Papago News

Tournament to be held at the historic Papago Golf Course owned by the City of Phoenix

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb.5, 2009 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Tournament Golf Foundation (TGF) today announce that the 2009 Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirassou will be played March 26-29 at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, Ariz. Owned by the City of Phoenix since 1963, and long

considered one of the country’s finest and most popular municipal golf courses, Papago underwent an extensive restoration project in 2008. The course reopened to residents of Phoenix in December 2008 and is already receiving accolades from the golf industry for its new and improved look.

“The Phoenix event has long been one of the most popular and storied stops on the LPGA Tour, with past champions ranging from Betsy King to Laura Davies to Annika Sorenstam to, most recently, Lorena Ochoa,” remarked LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens. “This March we will add an exciting new chapter in the event’s history when our players step foot on this beautifully renovated city-owned course. We look forward to engaging with the people of Phoenix in a truly new and unique way as we compete on their championship course for the first time.”

“Adding to the excitement of unveiling the new and improved Papago, we are thrilled to announce that its freshly restored greens and fairways will soon be filled by the world’s most talented and prolific professional golfers from the LPGA,” said Phoenix Mayor, Phil Gordon. “We are excited to partner with the LPGA and TGF to ensure this important event stays in Phoenix.”

The Papago restoration project is a direct result of a partnership between the City of Phoenix and the Arizona Golf Foundation, a non-profit arm of the Arizona Golf Association. The project is managed by The Golf Guys, LLC, under the direction of Marvin French, one of the principals at the highly acclaimed Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon. As part of the restoration, designed by course architect and former Augusta National Golf Club Superintendent, Billy Fuller, all of the greens, tees, fairways and rough have been re-turfed, all of the bunkers have been restored, and select holes have been lengthened so that the course now boasts a championship yardage of 7,333 yards.

“Phoenix is excited that the LPGA has selected Papago Golf Course to host their tournament,” said Phoenix City Councilman, Greg Stanton. “The selection of Papago by this prestigious golf tour shows the significant investments made were well worth it and we’re looking forward to hosting these championship golfers”

The four-day, 72-hole tournament has been part of the LPGA Tour schedule since 1980. For the past five seasons, Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, located just outside Phoenix, hosted the event.

“TGF is proud to add Papago Golf Club to the list of prestigious courses hosting our events over the years,” said TGF President Tom Maletis. “Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club was a tremendous partner, but the LPGA professionals will surely appreciate the Papago Golf Course experience and the proximity to everything the City of Phoenix has to offer.”

Facelift brings back glory of old Papago Golf Course in Phoenix - but with modern flair

PHOENIX - There was a time when Arizona golfers used to spend the night in their cars for a weekend tee time at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. Those days have been gone for quite some time. The years, and 100,000 rounds a year, had not been kind to this 1963 William Bell classic. It was time for major reconstructive surgery.

This month, after a six-month operation and recovery, a more youthful Papago was unveiled. Now with modern greens, a 21st century irrigation system and a little more length, Papago has become a lot more than a shell of its former self; it's reinvented.

Papago now has four sets of tees, and this par 72 provides a true championship test from tips at 7,333 yards, harkening memories of its past when it hosted the 1971 U.S. Amateur Pub Links and countless Phoenix Open qualifiers.

For Papago, the task of renovation fell with Billy Fuller, a former superintendent at Augusta National Golf Club who formed his own design company, Billy Fuller Golf Design, in 2003. Not only did he bring back Bell's classic bunkering and greens complexes, but he added a few agronomic touches, which should propel the course into the next few decades or so.

The $5.8 million restoration project is a result of a partnership between the City of Phoenix, the Arizona Golf Association, and the Arizona Golf Foundation, a non-profit arm of the AGA. The project is being managed by the Golf Guys, LLC, under the direction of Marvin French, one of the principals at the highly acclaimed Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon.

Trees can make or break a golf course, and in the case of Papago, the abundance of them was starting to do the latter. For one, their canopies can make it difficult to grow grass, especially on greens. And in the case of Papago, they were obstructing the views of the nearby Papago Buttes, which are now visible from nearly every hole after 400 trees were removed. The tree removal also helped with the views of Camelback Mountain, South Mountain and downtown Phoenix.

