A visit to Sedona is not complete without a day at the Sedona Golf Resort. From recreational golfers to avid golfers, Sedona Golf Resort offers you an experience like no other. It’s a privilege to behold the beauty of every hole. The course is relatively short with its 6,646 yards from the tips, but the change in elevation range from 3,960 feet to as much as 4,260 feet, offering players elevated tees, raised greens and challenging approach shots. 

Here are my Top 5 Reasons to Play at the Sedona Golf Resort

1. It’s really difficult to get angry with bad shots when surrounded by something so beautiful.
2. The course is well-cared for year round.
3. During the summer when it’s blazing hot in Scottsdale, Sedona is around 80-85 degrees (25-30 degree difference!)
4.  The course layout is a perfect combination of vacation, recreational, scenic and challenging golf.
5. The service and staff at the Sedona Golf Resort are warm and welcoming.

Their green fees are reasonable – you can get to their website through this Sedona golf page.

When the opportunity presented itself for the three female staffers at Sedona.net to hold a company “retreat” of sorts in Sedona this month, you can bet your bottom dollar that we jumped at the chance. Left to design our ultimate two-day female-bonding getaway in Sedona, we immediately agreed that our two-day trip had to be filled with golf, photography and a spa experience. Read on for our unbiased-yet-glowing reviews of the Sedona Golf Resort, Sedona’s New Day Spa and the Sedona Real Inn & Suites.

The Two Christinas (Christina & Chrissy) and De loaded up the car and headed out from Cave Creek to the Village of Oak Creek, just south of Sedona. Our first “appointment” on this oh-so-tough work trip was a mid-morning tee time at the Sedona Golf Resort. With perfect sunny mild weather, friendly golf-pros and ideal course conditions, our day of golf was so enjoyable we three gals couldn’t even get mad when we made some bad shots. The course wasn’t jam-packed so we were able to play at a leisurely, resort pace and we even had time to take some terrific photos of the red rock vistas from nearly every tee on the course. The staff at Sedona Golf Resort met us after our last hole, eager to help us clean our clubs and they even took our car keys and loaded our bags into our car.

Next, we made tracks for our apres-golf destination, the Sedona Real Inn & Suites located in West Sedona. We were each treated to upgraded suites; these oversized guestrooms feature ample living & sleeping space and giant in-room jacuzzi tubs perfect for soothing tired golf muscles.

After an active day, the three of us were hungry for a satisfying dinner. We chose Szechuan Restaurant located at the Old Marketplace in West Sedona. With its adjacent Martini Bar and traditional Asian menu, we ordered a smorgasboard of dishes to share and washed them down with sake and their specialty Pomatini (pomegranate martini – yum!)

After a comfortable night’s sleep and complimentary breakfast, we three gals headed into Uptown Sedona for some shopping at Tlaquepaque followed by lunch at the Wildflower Bread Company and Cold Stone Creamery, both located at the Shops at Pinon Pointe in Uptown Sedona.

Then we geared up for the “toughest” part of our retreat: our spa day at Sedona’s New Day Spa. Our afternoon at Sedona’s New Day Spa, an upscale day spa in the heart of Sedona, would be hard-spent relaxing and luxuriating with a facial and massage treatments.

Christina had been dying to try Hot Stone Massage Therapy. De opted for Sedona’s New Day Spa’s “Le Grande Classique” 90-minute facial. Chrissy requested a 90-minute session of Cranial-Sacral bodywork. This was, by far, one of the best day-spa massage experiences the three of us had ever had. The combination of our therapists’ skills, the extra-long 90 minute sessions and trying out some new techniques made for an unforgettable experience.

Relaxed and refreshed, we almost-regrettably hit the road for home, taking with us our photographs and memories of an ultimate girls’ getaway.

It’s going to be a mad house! In what state other than Arizona would there be full-blown Super Bowl parties and events hosted in at least four different cities? Between Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, & Tempe, Super Bowl XLII is going to be one massive 30 x 30 mile party. Let’s not forget the oh so popular Phoenix Open (aka FBR Open) happening on the same weekend. With literally thousands of good-looking cougars on the prowl, ASU hotties, and many a Hawaiian shirt wearing yuppies wearing spikes just in case Phil Mickelson decides to call out into the crowd for a substitute…ah, you’ve gotta love the Open. Everyone, I have an announcement to make:

ARIZONA IS GOING TO BE ONE, GIGANTIC PARTY

What to Expect: Super Bowl in Arizona

(once you accept these few facts and move on, the better your Super Bowl experience will be)

1. Prices are going to be exceptionally high for everything
The term price gouging has been thrown around a lot.

2. Metro Phoenix is very spread out
Although the actual game is in Glendale, the real Super Bowl parties are in Scottsdale, Tempe & Downtown Phoenix respectively. All of these places are no less than 15 miles away from each other.

