Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa

Golf course is beautiful. Amazing views and true desert feel.

Course not long, but plays challenging. Some top notch holes

Better stated? RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!!

I first came upon the Gold Canyon Golf Resort when I played an event there as part of the the Western Skies Mini-Tour (a true "something out of a Dan Jenkins/David Feherty alcohol-induced phantasm" that passed as a tour AND a golf course) in the late 1980's. The original track at Gold Canyon opened in 1985 and then they added another nine soon after. Ken Kavanaugh had a hand in these, although I'm not sure if all 36 are his to own (his bio: great track at Oregon Golf Club, and terrific redos of Raveneaux in Houston and Randolph South - Del Urich - in Tucson show off his capabilities, well). When they put the Dinosaur Mountain and Sidewinder Courses together, they did some Frankenstein-esque gene splicing of the old into the new. Holes 1 through 4 and 14 through 18 on DM are from the original design, very tight and immediately forgettable, reminiscent of holes like you would hope not to see at Ancala or Tatum Ranch. Holes 5 through 13 certainly have more character and are, for the most part, quite good. Interestingly, once you get to the 13th and 14th holes, if you look just to the northwest, you can see holes 13 and 14 of the Lost Gold course at Superstition Mountain. You can take solace in the fact that real golf courses with proper staff and amenities DO exist, just over THERE>>> Back to the Asylum: The abject schizophrenia that attaches to how the courses were built has penetrated the rest of the facility. Let me, please, give you a rundown:

First, read the review dated 6/20/2017. This review could pass as my exact experience from a few years before. So, onto the the flyover tour of the course/experience! (Which, for both the DM and Sidewinder courses, you cannot get from their website because they are inoperative. Brilliant!!) Upon driving up, we are met by some of the worst Outside Service staff I have ever witnessed. Surly, unhelpful, uncaring and just downright miserable. Check-in was uneventful. Huge fee raise for Dasani water in 16 oz bottles = $ 3.50 per bottle. Driving range = off of mats with golf balls that haven't been thought about being round for many moons. One positive in this: Look for brands that haven't been manufactured in years. It's fun!! Hey look, there's a Maxfli DDH that is actually flat on one side. Wow, a Molitor that STILL hasn't lost any compression at all and still feels like a rock! A Strata?? A Strata?Really???

Course conditions were passable for the summer. Greens were good, rolling at decent pace and held their lines well. Service? One of my buddies ordered a sandwich on number 4... and we never saw the beverage cart again until 15. AND there was absolutely NO WATER on the golf course, at all. No coolers, etc. This was a summer day where the temps were in the 105 range. By the time we saw the bev cart again, we were completely done. The girl driving was apologetic, stating that she never saw us on the back nine until then. The reason why was that she had bypassed a good chunk of the back side earlier because of the cart path routing (letting her skip multiple holes) and that she just wasn't paying attention to see if any players were on those holes she was about to skip. She did, however, offer my buddy the tuna sandwich he had ordered two hours earlier that had just spent time soaking in the late afternoon summer heat and sun of Apache Junction. He politely declined her offer.

But the pièce de résistance came after we finished and went into the clubhouse to complain about the experience. The guys I played with are all the type who just wanted to go and never come back. I understood that, but having worked in the game for a dozen years, professionally, I felt the staff should know that this was what they were offering up to the players unfortunate enough to expect something different. I found the First Assistant and began to describe the day. He stared at me blankly, like I was just wasting his time. I stopped. And then I asked him just that: "Am I boring you?" His response, verbatim: "Just what do you expect me to do about it?" I turned around, walked out, jumped in the car and have never been back since.

But what I have done is recount this story to HUNDREDS of people, golfers and non-golfers alike. It is the epitomization of every possible negative that can occur within the customer experience realm that exists in a hyper-competitive marketplace. And what is truly mind-blowing about this is the fact that the experience documented on 6-20-17 is the mirror image of one five years earlier. No bueno.

This is the most beautiful course I have ever played in AZ! It is located at the base of the Superstition Mountains, so lots of scenery!

Beautiful views friendly and helpful staff

Made the long drive out to Dinosaur Mountain and was very happy I did. This course zoomed up my list of great courses here in the Phoenix area. Layout and views are awesome. Course conditions were very good for summer. Greens were a little dry and coming out of airation but putted nicely. This course is a must play for anyone wanting a great view on the course. Only down side was the driving range (mat only)

Played the Sidewinder as well. That course while a nice course is not even in the same league as the Dinosaur.....

This was my 7th round this week. I played 6 other courses in the area. This was the BEST conditions all round GREAT golf course. The whole staff was most welcoming to me . I played as a single. Played Sidewinder in 2 1/2 hours. I had to play more at this great resort. Awesome views at every turn . This was fun to play. Take photos of your special round . You will dream about this course ! My thanks to the grounds crew, golf shop staff and Garett the cart attendant . All made this 36 hole day most memorable

Vacation. Play this course before you die ! If you don't get into heaven, you will remember this golf course.

This course is in great condition! The views of the Superstitions are just fantastic! The GPS system is of great help so be sure to use it and you will have a lot of fun!

Greens are in amazing shape on this well designed layout.

As always the course played very difficult.