Speaking of the greens, they were rebuilt to USGA specifications. Fuller also restored them to their original sizes and shapes. Over the years, they had lost some 30 to 40 percent of their surface area.

The greens are also now Mini-Verde, an ultra dwarf that has gained popularity in the Southeast because of its hardiness, smoothness and cold-tolerance in the winter. The new greens will be overseeded next year when they are more mature and can handle the competition from winter grasses, according to General Manager Albert Murdock. But as late as December, when the course reopened, they still seemed to be actively growing - despite the cool nights - and were perfectly green. All but a handful were already in excellent shape.

Fuller also took great care to restore the bunkers to their original shape and contour. Most of them, especially many of the fairway bunkers, are truly penal now. Some of the fairway bunkers were also moved farther from the tee to accommodate the modern game, and 12 new ones were added.

The lakes on Nos. 9 and 11 were also restored, not only to be more aesthetic and strategic but to also feed the new irrigation system. The course also got a more expansive driving range.

New tee boxes on holes 1, 9 and 11 added nearly 350 yards to the course to accommodate today's equipment and players, yet Papago Golf Course is very playable by all levels. Unlike most courses in the Phoenix area, this isn't desert golf; it's parkland golf. Miss a fairway and chances are you get to hit it again as it lies. There are legitimate recovery shots throughout the course, bringing all kinds of options into play.

With two medium length par 5s, a pair of par 4 holes longer than 450 yards and a 258-yard par 3, the front nine is actually longer at 3,721 yards, but the back nine may be harder.

Papago has a classic risk-reward short par 4 in the 322-yard 12th (yes, the desert can come into play here) to ready you for a pretty good finishing kick that truly starts with the 585-yard, par-5 15th. Not only is 15 long, but the green is well protected by three bunkers and ample slope between pin locations.

The 442-yard 16th has two fairway bunkers along the right side to force players to work the ball down the left of the fairway or lay up short of the bunkers for a tougher angle. Then there's the 243-yard, par-4 17th. The new green here is no longer a blind shot from the tee, and there's a new fore bunker that hides the front left green area and two new bunkers to frame the back of the green to enhance the target.

Finally, the uphill, 464-yard, par-4 18th is a terrific finishing hole. You need length as well as accuracy here on this uphill fairway that turns to the right.

Papago Golf Course is also very scenic now, with the views of the buttes, surrounding mountains and city. Removing the trees really did open up the course.

The course isn't perfect yet, but it's much improved, and it still takes you back to the good old days. Play the right tees, and the course should be enjoyable for any player, and the tips are a pretty stiff test.

Fly-In Fave: Papago
Airport: Sky Harbor, Phoenix, Ariz.
Drive time from curb to clubhouse: 15 minutes

The moment I laid eyes and club head on this 46-year-old, city-owned classic old-school desert course's first tee, I knew it was a rejuvenated winner. In a valley loaded with incredible desert resort courses lined with stately saguaro and otherworldly rock formations (especially up in Scottsdale, a half hour's drive north), Papago is tree-lined throwback that doesn't scrimp on the turf coverage, is eminently walkable and holds its own in the drama department.

Local architect Billy Fuller got it right when called in to give Papago — originally laid out by Billy Bell of Torrey Pines fame — the modernization treatment. While keeping Bell's sprawling, balanced routing intact (No houses! No goofy tricks!), Fuller overhauled the tees, greens, bunkers and irrigation system so it can stand up to the wear and tear of nearly 100,000 rounds per year.

When it reopened in December, longtime local fans were all over it, packing the tee sheet and giving a nearly unanimous thumbs-up for their old friend's cleaner but not-too-slick new look. And besides, it's even more of a blast to play, with a good mix of straight and doglegging holes, semi-blind tee shots over target bunkers, stirring approaches to medium-large, beautifully rolling greens, water features that enhance instead of intrude and constant views of the almost eerie Papago bluffs that watch over the course like an ancient stone god. This old warrior is no trifling challenge, either. Three of its four 3-pars stretch to well over 200 yards from the tips; No. 17 is a 243 beast, the middle sibling in a three-hole stretch run that ranks among the toughest in the state, as far as I'm concerned — good luck getting home in two on No. 18 unless you bust your tee shot to left-center at least 260 yards.

