Last weekend it was HOT in Phoenix. Of course, it’s a dry heat. I would rather be hot than cold. I had a tee time to play The Legacy Golf Club with Rich Strozewski, the general manager. I hadn’t met Rich before, only talked to him via email. He is speaking on my panel at the 2013 Crittenden Golf Conference and I wanted to meet him to discuss the conference before October. I packed up my clubs and headed south.
I hadn’t been to The Legacy before, but when I pulled in I was impressed with the property. The Legacy is a resort offering rooms, tennis courts, pools, and a golf course. My focus was on the golf course, but it was nice to see all of the other amenities offered to guests. I parked, walked to the clubhouse, and met several guys behind the counter. I would eventually end up playing with one of them. William Booth, the head golf professional, joined us for 18 holes. He hits the ball a mile… the next time I play with him he has to hit an iron off the tee!
Golf Course Layout
The golf course was designed by Gary Panks and is a par 71 championship golf course offering some incredible views and a ton of history. I will get to that in a little bit, but I wanted to talk about the golf course a little bit.
Gary Panks also designed The Raven Golf Club, which is right next door to The Legacy Golf Club. I haven’t played there, but know all of the pros there. My buddy Aaron Olson just need to invite me down for a round and I’m in! I have heard that The Raven is in bad shape right now, but The Legacy was not. The course was in great shape.
Legacy Golf Resort Feature with Jeff Power
I was hitting balls on the range and Rich came over to introduce himself. He explained the course layout and said the greens had been recently punched. He also talked about the sand they were using, but assured me the greens were in decent shape. He was right. I never had a problem with the greens, and they held up nice. The greens made me think of the greens at Papago Golf Course.
We didn’t keep score, but I did in my head. I always like knowing how I play. I hit the ball pretty good, and missed a few swings but putted pretty good and really enjoyed my round. I Didn’t have any birdies… but I don’t want to talk about that. I haven’t had a birdie in ages!
History Lesson
When we were standing on the 18th tee, Rich asked me if I could see the silos on the right hand side of the fairway. I didn’t know what they were, but he explained how old they were, and how they used to be the tallest buildings in Maricopa County. I snapped a few pictures along the way, and learned more about the history of the course. When we were done, Rich took me over to see the Sierra Vista House.
We got out of the carts and walked around the house while Rich explained the history of the building. Basically it was visited by many famous people over the years including Pancho Villa and Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900’s. The building is old, but it was SO cool walking around snapping pictures of this. The house is right off the first tee, and you would never know it was there unless someone told you. Rich did. Thanks!
The Legacy Golf Club Performance Center
After we played 18 holes, we headed to the back of the range to see the academy. Will talked highly of this, and I was excited to see what was inside. I walked in, and was blown away with the facility. They have a bunch of technology including a SAM Putting Lab, AMM 3D Motion Measurement, a TrackMan launch monitor, and a FlightScope launch monitor. They also have several large screens the pros use to show students his or her swings.
There are also several additional rooms there. One has a simulator you can rent. The other is a private hitting bay with leather couches and a large TV. Rich said renting that on Masters Sunday is the best. I can imagine! There are several golf professionals there ready to help you play better golf. From hitting shots to chipping and putting, you can have it all at the Legacy Golf Performance Center.
After we looked at the academy, we headed back to the clubhouse and grabbed lunch. I had an awesome chicken sandwich and we talked about golf and social media. I hope to get them active on Google+ in the near future. Rich and Will were great, and I enjoyed meeting and talking with them. I can’t wait for the golf conference, and I am pumped that I had the chance to see the golf course. It might become my new favorite course in the Valley. The Legacy Golf Club is managed by Raspberry Golf Management.
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Great post, I enjoyed it.
Thanks for reading and thank you for your comments!