It was in superior condition

I would recommend playing Dinosaur Mountain

You will not be disappointed with the course however you probably will be with your score.

A short business trip brought me to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, and after extensive research I chose to play Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon. I booked online at GolfNow for $50.

I arrived at the course and immediately took note of the first class facility with valet parking, bag check and excellent club house. I checked in and grabbed a bloody mary to go. The bloody mary was good but nothing special, but it did hit the spot in the 100 degree heat.

I headed to the starter who already had my bag on the cart and ready to go. He advised I could use the range and head out whenever I was ready. The cart included GPS, a cooler and club/ball washer. The cooler was important as there is no water provided on the course.

I hit the range for a few warm up shots. The range was ok and utilized well worn mats. It would have been nice to hit off of grass or a better mat, but it was good enough for a quick warm up.

I then headed for the number one tee box and was immediately impressed. The slightly elevated tee box surrounded by mountains provided a spectacular view. These types of views were found on nearly all eighteen holes and made the round extremely enjoyable.

The fairways at Dinosaur Mountain were perfect. Lush, green and so well maintained was impressive for a desert/mountain course.

Greens here were very fast and firm. It was difficult at times to hold the green and putting was extremely difficult. That being said they were in good shape and offered much undulation.

While playing I only hit a few bunkers. When I was in the bunker, they were a bit firm and were filled with what I would call desert dirt. After hitting my shot and raking, some of the dirt was clumped together.

All in all, this course a ton of fun and a must play if you’re in the area. The spectacular views, the fun elevation changes, and excellent playing surface will not leave you disappointed. I highly recommend this track and would love to play it again it I ever get the chance.

Same type of Mountain course as Troon north. Great layout. Half the price.

Great elevations.

Great course, amazing views, course in extremely good condition, friendly staff.

This is one of the "must" plays in the greater Phoenix area.

I've been wanting to check this course out, and booked it on their web site after seeing a decent rate on GolfNow. Usually a little too pricey for me, but getting to the time of year when deals abound.

Showed up almost an hour ahead of my tee time, and course was wide open. I was underwhelmed at first, because the facilities are a bit dated, and worn. Practice range was off mats, for some reason, even though the grass area was large and in nice shape. They said I could go when I was ready, so I hit a few balls and took off by myself. Played alone the whole time, and barely saw any o her golfers. Took my time and hit an extra ball or balls often. Pace was a non-issue.

Layout is much more scenic and interesting on the front nine, with nice views of the Superstition Mountains. Back nine is OK, but not as scenic, and a number of the holes wind tightly through tract homes.

Course conditions were excellent, with the grass in great shape throughout, and the greens receptive to approach shots. I've played too many area courses that are kind of browned-out and very hard/firm. Sidewinder was noticeably lusher and softer. Greens were in wonderful shape, and rolled fast and true. Bunkers had actual sand in them!

All in all, a nice experience and I will be back. Can't wait to try the Dinosaur course!

Course is in excellent condition. Only issue is that the greens are rock hard and much too fast if you consider how much slope there is on these greens. Impossible to get anywhere near a front pin. Played here last week and saw the same condition, played early today thinking the greens would be softer , not the case.

Finally decided to put some money down. It was "only" $95 which is a good rate for January. Got paired up with a couple who have played it a lot and they were essential for having a good round there. The greens are CRAZY to read. I 3 and 4 putted so many times and loved it. Defiinitely nothign like I ever faced. They had so many cool views and options to hit over. Only negative I have was the replay rate was $80. What kind of discount is that? :( I will be back again in the summer.

Gold Canyon Dinosaur Mountain Course. If you enjoy great views this course is a must play. Bring your camera and do forget your patience. This is not a short course. You need to remember it's a par 70 with 6 par 3's. The original back 9 ( holes 1,2,3,4,14,15,16, 17 and 18 ) the greens are smaller and more undulating. On almost every one of the original holes long is bad so watch your GPS for pin position carefully. In the late 90's Gold Canyon built the rest of the Dinosaur Mountain holes 5 thru 13. Larger greens and less undulation. This is a course you will want to play more then once. Getting a feel of the greens will improve your score dramatically. Plus the true beauty of the area is worth the extra round.

Had a great time playing Sidewinder. More of a resort course so you will have houses on some fairways. There were some great views of the mountains and some moderate elevation changes. Overall in very good condition and a great tune up for Dinosaur Mountain

First time playing Dinosaur Mountain and this is one of my favorite courses I have played. Lots of Elevation changes and great views. If you play from the right tees the course is a lot of fun and you can shoot decent scores. The one downside I have for Gold Canyon is that their Driving Range needs an update. For the prices that you pay for Dinosaur Mountain hitting off an artificial mat is unacceptable. All in all though I really enjoyed the course and would play again.

I last played this course in 1988. It has not lost a step since then. The course was in magnificent condition. The greens were quick and undulated. The vista's were spectacular. It is everything Arizona Mountain golf should be. Great public course.

Made the golf now reservation Friday morning and thought it was for Friday but did not look at confirmation e-mail. Ugh, it was for Saturday Jan 16. When I got there and found the mistake I made, the two attendants at the check in said "Don't worry we will find a way to get you out without messing up other guests". Sure enough there was an opening 15 minutes after original intent and enjoyed the day and honored the price I paid. That is customer service in action.