This is big-boy (or girl) golf that relies on traditional lines and no-frills charms to make it a must-play. The new Papago is so good out of the blocks, in fact, that it's already attracted a major tour event — the new J Golf LPGA International Presented by Mirrasou Winery, March 26-29. Buying a ticket to that event would make for a great introduction to the course if you happen to be in town, and no doubt spur you to make a tee time of your own during your next trip to the Valley of the Sun.

Standing on the first tee at the newly remodeled Papago Golf Course, one thought overwhelms us as we stare out in almost disbelief at the new fairways and greens that roll up and down the hillside in seemingly every direction.

Granted, I'm not a real big Dixie Chicks fan, but I am big on the new Papago, which sits majestically on the borders of Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale. The popular municipal looks like it's been super-charged on steroids after architect Billy Fuller cleared away all the debris and rust that had built up over the past 45 years and enhanced the course's future without destroying its past.

Instead of being imprisoned in a forest of dead trees, swampy-looking ponds and worn-out turf (not to mention the dilapidated buildings) Fuller has set the new Papago free with fresh elevations and views in every direction.

Or did you not know that you can actually see Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, South Mountain, the Superstitions and even the Four Peaks at some point during your round at Papago?

Well, you can now, as Papago's new general manager, Al Murdoch, noted with a big I-told-you-so smile.

"This is such a beautiful piece of land, and such a great golf course,'' Murdoch said, pointing to the nearby red-hued buttes that rise dramatically on Papago's eastern border. "I know that it looks a lot bigger, but what Billy (Fuller) did was bring back everything (architect) Billy Bell originally did back in the '60s."

The reason the fairways look so much larger, Murdoch explained, is because now you can see them without the clutter of yesteryear. And the reason the greens appear huge, he added, is because they have been restored back to their original specs after years of overgrowth that had significantly reduced their perimeters.

Say what you want, but the Arizona Golf Association, which took on a hefty multi-million debt to spearhead the restoration, deserves a tip of the golf cap.

By Gary Van Sickle
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
Published: December 15, 2008

PHOENIX — I don't suppose there's any chance the United States Open could ever come to the greater Phoenix area. Not with the average high temperature here in June hitting 103 degrees.

If not for the Arizona heat, however, the USGA could add Papago Golf Course to its list of municipal courses on the Open rotation. The current Open munis are Torrey Pines, whose majesty was underscored by Tiger Woods and an unforgettable championship last summer; Bethpage Black, which will host its encore Open next summer; and Chambers Bay, a newcomer in Tacoma, Wash., already penciled in for the '15 Open.

It's a crazy idea, I know, but that's how much I liked playing the renovated (or should I say the new and improved?) Papago last week. The Course has long been a gem known to Phoenix area residents, but it was unknown to most of the rest of the country. I discovered it last week on the day it reopened after closing for improvements in April.

Maybe it's a stretch to think that Papago could host an Open, but it ranks with my favorite tracks in the golf-heavy Scottsdale area.

The changes added 350 yards to the course, which now stretches more than 7,300 yards. That's probably not long enough for an Open once you factor in roll and the dry desert air. Growing Open-length rough would be a challenge, too, given the amount of precious water needed. Getting the greens up to Open speeds and keeping them alive in constant 100-degree heat probably isn't realistic, either.

Like I said, it's a crazy idea as long as the Open is married to its traditional mid-June date. I bring it up only as a way to emphasize my enthusiasm for Papago. Owned by the city of Phoenix, it's one of the country's great underrated public tracks.

What's so great about it? Well, for one thing, it doesn't feel like a desert golf course. It has grass. Acres of it. It has lots of big trees and tree-lined fairways. So it's green and shady (by desert standards) and smartly routed, and you have to work pretty hard to lose a ball here (although it can be done). If you miss a fairway at most desert courses, your ball is usually lost or unplayable, or both.

