a par 3, making this the perfect place to work on your short game.


The original 1961 course was designed by Arthur Jack Snyder, and redesigned by his mentee, Forrest Richardson. The updated layout pays homage to the original with challenging greens, rugged slopes, and distinct holes.


Explore our specials and events, group activities, food and drinks at Rusty's, and The Forrest Wager.

VIEW THE BROCHURE

GOLF COURSE INFORMATION

Pro Shop Hours | 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily


Getting Around The Course

Walking is included in the greens fee.
Push carts are available for $2.50 per person.
Golf carts are available for $5 per person.
Extra golf carts are $40 each.

Must be at least 16 years of age to drive golf carts.


Rental Clubs

PING rental clubs are available for $49 per round.
Right-handed, left-handed, and junior clubs are available.
Golf balls are not included.

Rental clubs are complimentary only for registered Mountain Shadows Resort guests.


Discounts

Click the 'Deals' button at the top right for great rates.
Ages 9 and under play for $25.
Ages 10 to 15 get half off the regular rate.


Course Handicap Conversion Charts

Click here to view the handicap charts.


Are you playing alone? Party of 9 or more? Planning a tournament? Looking for a lesson? Contact the pro shop directly at 480.624.5433.

Navigating
the short course


18 holes
par-54

back | 2,310 yards
middle | 2,065 yards
forward | 1,735 yards

Forrest Richardson

golf course architect


  • Plunge

    Peering up to the famous Camelback Mountain, the opener plays to a slightly elevated green backed by steep slopes. With a ridge running along the front, only a portion of the large green can be seen from the tees. The green is defined by an upper bowl at the left and a low gathering area to the right. The smart play from the tee will be greatly influenced by pin location. A left placement will demand more accuracy as everything slopes right. The right half will demand respect for the green contours, requiring a shot landing left of the hole that allows the ball to feed down to the right. A graceful way to begin the round. It’s all there for the taking.

  • Climb

    Flanked by two bunkers, the long green cascades down toward the tee with three levels. Most certainly, No. 2 will not play the same from day to day with its 100-foot deep green. This is the primary challenge: The long mid-iron shot to an uphill green allows for a 25-yard swing in hole length. Like its counterparts in the opening stretch, the eternal backdrop is the rugged and reddish slopes of Camelback Mountain.

  • Flagon

    From the Old French word flacon, used to describe a vase or bottle, The Flagon Hole is indeed a “bottle

  • Biarritz

    The original Biarritz hole sat along the Atlantic coast of France above Bay of Biscay. The hole was extremely long across a deep canyon. At the far side was a unique green with a deep and pronounced swale running from left to right across the line from the tee. Enamored with its design was Charles Blair Macdonald, who eventually brought the concept back to the United States and integrated it to his famous Chicago Golf Club. The Biarritz at Mountain Shadows is a twist on the original sporting a low valley to the left of the green. This valley will be a welcome reprieve to those who do not want to tangle with the bunker set short and to the right side of the green. The dip across the green is nearly 4-feet deep and creates two distinct platforms to set the flagstick, one to the front and one to the back. Occasionally — on a lucky day — you may see the hole cut into the dip itself, which by all accounts makes the hole play much more forgiving. Often described as “the par-three that acts more like a four,

  • Nutshell

    Turning direction to the east, No. 5 is a seemingly tiny hole that sends a signal the round is becoming even more interesting. Although it’s just a mere wedge to the green, the common question overheard is, “What green?

  • Sixth Sense

    Perception is the key to No. 6, where the golfer might do well to engage their own sixth sense. With a pronounced ridge extending into the green surface, hole locations here will confound the tee shot to a significant degree. Anticipating the precise hole location comes with its rewards. To the right, an angled bunker prompts a different angle of approach from the tee than if the hole is a bit to the left. The danger at the left is the steep drop-off where a ball may bound toward the out-of-bounds. At the back of the rolling green is a target location guarded by a strong ridge that serves as a barrier to the upper level.

