Golf in Maricopa

Over the course of a professional golf career dating back to 1990, PGA Teaching Professional Ken Carpenter has developed a talent for helping students of all stripes, from beginners to tour players on both the Nationwide and LPGA Tours. Today, Ken applies his teaching skills at Westin Kierland Golf Club, tweaking swings to address unnecessary backswing hitches and under-rotating hip turns that might be sacrificing distance off the tee or Olympic pommel-horse dismounts. Ken can incorporate video technology into the lessons to break down swing mechanics in order to play back in slow motion or pause to illustrate how much a divot resembles a silhouette of Rory McIlroy.

Recipient of a 4.5-star rating and distinction as having the best guest service in North America as judged by Golf Digest, Raven Golf Club immerses enthusiasts in an oasis of golf amid the rolling hills and desert just north of South Mountain State Park. Georgia pine trees line many of the fairways on the 18-hole course, forming an evergreen buffer between the emerald turf within bounds and the unforgiving desert sands beyond. Though the tree boughs may prevent mishits from getting swallowed by a rattlesnake that thinks the ball is an Easter egg, players must still negotiate with numerous fairway bunkers strewn about the Gary Panks and David Graham design. On the resort's signature hole, hole 5, players are often forced to lay up short of the six fairway bunkers, leaving a tricky iron shot into a slippery two-tiered green.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 7,078 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.8 from the back tees
• Course slope of 130 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Designed by Gary Panks and David Graham

The nine-hole executive course's open fairways and flat terrain present a laid-back layout for golfers to build confidence and practice short-game skills. The course does away with many of the treacherous hazards found at larger courses, such as deep bunkers, long shots over water, or enticing offers for island green timeshares. To aid in the development of consistent golf skills, PGA professional instructors oversee the golf center's facilities, ready to enlighten new golfers on anything from proper etiquette to trick shots, which students can then ingrain into muscle memory at the driving range.

A PGA Tour instructor and former tour player, Rohan Teasdale enhances players’ power and control by making each golf swing biomechanically sound. He operates his training school, G'Day Golf, at McCormick Ranch Golf Club, where he works with players of all skill levels to lower scores through the use of video swing analysis and a strict diet of sautéed golf balls. In addition to adjusting swing patterns to improve efficiency, Rohan also tweaks other facets of the game to produce well-rounded players. More than just a coach and instructor, Rohan acts as a full support system and friend to each student as they strive to reach their goals.

Since 1998, golfers have toted their clubs to the emerald, mountain-draped grounds of Talking Stick Golf Club to seek out the swing-honing wisdom of golf instructor, Chad Rogers. Chad cultivated his skills during a competitive career that included playing for Scottsdale Community College's golf team and contending in two US Amateurs and two PGA Tour Qualifying Tournaments. Certifications from Troon Golf Academy and ESPN Golf Schools illuminate Chad's experience, and his coaching insights have been showcased in Golf Tips magazine, for whom he contributes game-grooming advice and fictional fantasies about turning the solar system into a 9-hole executive course. Chad's client list ranges from beginners to fellow professionals, all of whom benefit from a teaching philosophy that emphasizes fundamentals and calls upon techniques learned during Chad's time working with renowned golf instructors Hank Haney and Tim Mahoney.