PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Who says you can\u2019t play golf during the summer in Arizona? State 48 is one of the world\u2019s premier golf destinations, drawing visitors to the Valley year-round. But as the temperature rises in June, July and August, the courses see a little less traffic, and the price to play the top-of-the-line courses drops for the public.<\/p>\n
In this Arizona\u2019s Family series, the Dream 18, sports reporter Nick King is taking advantage of the deals and creating a fantasy round of golf by playing one hole from 18 different Valley public courses \u2013 what he considers a candidate for being \u201cthe best\u201d 1st hole, \u201cthe best\u201d 2nd hole etc, etc \u2013 with a celebrity guest.<\/p>\n
Golfers might see a brown spot or two, as the courses make the annual transition from the winter grass (ryegrass) to the summer grass (bermudagrass), but the courses are still in great condition. If you can brave the heat, it\u2019s a great opportunity to tee it up at places that are regularly circled for bucket list golf trips, at a fraction of the cost.<\/p>\n
HOLE 1 \u2013 THE BOULDERS (SOUTH COURSE), Carefree<\/b><\/p>\n
Par 4, 421 yards<\/b><\/p>\n
Nick\u2019s playing partner: Phoenix Suns point guard Collin Gillespie<\/b><\/p>\n
The Boulders is a rugged, desert course that features multiple holes \u2013 including #1 \u2013 where giant boulder piles serve as the backdrop for the green. The tee shot to begin your round at the South course is one where you might want to leave the driver in the bag. Hitting it straight, the fairway will run out at about 250 yards, and while right-handed golfers can play a fade to follow the dog leg right, the fairway gets very narrow as it turns. The approach shot here is where you\u2019ll want to take a picture, as the boulders take center stage.<\/p>\n
Typical Summer Prices<\/a>: Weekday \u2013 $99 (morning) $79 (afternoon) | Weekend \u2013 $115 (morning) $79 (afternoon)<\/p>\n In this episode of The Dream 18, sports reporter Nick King heads to The Boulders in Carefree to play a beautiful hole with Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie.<\/p>\n Tune in to The Extra Point each Monday and Wednesday at 10:35 p.m. as Nick King unveils more holes of his full Dream 18. <\/b><\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n