  • Jutty

    The shortest of holes does not always translate to the easiest, as is proved here. With its elevated tees above the famous Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale pond, this most delicate of short-shot holes plays to a peninsula green that is rather simple in terms of breaks and rolls. Defined by a stone ledge on all sides and front, the green appears much smaller than it actually is. This is due to the perilous watery grave that awaits those shots too far off line or a wee bit short. Nerves. That’s what it takes when one dares to play anywhere but smack in the center.

  • Ebb

    From well above the green one imagines it an easy swipe to the green. But, much like those fun houses with odd angles, warped floors and mirrors, the green is perplexing. Its first defense is a “redan,

  • Halo

    Quite literally, this hole is no angel. And figuratively, it only “wears

  • Punchbowl

    If No. 9 might be the yin then No. 10 is most certainly the yang. While appearing as opposites — the 9th is surrounded by sand and at the 10th we have not even a single grain — the relationship of the 9th and 10th is complementary, at least in terms of design. The 10th is a cocoon, its green settled deep inside mounds, concealed and yet awaiting the fate of a lucky shot. You cannot see its green, except for that small sliver at the front. Sometimes the flagstick only presents its uppermost end with the flag waving above the surrounding berms. Instead of sand, its moat is inverse and all covered in grass. Quite possibly the most photographed hole of the bunch with a gun-sight view to Camelback Mountain rising above the green.

  • Snyder Burn

    When Arthur Jack Snyder originally designed Mountain Shadows in the early 1960s his pleasant design of the tranquil pond and stream was among the course’s most cherished features. Today the legacy lives on. The modern version at this long one-shotter was simply shifting the green to the edge of the stream. By doing so the view is, to put it bluntly, up the creek. Edged by stone at the right, the long green dribbles down the slope with a welcomed bail-out area to the left. It is here, along this curved embankment at the bail-out, that the seasoned player will learn how to bank a shot much like an Indy-500 driver takes a super-elevated turn. The skillful line to the target is not only one played directly at the green, but includes one played into the bank where it is possible to use the ground to roll a ball onto the green. That ever-present stream is among the hole’s most pesky traits, even though its looks are so inviting and peaceful.

  • Oasis

    Wedge play abounds. A third of Mountain Shadows’ holes will require one wedge or another, and why not? The wedge has become not just one club, but for most golfers a smorgasbord of clubs with various uses, different lofts and unique feels. At the 12th we find a green in two distinct levels, the lower ending abruptly at the water’s edge. A bunker serving as sentry to the left and all shots played too conservatively away from the water. At the back to the right is our oasis — a grove of palms as old as the course itself. Plan carefully. A hole located on the lower deck means a shot must not find its way back up the slope to the upper portion of the green. And that my friend is just as bad as reversing the situation and finding yourself way down below when the hole is way up and back. Here, the strategy is to pick your distance carefully.

  • Mummy

    Named for its likeness to nearby Mummy Mountain, the 13th is defined by a large mummy-shaped ridge that forms its left edge. Sharing a huge green with Hole No. 14, the length here can play as much as 35 yards longer (to nearly 160 yards) when the hole is placed to the far back. Did we mention that a small pot-sized bunker has been left within the putting surface? Well, it has. In the style of the famous 6th green at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, a design of George C. Thomas and William P. “Billy

  • Dell

    The most famous dell hole is the 5th at Lahinch on Ireland’s west coast. There, a white stone is moved from day to day so players know approximately where the hole on the all-but-hidden green has been set. At our version, a gaping bunker protects the front, and that shared bunker with No.14 is present to catch wayward long balls. Short, but demanding. Hint: The forward tee is among the most interesting shots at The Short Course with a nearly blind tee shot up and over a large grassy mound.

  • Dibs

    The 15th is defined by a large and wide green. Among the putting surface are four distinct levels, quadruple tiers. Front and center is a small trap of sand. At the back and left are two more bunker pits. This longish hole is all about “choosing your green.