Picture the Torrey Pines South Course without the ocean or the dramatic cliffs. OK, you can't. But if you could, that's Papago. It's not a coincidence. Billy Bell, who designed Torrey Pines and other California courses, designed Papago, which opened in 1963. The course hosted a U.S. Public Links Championship in '71 and has held numerous Phoenix Open qualifiers.

It was always a strong layout, but it succumbed to a lack of attention, which happens to most municipal courses. Having just discovered it myself, I can't tell you how far it fell, but I can tell you that it's an eye-opening experience now.

For starters, it's less than 10 minutes from Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. It couldn't be more convenient unless the clubhouse was at the rental car center. The renovators cleared out the underbrush and 40 years worth of debris, so I'm told, and that's why the course feels so airy and open. There are great views in every direction, a smorgasbord of mountains — the Superstitions, Camelback, South Mountain and the Four Peaks — and eerie, weather-worn red buttes worth gaping at. You don't expect that in the middle of town.

Mostly, though, I enjoyed the mildly rolling terrain, the curving fairways, the oversized bunkers and big greens. It really does have the feel of Torrey Pines, and from the back tees, it's a manly test.

I won't bore you with hole-by-hole description, but I will tell you that each nine begins with adjacent (almost identical) par-5 holes that dogleg to the right, a pair of excellent wake-up calls, and most holes are pleasantly tree-lined. Papago is a desert course that's not a desert course, and it's conveniently located. I don't why it took me so long to discover it, but I know one thing — I've got a new entry for my list of America's best public courses. I know something else, too. I'll be back.

"It has been our pleasure to work with Billy Fuller in the restoration of Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona. He created and implemented the restoration plan for Papago in the face

of a timeline from closing in April 2008 to re-opening of a fully restored Papago in November 2008.

His presence in the field and his vision of the finished product were assets to the project that can’t be valued. Billy brought a myriad of players with different agendas together into a cohesive position and plan concerning the restoration. His credibility with the contractor was invaluable in the under budget and on time success of Papago".

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Papago Golf Course, a municipal golf course in Phoenix that opened in 1963, is set to re-open for public play after shutting down in April to undergo an extensive restoration project. Play will be open to the public beginning Saturday, Dec. 6, with tee time reservations being accepted starting Thursday, Nov. 27.

“We are proud and excited to unveil the new and improved Papago Golf Course,” said John Ferenchak, President of the Arizona Golf Association Executive Committee. “This has been an exciting project and we are optimistic that Papago will once again be one of the biggest names in Arizona golf.”

The restoration project is under the direction of golf course architect and former Augusta National superintendent William “Billy” Fuller, and includes re-turfing of all the greens, tees, fairways and rough; the installation of a new irrigation system; removal of trees to improve sight lines and views; and reshaping and adding of bunkers. Tee boxes have been lengthened at holes 1, 9 and 11, adding nearly 350 yards to the course, which will play anywhere from 5,300 yards to nearly 7,400 yards from five sets of tees.

“This is a special place with a lot of history and character, and I am honored to be a part of this project,” Fuller said. “My goal from day one was to keep this restoration as close to the original design as possible, and I feel like we accomplished that.”

The restoration project is a direct result of a partnership between the City of Phoenix, the Arizona Golf Association, and the Arizona Golf Foundation, a non-profit arm of the AGA. The project is being managed by The Golf Guys, LLC, under the direction of Marvin French, one of the principals at the highly-acclaimed Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon, while recently appointed general manager Al Murdock, a 23-year veteran of the PGA, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the golf course.

Papago restoration moving along

Restoring a golf course without any of the original drawings or blueprints can be a little tricky. Fortunately for course architect Billy Fuller, there were some aerial photos available and there are plenty of golfers around the Valley with fond memories of the original design of Papago Golf Course.

Relying on those recollections, the restoration is well under way. Most of the construction has been completed and, this week, Phoenix-based Weitz Golf International began grassing the layout that once was considered among the finest municipal golf courses in the country.

