It’s been a while since I’ve posted a course review, but then again, it’s been awhile since I’ve played any new golf courses. My swing change has me spending more time out on the driving range these days and less time out on the golf course than I would like, but sometimes, that’s the way it goes.
Forty Niner Country Club has been a Tucson staple since its establishment in 1961. It was designed by William F. Bell, who also designed the Dell Urich Golf Course across town and Torrey Pines in San Diego. The Country Club twice hosted the PGA Tour’s Tucson Open. Don January won it in 1963, and Jacky Cupit won it in 1964. Less than ten years later, the LPGA Tour decided to give it a try. Betsy Rawls won the GAC Classic in 1972, and Judy Rankin won it in 1973.
The semi-private, parkland-style golf course known simply as “Forty Niners” is famous for its winding, tree-lined fairways and tightly-guarded doglegs as well as its majestic views of the Rincon and Catalina mountain ranges. It’s about as far down Tanque Verde Road as you can go without starting to wonder if you’ve lost your way. The fairways are bermudagrass, but like many of the Tucson courses in the winter, are currently overseeded with perennial ryegrass.
The course website offers the following description: “the course meanders along a wooded riverbed with fairways lined by mature trees and native desert shrubbery… Direction off the tee and shot placement are paramount above distance when embracing the dogleg holes on the course. If a player is able to master their tee ball, they will have a chance to find success on the slightly elevated Tif-dwarf Bermuda greens… known locally for their swift putting surfaces in the winter months.”
I have to say, I’m a little biased when it comes to this neighborhood. After my 8th grade year, my parents moved my brother and me from what felt like the middle of town into a new home about as far east as Tucson civilization could take you at the time. We went from feeling like we were in the middle of all the action to living in the boonies. A drive into town felt like a drive back to the fort for supplies. Even though I only lived out there for four years, I consider it the neighborhood of my childhood. For the first time in my life, I could safely ride my bike without fear of being hit by a car!
We lived just off the 8th tee, and this is where I really started experimenting with the game of golf. In the evenings, I would play a few holes by myself or with my brother. In the fall, I would ride over to one of my buddy’s houses, and we would play tackle football on the golf course until the winter when we would play basketball in someone’s driveway. Some 20 years later, I would say Forty Niners has become Tucson’s best neighborhood for families with kids. There’s a community pool, and it’s not uncommon to see the neighborhood out for a Halloween, Christmas, or St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Although there are four tee positions on every hole, the course plays 6,641 yards from the Blue Tees to a Par of 72, a course rating of 70.3, and a slope of 127. Here are some of the highlights of the round:
Holes Worth Writing Home About
The 172-yard Par 3 8th hole has always been my favorite hole on the front nine because it’s the hole on which I grew up. It’s where I used to practice in the evenings when I was a kid, and it’s very straight forward. I also think it’s one of the prettiest holes on the course. While many of the holes play toward views of the Rincons to the east, the 8th hole plays toward the Catalina Mountains to the north. Bunkers stand guard short left and short right. You have to hit a pretty straight tee shot from the back tees because of the mesquite trees on either side of the tee box. The green slopes back to front, and if you go long, you could have a tough time recovering.
Holes 13-15 run along the Tanque Verde Wash to the south through mature stands of mesquite and cottonwood trees, although there are eucalyptus and weeping willow trees throughout the course too. While we were playing, maintenance had its hands full with what looked like a few sprinklers that were left on overnight. The temperatures were below freezing, and there were still plenty of icicles dripping off a pine tree to the left of No. 11 fairway. When we got to the Par 4 13th, maintenance was busy getting ready to clear several huge mesquite tree limbs. The weight of the ice that collected on the branches overnight had caused them to sag and then snap off. The entire right hand side of the fairway was marked Ground Under Repair so crews could remove the branches. It was going to be an all-day deal.
The best hole of the back stretch has to be the Par 5 15th. At 533 yards, it’s the longest hole on the course. The hole doglegs left off the tee, and again, while I would agree that the course favors shot placement over distance because of all the doglegs, a little extra yardage, especially here, certainly doesn’t hurt. When you get inside 100 yards, look at the giant cottonwood tree on your right. I would love to know how big the trunk measures. It has to be more than 20-25 feet. A birdie here is a nice accomplishment.
Quiet Please…
If you’re not too pressed for time at the turn, stop in to the Rincon Mountain Grill and get a Bloody Mary to go. They were just $4, so we got three of them, and boy were they good! They’re served with both a lemon and a lime wedge as a garnish, and you get a lot for your money. Their secret: A.1. Steak Sauce. Need I say more?
Forty Niners touts itself as “Tucson’s Original FootGolf Course,” golf played with a size 5 soccer ball (as recommended by the United States FootGolf Association (USFGA) into a 21″ cup. The scoring, rules, ettiqutte, and dress code are identical to golf, and the lowest number of kicks wins.
The club offers FootGolf after 3:00p daily, excluding Thursdays. Tee times can be booked up to seven days in advance, and the cost is $12 to walk and $17 to ride for players ages 18 and older. Players ages 13-18 are required to walk, but the cost is only $8. Players ages 12 and under cost only $5 but must be accompanied by an adult. Memberships are available, and soccer balls can be rented on site for a small fee and refundable deposit.
The weakness of Forty Niners has always been its practice area. There is a practice putting and chipping green that wasn’t there when I was a kid, but the driving range is too short to accommodate any practice with the driver. I don’t know where they could move it because of all the construction over the years, but it’s very limiting.
The course isn’t as tough has it used to be either. There are only two lakes on the course now, at holes 10 and 18, which is a Par 3 and makes for a different finish to the round. Gone is the pond and the giant cottonwood trees guarding the fairway and the green on the Par 4 6th. You used to really have to thread the needle from the back tees. The water would collect an overly aggressive tee shot long, and if you hit your tee shot too far left or too far right, you were faced with tree trouble. Now, there’s an empty gravel pit. You can still hit your ball out of there, but expect to scrape your clubs.
The parking lot is a little strange too. When they did a remodel a few years ago, they re-routed traffic to enter on the left side of the road instead of the right. All of a sudden, it’s like you’re driving in Great Britain!
Fore!
My best shot of the day came on the short Par 5 7th hole. At just 472 yards, it’s the shortest Par 5 on the course and can be reached in two. The caution here is that if you have a hybrid or a fairway wood into the green for your second shot, your approach may not hold. Most if not all of the greens at Forty Niners are slightly elevated. My buddy bombed his drive off the tee and had just a 6-iron left, which he hit to pin high. The fact that he was able to use a mid-iron was a real advantage. I had less than 60 yards left and nearly holed a lob wedge for eagle while my parents stood watching from just behind the green. That would have been sweet!
While We’re Young
Our tee time was for 8:53a, but we didn’t go off until about 9:20 because of a frost delay, which is common this time of year. I would call ahead to confirm that it’s no more than a delay of about half an hour. Then be ready to go at a moment’s notice after your tee time has passed. We bought range balls but had to return them because we didn’t have as much time as we thought. Our foursome flew around in about 3:40. We played for just $39/person on GolfNow too. Who says you can’t find a great deal on golf in Tucson in the winter?