  • Scotch Notch

    Set on a plateau, the green here is perched with no comfort at its edges. For that matter there is no falling short or long without the same result—a drop-off to tightly mowed turf. So what do we attribute the notch as its namesake? Until one actually gets to the green a subtle yet interesting feature is nowhere to be seen. Once at the green you will discover nothing more than a dimple—a notch—that has been pushed into the surface as if by some inebriated Scottish greenkeeper just before planting the grass seed. A different hole to be sure.

  • Nigh Bar

    Looking out over the territorial view to Paradise Valley’s Mummy Mountain, this deceptive hole appears closer to the golfer with its deep bowl fronting the green’s surface. The green is defined by a ridge running across the center from left to right. Or, if you are behind the green, it might be right to left. Regardless, this ridge is not to be ignored for it splits the putting surface into two sections and can lead to a three-putt if not property attacked. The left is home to a bunker where recovery is complicated by that ever-present ridge and the sloping green to the front and back.

  • The Forrest Wager (Bonus Hole)

    The Short Course comes with a bonus. If you will, Hole 17-dot-five. The Forrest Wager is a long owing green where the object is to play against your opponents in similar fashion to the popular golf game Bingo-Bango-Bongo. Here, one point is awarded for the closest to the hole on the first shot played. Another for the first player to hole out (the farthest plays first, as always). And a third point for the lowest score. Affectionately described as a “par-2,

  • Bedrock

    Playing downhill toward the modern Mountain Shadows Resort, the culminating hole is a crashing cymbal to a concert performance. A wedge or less, the green is undulating and backed up by a long and winding bunker. At the left is an outcrop of boulders formed millions of years ago. Not too much further is the Golf Lounge where liquid refreshment and the delights of companionship, stories and the occasional cigar fill the air on any given day and well into the evening.

Peering up to the famous Camelback Mountain, the opener plays to a slightly elev...

Peering up to the famous Camelback Mountain, the opener plays to a slightly elevated green backed by steep slopes. With a ridge running along the front, only a portion of the large green can be seen from the tees. The green is defined by an upper bowl at the left and a low gathering area to the right. The smart play from the tee will be greatly influenced by pin location. A left placement will demand more accuracy as everything slopes right. The right half will demand respect for the green contours, requiring a shot landing left of the hole that allows the ball to feed down to the right. A graceful way to begin the round. It’s all there for the taking.

Flanked by two bunkers, the long green cascades down toward the tee with three l...

Flanked by two bunkers, the long green cascades down toward the tee with three levels. Most certainly, No. 2 will not play the same from day to day with its 100-foot deep green. This is the primary challenge: The long mid-iron shot to an uphill green allows for a 25-yard swing in hole length. Like its counterparts in the opening stretch, the eternal backdrop is the rugged and reddish slopes of Camelback Mountain.

From the Old French word flacon, used to describe a vase or bottle, The Flagon H...

From the Old French word flacon, used to describe a vase or bottle, The Flagon Hole is indeed a “bottle

The original Biarritz hole sat along the Atlantic coast of France above Bay of B...

The original Biarritz hole sat along the Atlantic coast of France above Bay of Biscay. The hole was extremely long across a deep canyon. At the far side was a unique green with a deep and pronounced swale running from left to right across the line from the tee. Enamored with its design was Charles Blair Macdonald, who eventually brought the concept back to the United States and integrated it to his famous Chicago Golf Club. The Biarritz at Mountain Shadows is a twist on the original sporting a low valley to the left of the green. This valley will be a welcome reprieve to those who do not want to tangle with the bunker set short and to the right side of the green. The dip across the green is nearly 4-feet deep and creates two distinct platforms to set the flagstick, one to the front and one to the back. Occasionally — on a lucky day — you may see the hole cut into the dip itself, which by all accounts makes the hole play much more forgiving. Often described as “the par-three that acts more like a four,

Turning direction to the east, No. 5 is a seemingly tiny hole that sends a signa...