"In its day, if it wasn't the best, then it was one of the best golf courses in Arizona," Arizona Golf Association executive director Ed Gowan said. "This was the place for real players. They played it a lot and that's what we want to see happen again."

Because the course drew the top golfers in its heyday and they played Papago often, Gowan and Fuller discovered that they had very detailed memories of its design.

With the benefit of that experience, crews began taking core samples of the soil and discovered that most of those memories were right on the mark. In at least one case, they found that a bunker had been added to a hole and was sitting on top of what used to be a green.

Overall, the greens had shrunk 30 to 40 percent and had flattened out from the original design of noted architect William Francis "Billy" Bell. Restoring those greens to their original size and contour is just part of the effort to return the course as closely as possible to its former glory.

In some cases, bunkers that sat above the greens in recent years originally were as much as 6 feet below the green surface, which changed strategic values. Those bunkers also have been restored and about 400 trees that were planted in the 1960s have been removed. More trees that are struggling to survive also could be removed before the course reopens in November.

The tree removal has been an important part of the project as they not only were harmful to turf growth, but also blocked the original sight lines and in one case nearly obscured a lake that has been increased in size and will regain its former prominence.

Other sight lines, highlighting the Papago buttes, also have been restored.

"My first impression was the incredible similarities to Riviera Country Club," Fuller said of the prominent course near Los Angeles that also was designed by Bell and has hosted the U.S. Open. "When I saw the movement of the property, I was quite surprised. It wasn't what I expected for a Phoenix property. The contours aren't as substantial as Riviera but they are extremely wonderful for golf."

Champions Tour player Dan Pohl predicted that Papago regulars from the 1970s will have their memories jogged when they see the completed project, but those who have played it only in recent years probably will just see "a different course."

In an effort to restore Papago, which hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1971, the city of Phoenix awarded the project to Arizona Golf Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the Arizona Golf Association. The AGA will run the course when the project is completed.

It was the only nonprofit bid the city received, and Rob Harman, who oversees the Phoenix golf program, said he is convinced that it was the right move. The selection faced opposition from some Papago regulars, including men's club members.

"It's progressing very well," said Harman, who has been involved with other turf projects on athletic fields. "Like every golf project, it might come down to the wire, but we're right on schedule. I'm very impressed with the work Weitz has done and Billy Fuller's vision for the course is just tremendous.

"There were a lot of questions because the AGA didn't have any experience in restoring golf courses, but we are thrilled with the team they put together to get this project done. Ultimately, it's still part of the city golf system, so they represent us and I think they're doing an outstanding job."

Four holes have received substantial changes, but Fuller made it clear on his first visit that most should be restored to Bell's design. With new tees added on some holes, it can play as long as 7,400 yards, about 350 yards longer than the original.

"The first thing I did was play the course," Fuller said. "When we were done I said, 'Guys, this is special. You don't want to take this and blow it up and have it become something else.' It needs to be preserved and it needs to be a restoration of what was here as close as we can get it. That has been the intent since Day One."

Papago Golf Course, the once-prestigious municipal layout that sits on the borders of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, will undergo a proposed $8.2 million renovation by the Arizona Golf Association beginning in April of 2008.

Rob Harman, the deputy director of the Phoenix City Parks and Recreation Department that oversees Papago, said Tuesday that the AGA’s request for a proposal has been approved by the city and has moved to the negotiations stage, meaning a contract is pending.

“The Arizona Golf Association has been a part of the vision of Phoenix golf for a long, long time. We (the city of Phoenix and the AGA) see the golf scene similarly, so I think it will be a great partnership,’’ Harman said. “(The City of Phoenix) already has a $12 million debt with our golf operations, so we really needed the private capital that (the AGA) can provide to turn around Papago and restore some of that prestige from yesteryear.’’

The architect the AGA is hiring is William “Billy’’ Fuller. Chief on Fuller’s resumé: he was the agronomist and groundskeeper at Augusta National for several of its projects involving the Masters over a five-year period.

Harman said. “The AGA proposal calls for closing the golf course in April and reopening it on Nov. 8, which would be in line with the grass-growing season. Some of the other proposals called for everything from not closing it at all, to closing it for two years.’