Arizona Golf Course Reviews
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon ReviewGold Canyon, AZ
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Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Course Overview: The far more challenging and scenic of the two golf courses located at the Gold Canyon resort about 1 hour east of Phoenix, this par 70 effort winds up, down and around the surrounding hills near the Superstition Mountains. Most of the golf holes will provide a challenge from the desert surrounding it and from the far back tees, there are many really difficult golf holes, but the player is rewarded with fantastic views and some long ball flights. The most exciting of these holes are reviewed below:
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 3: A truly unique golf hole, this par five is not long on paper, but can play very long in reality. The tee shot is uphill, but the player can attempt to challenge the bunker and desert to the left to shorten it considerably. Any error to the left, however, is stroke and distance. From the fairway, the hole heads left and uphill to a green situated between two hills with commanding views. The layup is also tough due to the slope from right to left that sends balls careening down towards the hazard. The green itself has some nasty bunkers in front that should be avoided and it is split in half by an enormous tier that separates the front and back halves of the putting surface. Placing the approach on the correct is tier is mandatory for lower scores.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 3: A truly unique golf hole, this par five is not long on paper, but can play very long in reality. The tee shot is uphill, but the player can attempt to challenge the bunker and desert to the left to shorten it considerably. Any error to the left, however, is stroke and distance. From the fairway, the hole heads left and uphill to a green situated between two hills with commanding views. The layup is also tough due to the slope from right to left that sends balls careening down towards the hazard. The green itself has some nasty bunkers in front that should be avoided and it is split in half by an enormous tier that separates the front and back halves of the putting surface. Placing the approach on the correct is tier is mandatory for lower scores.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 4: This long par four is fantastic from tee to green. Elevated from every tee box, the views are incredible and the tee shot is demanding. Left is bad, but also will shorten the appraoch if flirted with. The approach is then to a well-guarded green that slopes heavily from right to left.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 5: If it is possible for a golfer to get tired of downhill par threes with beautiful desert views, then Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course would wear out that player. The 5th is the second of three of these type par threes, with 6 total par threes on the course. This one is the longest, the most downhill and features the biggest green by far. Tough to see in this picture, but many golf balls have found permanent residence in the Saguaro cactus just off the tee box, so don't hit the tee shot thin.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 9: The closing hole on the front features the only lake on the golf course. It is the typical par five with the hazard that comes into play in the second and third shots. To the architect's credit, there is a bunker between the green and the water, so it doesn't feel overbearing or out of place for the player on a course otherwise devoid of lakes.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 11: This slight dogleg left par five has stunning views of the surrounding mountains, but is really one of the best scoring chances on the back nine.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 12: Downhill and straight, the golfer can see all the trouble from the tee. There is nothing tricky, but this is a good, long par four that requires solid golf shots.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 13: This difficult par four is rated the hardest on the back nine for a good reason. Not only is it long, with a deep bunker and trouble left off the tee, but the downhill approach shot is nasty for any pin back of center or cut right. One can bailout short and left, but any shot long or to the right of this green that runs away from the player will face a nearly impossible up and down, and that's if the ball is found.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 14: Very similar in style to the second hole, this downhill par three is slightly longer and features a bigger green. However, whereas the second hole has a natural bailout to the right, this green is surrounded by a lot of trouble in bunkers and uneven lies created by mounding. The putting surface also creates a lot of strong breaks, so par is a good score here.
Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Hole 15: The reviewers only real complaint about Dinosaur Mountain is that, much like its Jurassic period name-sakes, the golf course dies out in the end (with a fairly weak finishing three holes). However, the crescendo builds on the back nine to the fabulous 15th tee box. The views are great and the hole is a classic split fairway par four where anything from a safe mid-iron to driver going for the green can be hit.