Turning direction to the east, No. 5 is a seemingly tiny hole that sends a signal the round is becoming even more interesting. Although it’s just a mere wedge to the green, the common question overheard is, “What green?

Perception is the key to No. 6, where the golfer might do well to engage their o...

Perception is the key to No. 6, where the golfer might do well to engage their own sixth sense. With a pronounced ridge extending into the green surface, hole locations here will confound the tee shot to a significant degree. Anticipating the precise hole location comes with its rewards. To the right, an angled bunker prompts a different angle of approach from the tee than if the hole is a bit to the left. The danger at the left is the steep drop-off where a ball may bound toward the out-of-bounds. At the back of the rolling green is a target location guarded by a strong ridge that serves as a barrier to the upper level.

The shortest of holes does not always translate to the easiest, as is proved her...

The shortest of holes does not always translate to the easiest, as is proved here. With its elevated tees above the famous Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale pond, this most delicate of short-shot holes plays to a peninsula green that is rather simple in terms of breaks and rolls. Defined by a stone ledge on all sides and front, the green appears much smaller than it actually is. This is due to the perilous watery grave that awaits those shots too far off line or a wee bit short. Nerves. That’s what it takes when one dares to play anywhere but smack in the center.

From well above the green one imagines it an easy swipe to the green. But, much ...

From well above the green one imagines it an easy swipe to the green. But, much like those fun houses with odd angles, warped floors and mirrors, the green is perplexing. Its first defense is a “redan,

Quite literally, this hole is no angel. And figuratively, it only “wears...

Quite literally, this hole is no angel. And figuratively, it only “wears

If No. 9 might be the yin then No. 10 is most certainly the yang. While appearin...

If No. 9 might be the yin then No. 10 is most certainly the yang. While appearing as opposites — the 9th is surrounded by sand and at the 10th we have not even a single grain — the relationship of the 9th and 10th is complementary, at least in terms of design. The 10th is a cocoon, its green settled deep inside mounds, concealed and yet awaiting the fate of a lucky shot. You cannot see its green, except for that small sliver at the front. Sometimes the flagstick only presents its uppermost end with the flag waving above the surrounding berms. Instead of sand, its moat is inverse and all covered in grass. Quite possibly the most photographed hole of the bunch with a gun-sight view to Camelback Mountain rising above the green.

When Arthur Jack Snyder originally designed Mountain Shadows in the early 1960s ...

When Arthur Jack Snyder originally designed Mountain Shadows in the early 1960s his pleasant design of the tranquil pond and stream was among the course’s most cherished features. Today the legacy lives on. The modern version at this long one-shotter was simply shifting the green to the edge of the stream. By doing so the view is, to put it bluntly, up the creek. Edged by stone at the right, the long green dribbles down the slope with a welcomed bail-out area to the left. It is here, along this curved embankment at the bail-out, that the seasoned player will learn how to bank a shot much like an Indy-500 driver takes a super-elevated turn. The skillful line to the target is not only one played directly at the green, but includes one played into the bank where it is possible to use the ground to roll a ball onto the green. That ever-present stream is among the hole’s most pesky traits, even though its looks are so inviting and peaceful.

Wedge play abounds. A third of Mountain Shadows’ holes will require one wedge ...

Wedge play abounds. A third of Mountain Shadows’ holes will require one wedge or another, and why not? The wedge has become not just one club, but for most golfers a smorgasbord of clubs with various uses, different lofts and unique feels. At the 12th we find a green in two distinct levels, the lower ending abruptly at the water’s edge. A bunker serving as sentry to the left and all shots played too conservatively away from the water. At the back to the right is our oasis — a grove of palms as old as the course itself. Plan carefully. A hole located on the lower deck means a shot must not find its way back up the slope to the upper portion of the green. And that my friend is just as bad as reversing the situation and finding yourself way down below when the hole is way up and back. Here, the strategy is to pick your distance carefully.

Named for its likeness to nearby Mummy Mountain, the 13th is defined by a large ...

