Great Eagle Golf Club

Alex Rodriguez on the Texas Ranger, Barry Sanders on the Detroit Lions, Steve Nash on the Phoenix Suns. Such great talent that could not really show case the true potential due to external factors. That is how I feel about Great Eagle Golf Club. I have been playing this golf course for almost 15 years, I have seen the good, bad, and ugly from this course.

The course itself is a 18 hole, par 72 course that wonders through the desert and RV community in Surprise, AZ. Great Eagle has a variety of golf holes that tie in well together. Long and short par 3’s, drivable par 4’s, get able par 5’s, the course does feature a good amount of variety. #2 and #16 are two holes that have always stood out to me. They both play less than 300 yards, yet they still make you think off the tee. #2 is a slight dogleg right, with plenty of fairway out to the left that an iron off the tee will still leave a short iron or wedge into a very tiny green. The farther up the fairway you go the narrower the landing area. Grassy hills and bowls surround the green, and it is easy to find your ball in a terrible lie as the grass in these bowls and hills are not trimmed. The hole also features a large tree which blocks the view of the right side of the green, so that if you want to try and hit into the green off the tee it comes into play. #16 is another short hole under 300 yards. A straight away fairway and a green that sits offset to the left. Again, long iron off the tee sets up nice for a 9 iron or PW into this double tier green. This hole though does feature 3 large palm trees that if your tee shot wanders too far left, you now have to thread the needle to get your ball on the green. Bunkers, hills, and valleys help protect the green, so going for it off the tee is not for the faint of heart. What makes this hole unique to me is you must choose to hit a safer tee shot your 2nd shot becomes much harder. It is a classic hit the hard shot off the tee or into the green. Long of this green is a giant desert waste area, so precision and concentration are key. #11 also features a hard shot now or later scenario. A hard dog leg left, a fairway wood/hybrid/long iron can put you in safely in the fairway, but the hole often plays longer than what the yardage says. So, what should be a 8 iron actually plays closer to a 6 or 7 iron. Now, if you have a little bit of a slice or fade, you also must consider Bell Road that is on the right with no netting or wall. As someone who hits big fades, I am always uncomfortable on this tee box. 3 of the 4 par 5’s are reachable with a good tee shot, which can help you shot low scores out here. The greens are often kept in good shape and roll true. The course is almost always in good shape, during peak season. I have been here in the warmer months, and it seems like the management almost forgets about the course. Fairways are barely mowed, greens are shaggy, bunkers are never cleaned or raked. If you have played this course in the summer and are wondering why I said good things about it, please go back during peak season and see for yourself how much better the course plays. During the summer it can easily be mistaken for a cattle pasture. It does impress me thought that they are able to turn it around so quickly and so well for winter. Greens fees are always between $40-$65 a round, and with the players card it drops to $32. Very fair and affordable prices for the type of course you are getting.

I usually talk about amenities when reviewing golf course, however this course seems that is not very important for the consumers. The bar and kitchen are never open before 10 am, and somedays they don’t open at all. If you prefer to BYOB, then this will make you happy. But for those who like to sit around, enjoy a drink, and talk about the golf, you might not even get that chance. The pro shop does have some beer and seltzers, and if you are lucky candy bars In the past 5 years I think I have seen a drinks cart 3 times, which shouldn't come as a surprise. I like to purchase shirts with the golf club logo when I go to new courses, Great Eagle only has women's sleeveless shirts with the logo. The golf carts are fine. I mean they drive and hold your bag, but that’s about it. None of the carts have windshields, some of the seats are ripped and torn, I even saw some carts that are missing the bottom of the basket behind the seats. The course does have a grass driving range and chipping area, with decent range balls.

If this course had any management that put even a small bit of effort into it, the course would easily be a top spot in the area. Which brings about another problem, Arizona Traditions is the sister course in the same neighborhood and is a night-and-day difference from Great Eagle. I have a lot of fun memories with my family playing this course, and I just hope someday it can get the proper love and attention put into it that the course deserves.