3. Metro Phoenix is a up-and-coming area
Meaning, there is not a lot of character unless you define character as the usual Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Borders and Starbucks strip malls. But, it is a very clean city and our freeways are pretty with cool kokopelli and iguana designs.

4. University of Phoenix stadium is out in the middle of nowhere
As much as the city of Glendale is trying to grow, please don’t mistake that type of growth with the crops surrounding the stadium.

5. Transportation/travel will be a b*t#h
A GPS in the rental car would be well worth it; cabs, town cars, limos will be expensive but less stress for you.
Note: Good luck with public transportation because it is almost non-existent for now.

6. The University of Phoenix stadium is NOT a space ship
I know…I wish is was, too. It’s actually a giant, metal rattlesnake. Go figure.

7. Yes, the rumors you’ve heard about Arizona ladies are for the most part true
The concentration of that population is about 20+ miles east of the Stadium, which is Scottsdale & Tempe.

Super Bowl XLII Event Calender

2008 Arizona Indian Festival
Jan 18-20, 2008 10:00am – 6:00pm
Tickets : $8 adults, $5 Children 12-18, $5 seniors
Steele Indian School Park
300 E. Indian School Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85012

Super Construction
Jan 31, 2008 Tickets:
Tickets:Canned food donation

Arrowhead Towne Center 75^thAve &Bell Rd.
Glendale AZ 85308

Chandler Fashion Center
Chandler Blvd. & Loop 101
Chandler, AZ 85226

Downtown End Zone Party
January 31 – Feb 2, 2008 4:00pm -2:00am
Tickets: $20 per day $10 Thursday with a Phoenix Suns game ticket
Downtown Phoenix – 2nd st between Washington and Jefferson

NFL Experience
Saturday Jan 26: 10am – 10pm
Sunday Jan 27: 11am – 8pm
Thursday: Jan 31: 3pm – 10pm
Friday: Feb 1: 3pm -10 pm
Saturday Feb 2: 10am -10pm
Sunday, Feb 3: Open to Super Bowl XLII ticket holders only
Location: West Parking Lot adjacent to the University of Phoenix Stadium Tickets: $17.50 for adults – $12.50 for children 12 and under

Taste of the NFL
6:00 pm VIP 7:00 pm
Main Event 9:45pm Live Entertainment
Tickets: $500 Guest Ticket VIP – $600

The Big Ticket Experience
Wednesday Jan 30 2008 6:00 – 10:00pm
Contact Sallie Sargent 480-362-4232
ssargent@azsuperbowl.com
The Phoenician
6000 E. Camelback Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Featuring:
Emcee, Chris Berman, Host of ESPN Sports Center
NLF Commissioner Roger Goodell
20 NFL Hall of Fame inductees
Special performance by Jay Leno
Silent and live auctions – All proceeds benefit the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Corporate table for 10 with VIP amenities $6,000

Scottsdale Super Artwalk
February 2, 2008
12:00 – 5:00pm FREE
Scottsdale Arts District www.scottsdalegalleries.com/artwalks2.html

944 Super Village
February 2, 2008
5 Days/Nights
www.944.com/az superbowl

PEPSI Super Bowl Bash
Thursday Jan. 31 – Friday Feb1 2008 6:00pm
Tickets: $40 per show
Jobing.com Arena 9400 W. Maryland Ave
Glendale AZ 85305
www.nfl.com/Superbowl

Superbowl Saturday Night
Feb 2, 2008 6:00 – 10:00pm FREE
Tempe Town Lake 85281

Unique family event commemorating a year of NFL football and celebrating the arrival of Super Bowl XLII.
Thousands of fans will join in the festivities at Tempe Town Lake, nestled in the hear of downtown Tempe. The event will feature a live headliner concert in the park followed by a spectacular Super Bowl fireworks show over the lake

