Orange Tree: Scottsdale, Arizona Course Review
The view from behind the 9th green
Jason Skoda photo
by Jason Skoda, AmateurGolf.com Player Staff
It’s clear what course designer Johnny Bulla had in
mind when designing the Orange Tree Golf Resort.
(More on Bulla, the former PGA Tour player who
lived his later years in Arizona, later.)
Lots of hazards, mostly of the bunker variety,
and a terrific closing hole, which combines to make
Orange Tree one of the most affordable and yet
challenging courses in the Scottsdale area. The tree-
lined course, which winds through the resort complex
and the local area, is a nice break from the desert
courses that define golf in the Valley of the Sun.
It tips out at 6,775 yards, and it sand plays such
a big part in the layout that it Seems like every hole
has at least four bunkers. There is a good chance
wayward shots are going to find the sand some way
or another.
The 15th hole is the epitome of the struggles all
that sand can cause. (But this doesn't apply to you,
the down the middle and on the green player!) The
188-yard shot from the tips is going to be trouble if
the ball isn’t hit flush. There is a bunker in front of
the green and one flanking each side. It’s one of
those holes where if a soft touch isn’t used on the
first bunker shot it could very well roll into another.
Another challenge on the course is the thick,
unforgiving rough that flanks the fairways. It tends
to catch the club on any shot that isn’t quick to the
ball. But if you're having trouble finding the fairway
don't worry -- Orange Tree has a solid range area
and has a John Jacobs school on site.
The tree-lined fairways make for some gorgeous
views off the tee, but if you wind up blocked it's
better to punch out and take your medicine than try
your luck at the heroic shot.
The payoff for your day at Orange Tree is the
gorgeous 403-yard, 18th hole that feeds to a small
green that is surrounded by water and cattails. It’s
the signature hole that has Bulla’s name written all
over it.
ABOUT ORANGE TREE DESIGNER JOHNNY
BULLA
Johnny Bulla, who passed away in 2011 at age
89, never won a major on the PGA Tour. But he was
runner-up four times, twice behind his friend Sam
Snead. Today's pros have a few things to thank Bulla
for. He popularized getting to tournaments by air,
after gaining his pilot's license and pitching in with
several pros to purchase a military transport plane.
And he was the first to endorse off-course sold golf
equipment, something that the PGA didn't take well
to at the time, threatening to kick him out before
Sam Snead came to his defense. As a matter of fact,
he won his only title at the Los Angeles Open playing
a discount golf ball that could be purchased for 25
cents.