2/3/2024 0 Comments Skins game golfIn its purest form, a skin is earned when one player singlehandedly scores the lowest gross score of all other competitors on any given hole. Let’s take a look at the mechanics of “skins games”, especially as played with our regular group at Camelback Golf Club. The issue of “fairness” is rarely broached by those collecting money, but often questioned by the empty handed competitors. Others say it’s not nearly as fair when you’re not collecting a portion of the prize money. This is part of our Muni Monday series, spotlighting stories from the world of city- and county-owned golf courses around the world. Got a muni story that needs telling? Send tips to Dylan Dethier or to follow Muni Mondays on Instagram.Everyone agrees playing a skins game is great fun as long as you win one. County residents pay as little as $45, while rates for out-of-towners range from $90 to $125. You don’t need to swing like the pros, or earn like the pros, to enjoy a round here. What’s more, at its heart, Papago remains a muni. It now tips out at more than 7,300 yards, though multiple tees allow you to make it as forgiving as you need it. In a nod to modern times, the course was lengthened, too. Trees were removed, opening views of the nearby Papago Buttes. In 2008, the course also underwent a $5.8 million renovation that revived its greens and bunkers, sharpening the classic features that had dulled throughout the decades. While the complex is accessible to ASU players only, other upgrades at Papago are for everyone, including a new clubhouse and restaurant, built two years ago. Funded by a number of donors, including the Thunderbirds, a local powerhouse of a charitable organization, and featuring an elaborate practice range and short-game facility designed by former Sun Devil Phil Mickelson, it ranks among the finest training grounds in college golf. “Home of Sun Devil Golf,” reads the sign at the entrance of the Thunderbirds Golf Complex, ASU’s 7,000-square foot golf facility, which opened at Papago in 2018. It has turned into quite the spiffy residence. For many Sun Devils, Papago served as an unofficial home-away-from-home course-a relationship that became official two years ago, when ASU’s actual home course (the Karsten Course) closed and the school established Papago as its new base. ![]() It also became a popular stomping ground for top collegiate players, most notably members the Arizona State University men’s and women’s teams. Losing your golf ball was not the issue, it was figuring out how to play it next.ĭuring the fourth round of the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International golf tournament at Papago Golf Course on Main Phoenix, Arizona. Walking-friendly, with few forced carries, Papago nodded to the Golden Age. Its challenges were not the target-y demands that dominate desert golf today. ![]() “What I remember thinking was, ‘Wow, this place is just brutally long.’”īuilt in 1963, the original Billy Bell design stretched to 6,900-plus yards, a hefty distance for the persimmon era. “And even then, that first time out, the course still pretty much had its way with me,” Crawford says. In his eyes, Papago was an intimidating temptress, a course he longed to take on, but not before he felt sure that his game was ready. ![]() ![]() “If you’re serious about golf, this is the kind of place where you want to test yourself.”Ī Phoenix native, Crawford picked up golf as a kid in the 1970s, learning to play at another local muni. “That’s always been the case,” says Papago general manager Daryl Crawford. It’s not just one of the best public courses in Arizona - it’s a course for the masses that doubles as a magnet for elite play. The sticks don’t restrict themselves to Mondays, either.Īt almost any given hour, Papago’s tee sheet is stacked with single-digit handicaps. In addition to Dahmen, the Tour winners Pat Perez, Max Homa and Martin Laird have all taken part, not to mention multitudes of mini-tour stalwarts. A post shared by Muni Mondays money matches here are known for drawing dead-eye golfers, including those who make their living at the game.
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