Talking Stick Golf Club — Local services in Paradise Valley

There was an incredibly long line to check-in. We spent maybe 15 minutes waiting to check-in. Then we try to go the range and it's an enormous range, but it's segmented into thirds and the rightmost third has all the spots occupied. We try to go to the other 2/3rds of the range which is mostly empty but the starter comes up to us and says that since we're playing we need to use the section of the range that is already full. We wait 20 minutes but a spot never opens up and then another starter calls our name and tells us we need to go to the tee even though the group in front of us is still on the tee waiting for the fairway to clear.

Once on the course, the pace of play was brutal. We waited on every hole, but that didn't stop the ranger from driving by three or four times to watch us hit as though we were the slow group.

We played the O'Odham course and it was by far the worst course we played on this trip. There was no rough to speak of so the fairways fell off into unmaintained desert where there were prairie dog holes all over the place. Worse yet, much of the desert was lined with ropes for no apparent reason that you have to duck under to get to your ball. The course was almost perfectly flat except for the fact that the fairways were slightly elevated above the desert so any ball heading down the edge of fairways would slide off into the prairie dog holes. There were no water hazards or scenery of any sort on this course.

Overall, I strongly recommend against playing this course. I might rate it two or three stars if not for the course's ridiculous policy of forcing players to use a tiny section of the range that is full at all times, but as is, I have to...

Honestly an unreal course. Views are great, course is in great condition, and there is actual sand in the traps and greens are the toughest part of the course, very satisfied overall with the course, I’m not lying it’s an unreal track.

But, I was not impressed with a specific staff member. The course was 30min behind which is completely fine, no issue with that. It wasn’t until Mike, the ranger/or whoever checks pace of play specifically came to our group on hole 14. Didn’t say anything when we passed him, then followed us the entire next hole and then when we finished said we need to speed up pace of play. I asked him what could we do to speed up and he said play best ball. He said we were on pace to finish at 4hr 30-45min round.

Great suggestion, but we also paid $200 for a round of golf and this isn’t tournament play. I’ve played a lot of golf and I’ve never experienced this in my life and our pace of play was spot for how busy the course was. Just because we are not right up on the next group doesn’t mean we are playing slow. I’m baffled to be honest at the way we were treated by Mike.

And what’s funny is that our round finished at 4hr and 15min. Unfortunately, due to that interaction specifically, I won’t play Talking Stick ever again. Tough review to see, but...

Had heard good things about the course, and booked two foursome tee times months in advance for a planned golf trip. Our trip was abruptly halted when we showed up for our tee times only to find out that the course we were booked for was closed.

The pro shop told us they had emailed us a few hours earlier, but we never received anything. No phone call or anything for a course that is by no means cheap, and comes with strong reviews.

Now I understand inclement weather happens, but when your traveling across the country for a months in advance pre planned golf trip, money spent on transportation to and from the course, which could have been saved with a simple phone call, would’ve been nice. On top of this the pro shop didn’t show much understanding, offering no help with finding another tee time, no apologies, just a simple “nothing we can do”.

Maybe a store credit at the pro shop for a piece of talking stick merchandise for us to want to come back would’ve been nice.

You can be best assured we won’t be banking on talking stick as our next course destination for a golf trip. Such a shame.

P.s.

I will we did have a great meal at the restaurant and Kurt was great. If only the pro shop showed the same amount of care for...