Ocotillo Golf Club - Gold/Blue

The Ocotillo Golf Resort sits on 185 acres and features lush contoured fairways that flow gently amid patches of mature trees, vibrant flower beds, pretty waterfalls and numerous lakes.

The Gold nine is a devilish test and not just because water comes into play on six of the holes. The greens have a lot of slope in them and are difficult to read. And some pin placements are brutal; hit a downhill putt two feet past the

hole, and it might roll down into a swale and 30 feet by. Uphill putts, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to get to the hole, if for no other reason than Ocotillo's greens aren't as fast as some of the Valley's marquee desert courses.

Two holes stand out on the Gold: No. 5 is a 212-yard par 3 with water running down the entire left side; and No. 9 is a 468-yard par 4 with a carry over water from the tee -- water that dissects the fairway about 50 yards short of the green and water left to the green. Par there is a great score.

Ocotillo's Blue Course is a watery grave; water comes into play on eight of the nine holes. It's not overly long but there's so much water the length becomes irrelevant. The best hole may be No. 1, a 590-yard par 5. Big hitters are faced with the classic risk-reward: Do they lay-up on their second shot or try to fly a tributary that splits the fairway about 50 yards short of the green?