How Camelback’s Ambiente Course became a Phoenix-area must-play

Welcome to WM Phoenix Open week, the place even with a “cold” forecast it’s inevitable everybody caught within the northern U.S. will get jealous of that wonderful Phoenix climate and begin dreaming of their subsequent warm-weather retreat.

I used to be there in December — and I’m wishing I used to be nonetheless there now — for GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers Retreat. And like several savvy golf journalist on the highway, I made certain to convey my golf equipment to sneak in a spherical after I landed. I’ve performed public headliners like Troon North and We-Ko-Pa and Papago over the previous few years, so this time I used to be in search of a new spot to discover. That’s after I reached out to GOLF’s resident Arizonian, Jessica Marksbury, for some insider data.

“Have you played the Camelback courses?” she requested.

I had not.

“The Ambiente is very nice; I would go there first,” she mentioned.

So at about 10:30 on a crisp Sunday morning in December, I began the engine of my rental automobile and readied to go away the Phoenix airport. I plugged in “Camelback Golf Club” and commenced my trek 16 miles northeast. I had a tee time to catch — and this, I might quickly discover out, was one I’m glad I did.

Before we get into the Xs and Os right here, there are a few vital particulars you must know. Camelback is a a part of the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa that’s simply 4 miles down the highway. There are two golf programs which are a a part of the property: the Ambiente and the Padre. They are fairly totally different, with the Padre performing as extra of a basic parkland structure that sticks across the clubhouse, whereas the Ambiente goes straight out and again — assume the Old Course routing — and is extra like a links-golf expertise, one thing that’s not straightforward to search out in Phoenix. Most rankings favor the Ambiente Course, nevertheless it’s all private choice, and people two coupled collectively make for one heck of a 36-hole day.

But right here’s what I discovered within the days earlier than I teed off: It wasn’t all the time like this right here.

Back in 2013, the property’s three-decade-old Indian Bend course underwent a main $10 million renovation by way of Jason Stracka of Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Design to enhance each playability and flooding. Indian Bend was extraordinarily flat, which meant it was more durable to empty after large rains. Flat programs are additionally much less enjoyable, so there was loads of work to do. About 365,000 cubic yards of fabric was faraway from the water a lot of the course butts up towards and used to lift components of the structure, enhancing not solely the enjoyable issue however the capability to correctly drain. They additionally eliminated timber and added extra native/desert areas. Only 90 acres of the course is now thought of maintained turfgrass, which additionally helps the upkeep workforce (to not point out saves tens of millions of gallons of water yearly). When it reopened it was renamed Ambiente, which suggests “environment” in Spanish.

And until you had been right here about 10 years in the past, you’d by no means know any of this occurred. The slopes and piles and bumps you’ll discover on fairways or round greens look as in the event that they’ve been there without end, and whereas a lot of it’s delicate, it’s nonetheless sufficient to have an effect on your golf ball and your recreation plan.

The fairways are principally vast and forgiving (although a proper miss is lethal on the holes the place water lurks). Most of the difficulty is up across the greens, however you’ll be in good condition for those who determine the correct spots to overlook. The majority of the greens have bail-out areas the place you’ll be left with a innocent up and down for those who miss the placing floor, however the majority of the greens additionally have a diabolical bunker or two that you just completely don’t wish to discover.

As irritating as some could be to hit out of, these bunkers, with their linksy, rugged look across the edges, are vital. With vast fairways and rolling terrain that permits you to hit some monster drives, these deep, tall-faced traps are the proper protection to punish squirrelly method photographs. So are the handful of strategically positioned bunkers some 30 to 50 yards in entrance of greens, which, at first look, make you are feeling like they may come into play (simply as they’re speculated to).

As for notable holes, let’s begin from the start. You’ll love the par-5 third, the place a principally open inexperienced will mean you can swing arduous and attempt to get there in two. Or the quick par-4 fifth, the place you completely can’t miss proper however a large drive can get you down close to the inexperienced, which is surrounded by bunkers left, again and proper. Ten is one other quick par-4 that doglegs to the left — simply be sure that to execute your wedge in and don’t blade it like I did.

The par-3 fifteenth boasts an superior two-tiered inexperienced, the place — until there’s a group ready behind you! — you must positively hit putts from one stage to the opposite, simply to see its brilliance.

I performed effectively on the Ambiente Course — OK, I was taking part in effectively, till a triple-double-bogey end led to an 85 and ruined a dream probability of taking pictures within the 70s — however as an goal arbiter it’s vital I don’t let a late-round combustion have an effect on my opinion of a course. So, what’s the decision? Camelback Ambiente is a must-play for anybody visiting the Phoenix space. Its linksy structure is totally different than your typical Scottsdale expertise. It’s forgiving — so the high-handicappers in your group will respect it — however with out precision off some tees and into many greens it’s going to chew again. Just know the course you see isn’t what was there a decade in the past. It’s significantly better now, and a cease you shouldn’t cross up.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

Josh Berhow is the managing editor at GOLF.com. The Minnesota native graduated with a journalism diploma from Minnesota State University in Mankato. You can attain him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.