NLF Youth Football Clinic
Clinics will teach basic football skills, good sportsmanship and healthy lifestyle lessons
Clinics will be led by current and former NFL players and volunteer coaches
All participants receive free NFL merchandise, courtesy of the Host Committee
Community outreach section www.azsuperbowl.com

Getting Around Metro Phoenix for the Super Bowl XLII

So let’s all try to be efficient about this and try to do a little planning. After all, I’m not kidding when I say that this is going to be 30 x 30 mile party. Having the Super Bowl here is actually quite ridiculous, simply because Metro Phoenix is so spread out. You’ll have to plan accordingly if you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on transportation and if you don’t want to get killed. Let’s just say that Arizona is known for having a lot of DUIs and that’s never good for anyone.

My advice is to get an idea of where the events are taking place (which part of Metro Phoenix you want to be in for the day or night) and arrange some type of transportation. Trust me, don’t try to hit multiple cities in one night. Yes, I said cities because they’re not just different parts of town. This is the desert, people, and the builders/city planners here have succeeded in sprawling out as much as possible.

Airport Information:

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
www.phoenix.gov/skyharborairport/index.html
602.273.3300

Glendale Airport (GEU)
www.glendaleaz.com/airport
623.930.2188

Scottsdale Airport (SDL)
www.scottsdaleaz.gov/airport
480.312.2321

SuperShuttle
Provides 24-hour door-to-door service from Sky harbor International Airport with no advanced reservation required. Once you have claimed your luggage proceed to a uniformed SuperShuttle Guest Service Representative will arrange transportation to your destination.
602.244.9000
800 Blue-Van

Town Cars & Cabs

Getting to the University of Phoenix Stadium

From the North
South on loop 101
Exit Northern Ave
Left on Northern Ave
Right on 91st Ave
Right on Coyotes Blvd

From the South
North on Loop 101
Exit Glendale Ave
Right on Glendale
Right on 95th Ave

On Superbowl XLII Game Day:
Please follow the instruction s on your parking pass. There will be no designated bus, limo, sedan or shuttle drop offs or pick ups areas at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday so please plan your transportation accordingly.

Printable Maps and Driving Tips

Metro Phoenix Map
Phoenix Map
Scottsdale Map
University of Phoenix Stadium Area Map

Mobile Google Maps – if you don’t have a GPS or you are drunk at 3am not knowing where you are, I suggest downloading Google Maps onto your cell phone because is a great way to locate yourself and where you want to go ; )

All of this information and more can be found on the Official Arizona Super Bowl XLII website or you could print out or take a look at an interactive Super Bowl XLII Event Guide which, so kindly, provided me with most of this information.

Local Watering Holes and Places Worth Seeing

Feel free to ask us about the places to hit up while you are here in Arizona or to leave your recommendations for others. There are quite a few places to see and drink at depending on what you are looking for. And remember, you’re only a few hours away from one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon, as well as Sedona,”The Most Beautiful Place in the World” according to USA Today. Consider making a stop.

My parents visited my home in Scottsdale last month and we celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday. Both my parents turned 60 in 2007, making them a part of the second annual group of Baby Boomers to turn sixty. We talked about whether they would ever consider moving to Scottsdale (or Sedona, Flagstaff or Prescott) for their retirement; the benefits being that they could be near their granddaughter and be able to golf, bike, hike, shop and do all the “resort” activities we get to do year-round in this vacation destination my husband and I call home. Plus, they wouldn’t have that 5-day-a-week party-pooper I like to call Full-Time Work that inhibits the rest of us from truly living everyday as though we’re staying at a 4-star resort.

Anyway, while the idea of a “resort lifestyle community” isn’t new to me since I write about that on a regular basis on our travel sites, Sedona.net, Prescott.com, Flagstaff.com and ScottsdalePhoenix.net, it did make me remember an interesting article I read recently. If my parents, who are still quite active in their newly entered 60s, were to move to a retirement lifestyle community, resort amenities would certainly be on their list of wants/needs.

Read the article:

FindArticles – Resort lifestyle becoming key ingredient in baby boomer communities
Source: Public Record, The, May 22, 2007

There are several golf courses in Sedona Arizona and the nearby areas of Verde Valley and Flagstaff. Here, we’ve created a Sedona Arizona golf map with the names of each golf course, whether it’s a public golf course or private, and the distance from Sedona where applicable.

Enjoy!

