Published March 21, 2009 at 11:36 a.m.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The 2009 edition of Phoenix area golf getaways is a bit shorter this year than last, as our jam-packed Brewers Spring Training schedule didn't allow us to spend every waking minute pursuing par under pleasant but overcast skies.

Jerry and I did manage to play and review the Phoenician and the Grayhawk Raptor and a third course, The Westin Kierland, (with an all-time fascinating foursome played with a non denominational preacher and the CEO of an airplane company) which we reviewed last year.

Grayhawk Golf Club
8620 E. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale
(480) 502-1800

Grayhawk Golf Club is located in the northern end of Scottsdale just off I-10, in the shadow of the McDowell Mountain range. It is among the premier daily fee facilities in the Phoenix area, and its Raptor and Talon courses are nationally renowned.

The Raptor opened in 1996 amidst much ballyhoo regarding the Tom Fazio desert design. Raptor and its sister course, The Talon, have matured nicely in the ensuing years, and seem as natural to the terrain as the countless species of cacti which endlessly punctuate the landscape. One of the signatures of Fazio's course design is hiding cart paths amidst the topography, so on each hole, as you look toward the green, the eye is unfettered by asphalt. This is certainly the case on the Raptor, which is a stunner from on top of the tee box.

The clubhouse is a sprawling complex with all of the amenities typical of a high-end golf experience. The first glimpse we got of the building once we hit the bag drop was of a massive lobby, which led us through the open and airy expanse to the locker rooms, the Champions room, Pro Shop and the Quill Creek Café. This friendly and surprisingly affordable bar/restaurant is seemingly built around a massive fireplace. Winged canopies, festooned with lights and patio furniture, welcomed us to kick back after our round, as fire pits warmed the cool air on the day we visited. There are also enough flat panel screens indoors and out to keep even the most rabid A.D.D. sports fan happy.

The practice facilities are exceptional. The putting and chipping greens are meticulously manicured and gave us a good feel for the speed and break of the greens in play. The practice bunker was well-raked and surprisingly underutilized, considering the not insignificant amount of bunker trouble that awaits on the course. What was not expected, and was a pleasant surprise to me (but not to my playing partner), was the music playing from rock-shaped speakers all along the driving range.

Though some will no doubt find it distracting, I like the fact that it broke the monotony of pounding balls into the gray sky. As it turned out on that Arizona afternoon, the sounds of a fugue would've been more appropriate than pop music for what was about to greet my round.

From the tips of the championship tees the course stretches to 7,135 yards with a slope of 143. There are three additional tee boxes, 6,593/137; 6,150/127 and 5,309/127. We played the 6,593 yard Palo Verde tees.

There are no gimmicks or surprises (other than seeing Brewers centerfielder Mike Cameron, then allowing him to play through us just so we could meet him) on this brawny track, but errant shots will cost you dearly. Scrub brush, cactus, trees and rocks imperil you at every turn should you miss the fairway. Raptor demands accuracy, a little bit of length and some shot-shaping ability to pick your way through the panoply of fairway and greenside bunker complexes.

The day we played, I was having serious spray issues with my driver, so I decided to forsake distance for accuracy, opting instead to tee off with a 3 wood. The subsequent loss in distance from the tee made par a real struggle for me on most of the holes. Jerry had no such trouble and was able to negotiate the course without many pitfalls, though they are in abundance.

The greens were smooth and quick and very putt-able, but multi-tiered dance floors on holes 1, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 15 will have you singing the blues if your wedges decide to take the day off.

That's not to say there are no chances to score on this course; on the contrary. The 334 yard par 4 "Horace Greeley" 6th hole and number 7 "Caddywampus," a 474 yard par 5, offer excellent chances to pump your confidence up going into the turn, and the incoming 9 offers you some respite back-to-back with the 379 yard par 4 14th "Serenity" and the 304 yard 15th "Wee One."

The backside shines with spectacular vistas and views of Scottsdale twinkling in the distance, almost making it hard to concentrate on your ball on the 18th tee box.

As with all the courses in the Phoenix area, jackrabbits are as ubiquitous as sunshine -- they are everywhere you look -- so it wasn't a huge surprise when I shouted Jerry down as he was about to tee off on the 8th because there was a coyote meandering across the fairway. Asked later, course employees told us that coyotes are a frequent sight in these parts because "it was one big buffet out here."

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