Hole 1
Tee Shot
Having a par 5 on the very first hole is tough. Unless you’ve warmed up on the range or trust your driver, you may want to choose to use a long iron or 3-wood. Naaahh! Don’t worry that there is OB and Avenue P to the left. If you’re right-handed and are prone to the occasional slice, you’ll probably be okay. One more thing. In the early morning, you’ll be hitting into the sun, so track your ball carefully.
Fairway/Approach Shot
This depends on how successful you executed your tee shot. If you had a nice shot and are in the fairway, or slice to the fairway with a decent lie, you can probably go for it without too much to worry about (except going left). The road is still there as well as some bunkers on the left guarding the green. Laying up is not bad. Remember, it’s the first hole and a par 5 at that.
The Green
The green is large and has some slope, so you’ll want to get your approach shot close, particularly if you’re hitting your third into the green. The green putts fairly true, and is typically not real fast, but not real slow.
Hole 2
Tee Shot
From the blue tee, this is the second longest par 4, with an ever-so-slight dogleg right. The fairway is wide, so the driver is the club of choice. You can make the hole a little shorter by hitting just left of the Joshua tree on the right side. BTW, on the left there is a lake, but unless you are prone to hitting your tee shot left, you should stay dry.
Fairway/Approach Shot
The green is well-guarded by bunkers. to get on in tow from the fairway, you’re either going to have to fly the right bunker that comes out to guard the center of the green, or you’re going to have to sneak your shot in to the left side of the green, where there is a little opening. One more thing. Unless the pin is on the right side of the gren, try to avoid hitting your shot there, since it slopes right and back. It’s a tough hole.
The Green
The green is large, so take note of the color of the flag and get it close. It doesn’t slope dramatically, so putts are makable.
Hole 3
Tee Shot
The tee shot is not bad. You just have to get over the dirt area, which ends about 150 yeards from the blue tee. There are some fairway bunkers to contend with on either side of the fairway, but they aren’t usually a problem.
Fairway/Approach Shot
The green has a fairly deep bunker on the left, so don’t go left on your approach. Other than that, no worries.
The Green
The green is flat, and of medium size. This hole can be birdied so don’t Sally your putt (apologies to Sally)
Hole 4
Tee Shot
Here is the first of Desert Aire’s two par 3’s. There are only two things to worry about on this hole: (1) the desert wasteland on the left side of the fairway, and (2) the bunker hidden on the right side of the green. Neither is very difficult to avoid but be careful.
The Green
The green has a right-to-left slope and thus putts will break that way. Take that into account and you will do fine.
Hole 5
Tee Shot
As the only real dogleg right on the course, this hole is interesting. Avoid the dirt area in front of the tee box. You could try to cut the corner, but the safest bet is to aim down the middle since the Pump House and a lake are on the right side.
Fairway/Approach Shot
The green is quite large and unguarded by bunkers so get it close.
The Green
The green is pretty flat and, as mentioned above, is quite large. If you find yourself with a long putt, give it a good roll. If the hole gets the better of you, don’t distress; this is another challenging hole.
Hole 6
Tee Shot
This tee shot is a little more challenging than #4, the other par 3. You have the desert and OB to contend with on the right. You also will want to get over the dirt area that spans the fairway 20-50 yards in front of the green. Also avoid the large bunker guarding the center of the green. To make the hole more challenging, the pin is often put up front. One more thing. Going too far will allow you to make friends with the fence in the back. Left isn’t too bad. Of course, straight is better.
The Green
The green is large and slopes down, right to left. If you can get it close on your tee shot, make sure not to leave your putt short. Otherwise, a 3 is not a bad score.
Hole 7
Tee Shot
Here we have the longest par 4 on the course, but only the fourth most difficult par 4 (out of 50. Hit your drive straight or at least not to the right – there’s a fence and OB over there – and you should be fine for your approach shot.
Fairway/Approach Shot
The appraoch from anywhere in the fairway is strightforward. Just don’t fly the green since there’s not much room back there before you get to a fence that separates the course from 40th Street East. Also, hit your appraoch high and if possible, play to the middle of the green. The green tends to be firm and shots to the left side can roll off the back.
The Green
The green slopes down to the left. Thus, putts that are below the hole and to the left of the flag are easier. This is the firmest green as it gets a lot of sun.
Hole 8
Tee Shot
The most difficult hole (it was shortened a few years ago so it’s not quite as challenging) on the course parallesl 40th Street East, going north from tee to green. Please do not hit right on your tee shot, or the drivers on 40th will not be happy! Although there are a few tress to avoid, the left side of the fairway gives you your best approach t othe green and should keep you out of trouble.
Fairway/Approach Shot
Hopefully the pin is on the left side of the green, becuase the right side is guarded by a bunker. If you’re on the right side of the fairway, you may also be worried about a Joshua Tree impeding your approach. Hoever, the tree is almost 50 yards from the green, so with some skill, you can fly it and be on in two.
The Green
The green slopes down to the left. If you have landed your ball in front and to the left of the pin, you should be in good shape.
Hole 9
Tee Shot
There’s a certain symmetry in having the first and last holes both par 5’s. This one is about 30 yards shorter than #1, and you don’t have to worry about Avenue P, so use the driver. Or you can play the odds and hit a nice smoth tee shot and lay up. After all, it’s a par 5.
Fairway/Approach Shot
Two Joshua trees lurk in the fairway to bother you (I like Joshua trees but come-on!), one in the center of the fairway and one on the right side. They are not too close to the green, so you can just kind of ignore them and either go for the green or lay up. One more thing. Try not to fly over the green. There’s not much room back there for error. However, there is a net.
The Green
The green has a definitive slope down, left to right, back to front. Most greens slope back to front, but this one more so.