SunCor Golf’s Sedona Golf Resort and Stoneridge Golf Course Open for Play this Fall While Other Golf Courses in Arizona Close Down for Overseeding.

September 15, 2006 – SunCor Golf (www.suncorgolf.com), a premier golf course management company in Arizona, will continue to offer tee times throughout overseeding season at two of its top golf courses in Arizona, Sedona Golf Resort and Stoneridge Golf Course.

While other golf courses in Arizona and the greater southwest area are forced to close down anywhere from ten to twenty days to overseed, SunCor Golf’s Sedona Golf Resort and Stoneridge Golf Course remain open for play. Overseeding is necessary in areas with varying seasonal climates, whereas more temperate locations can use a perennial strain of grass that does not require this process. That same temperate climate, averaging in the 60s and 70s during the fall months, is exactly what makes these SunCor Golf courses the ideal place to play. Sedona Golf Resort and Stoneridge Golf Course are the perfect getaway spots from the hot southwest weather or the chilly temperatures up north.

SunCor Golf‘s Sedona Golf Resort in Arizona has been named among the nation‘s best new golf courses by Golf Magazine and Golf digest, and for good reason. Located in the beautiful Red Rocks country, the course blends challenging shots with breathtaking views. The layout of this 6,646 yard, par-71 course creates one of the most unforgettable golfing experiences found at any of the golf courses in Arizona. The experience expands beyond the golf course as a great vacation spot for the whole family, featuring nearby sightseeing, shopping, tours and other attractions. To learn more about the Sedona Golf Resort or to book tee times online, visit (http://www.sedonagolfresort.com/sedona.asp).

Stoneridge Golf Course, also managed by SunCor Golf, is an ideal destination for golfers looking for a relaxing fall getaway. Carved into the boulders of Prescott Valley in beautiful northern Arizona, this 7,052 yard, par-72 course offers some of the most dramatic elevation changes found at any of the golf courses in Arizona. Its unique desert/mountain design is challenging yet player-friendly for golfers of every skill level. In addition to golfing, visitors can take advantage of hiking, camping and exploring the great outdoors in Prescott. To find out more about SunCor Golf‘s Stoneridge Golf Course or to book a tee time online, visit (http://www.stoneridgegolf.com/stoneridge.asp).

To learn more about Sedona Golf Resort, Stoneridge Golf Course or other golf courses in Arizona managed by SunCor Golf, visit (www.suncorgolf.com). Tee times and bookings are also available online at (https://www.suncorgolf.com/Online-Tee-Times.asp).

Following strong fourth quarter sales, Talking Rock Ranch [a premier golf & lifestyle community in Prescott, Arizona] announced the release of the Pinion neighborhood, including 60 home sites that offer expansive mountain and golf course views. Surrounded by Pinion and Junipers, this Prescott land is located in the northeast corner of the property consists of a variety of home site sizes from half an acre to just under three acres. Talking Rock Prescott lots are priced from the $200,000s. More…

Read more about Prescott Arizona real estate and golf & lifestyle communities like Talking Rock on Prescott.com.

Troon North

This month, Steve Dahlby, [Director of Instruction at Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona] teaches Shane McLaughlin, of Palatine, Ill. Shane’s long game is so good he has whittled his handicap to a 5. Now he wants a better bunker game.

1. Thin to lose

Shane’s backswing was too far inside. He could recover from this position during a full swing, but on greenside bunker shots his inside club path was too shallow coming into the ball. Either his club would bounce off the sand and he’d skull the ball or at best he would hit it thin, not taking enough sand to control distance or trajectory.

2. Walk the plank

To improve his backswing plane, I put a wooden plank next to Shane’s ball and asked him to let his clubhead swing more alongside the board than away from it. I altered his practice swing so he could get a sense of the path the club should take away from the ball.

3. Hello, Sandy

With a more upright back-swing, all Shane has to do on the downswing is let the club and his body swing to a full finish. The clubhead now hits the sand two to four inches behind the ball. The shot flies higher, lands softer and spins to a quick stop.

Article originally published in Golf Digest, Feb, 2002 by Steve Dahlby

Ranked as one of Arizona’s top instructors, Steve Dahlby has helped countless players improve their games with his unique teaching style. Based at world-famous Troon North since 1995, Steve has worked with players of all levels including member of the PGA Tour and European Ladies Tour as well as top-ranked club professionals, amateurs and juniors.