Okay, so I finally got out to Ak-Chin Southern Dunes the other day. Heard a lot about it, figured I needed to see what the fuss was about, at least get some practice in there.
Getting There and First Look
The drive out wasn’t too bad. Pulled in and parked. First impression? Yeah, it looks the part. Definitely has that desert links vibe they talk about. Clubhouse looked nice enough from the outside, but I was really just there to hit some balls this time.
Hitting the Range
Grabbed my clubs from the trunk and headed over towards the practice area. Checked in quickly, got my bucket of balls. The range itself is pretty impressive, I gotta say. Plenty of room, wasn’t too crowded when I got there which was nice. Found myself a spot and started warming up.
Started with the wedges, just getting loose. The turf was decent, felt good to hit off. Moved up through the bag. Irons were… well, they were okay. Some good shots, some iffy ones. That’s why we practice, right? The driver was behaving itself mostly, which was a relief. Spent a solid hour just working through different clubs, trying to get a feel for things.
What really stood out was just how open it feels out there. You can see for miles. And yeah, plenty of sand, that’s for sure. It wasn’t crazy windy that day, but you could feel a little breeze. You can tell wind could be a big deal out here on the actual course.
Quick Look Around
After wearing myself out on the range, I took a quick stroll over to the putting green. Looked pure. Rolled a few putts just to see. They seemed pretty quick, but true. Also peeked at the chipping area. Looked like a good spot to work on the short game too. Definitely a solid setup for practice.
Wrapping Up
Called it a day after that. My back was starting to feel it. Packed up my clubs, took one last look around. Felt like a productive session. Didn’t play the course this time, but the practice facilities gave me a good sense of the place. It’s well-maintained, professional feel, but still pretty relaxed.
Overall, glad I went. Got some good work in. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes definitely has a quality practice setup. Might have to come back and actually play the full 18 soon.