Named for its likeness to nearby Mummy Mountain, the 13th is defined by a large mummy-shaped ridge that forms its left edge. Sharing a huge green with Hole No. 14, the length here can play as much as 35 yards longer (to nearly 160 yards) when the hole is placed to the far back. Did we mention that a small pot-sized bunker has been left within the putting surface? Well, it has. In the style of the famous 6th green at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, a design of George C. Thomas and William P. “Billy

The most famous dell hole is the 5th at Lahinch on Ireland’s west coast. There...

The most famous dell hole is the 5th at Lahinch on Ireland’s west coast. There, a white stone is moved from day to day so players know approximately where the hole on the all-but-hidden green has been set. At our version, a gaping bunker protects the front, and that shared bunker with No.14 is present to catch wayward long balls. Short, but demanding. Hint: The forward tee is among the most interesting shots at The Short Course with a nearly blind tee shot up and over a large grassy mound.

The 15th is defined by a large and wide green. Among the putting surface are fou...

The 15th is defined by a large and wide green. Among the putting surface are four distinct levels, quadruple tiers. Front and center is a small trap of sand. At the back and left are two more bunker pits. This longish hole is all about “choosing your green.

Set on a plateau, the green here is perched with no comfort at its edges. For th...

Set on a plateau, the green here is perched with no comfort at its edges. For that matter there is no falling short or long without the same result—a drop-off to tightly mowed turf. So what do we attribute the notch as its namesake? Until one actually gets to the green a subtle yet interesting feature is nowhere to be seen. Once at the green you will discover nothing more than a dimple—a notch—that has been pushed into the surface as if by some inebriated Scottish greenkeeper just before planting the grass seed. A different hole to be sure.

Looking out over the territorial view to Paradise Valley’s Mummy Mountain, thi...

Looking out over the territorial view to Paradise Valley’s Mummy Mountain, this deceptive hole appears closer to the golfer with its deep bowl fronting the green’s surface. The green is defined by a ridge running across the center from left to right. Or, if you are behind the green, it might be right to left. Regardless, this ridge is not to be ignored for it splits the putting surface into two sections and can lead to a three-putt if not property attacked. The left is home to a bunker where recovery is complicated by that ever-present ridge and the sloping green to the front and back.

The Short Course comes with a bonus. If you will, Hole 17-dot-five. The Forrest ...

The Short Course comes with a bonus. If you will, Hole 17-dot-five. The Forrest Wager is a long owing green where the object is to play against your opponents in similar fashion to the popular golf game Bingo-Bango-Bongo. Here, one point is awarded for the closest to the hole on the first shot played. Another for the first player to hole out (the farthest plays first, as always). And a third point for the lowest score. Affectionately described as a “par-2,

Playing downhill toward the modern Mountain Shadows Resort, the culminating hole...

Playing downhill toward the modern Mountain Shadows Resort, the culminating hole is a crashing cymbal to a concert performance. A wedge or less, the green is undulating and backed up by a long and winding bunker. At the left is an outcrop of boulders formed millions of years ago. Not too much further is the Golf Lounge where liquid refreshment and the delights of companionship, stories and the occasional cigar fill the air on any given day and well into the evening.

Rusty's Logo

RUSTY'S

Rusty’s patio and lounge feeds hungry golfers and spectators in classic style. After a day on the links, some good-natured ribbing between friends may be in order. What better place to go than Rusty’s, where golfers can lick their wounds after being a little rusty on the course?

Short Course

PRO SHOP

Whether you need to rent clubs or are looking to spruce up your wardrobe, The Short Course Shop has you covered. Find the best brands and latest gear, or have a pro help you choose the best equipment for your unique golfing style.

GET THE APP

With the Mountain Shadows Golf Club app, reserve a tee time before you arrive and keep score once you’re on the course. Plus, you'll have all the course stats at your fingertips including GPS yardage, hole information and more.

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© Dave Sansom Photography

header image © Dave Sansom Photography