Golf Course Review: The Gallery Golf Club in Marana Arizona
By Cyrus Whitney
The Gallery Golf Club in Marana, Ariz. has more than 400 members from across the United States and Canada with a big group from Minnesota.
The owner and management are big supporters of golf and have hosted many Arizona Golf Association Events including the State Amateur. We have also supported the local PGA chapter as well as high school and junior golf . The Club has also hosted the Pacific Coast Amateur and the Pac-10 Championship.
We were fortunate enough to host the Accenture World Match Play for two years as well as The Tucson Open PGA Tour event.
The facility includes two 18 hole courses along with practice facility, health club and an award-winning club house. The North Course was opened in 1998 and was designed by Tom Lehman and John Fought.
The North Course
The course travels through canyons of the Tortalita Mountains . The course has wide landing areas and large greens. There are more than 100 bunkers on the course and most holes have great views .
The signature hole is the par-5 9th. The hole is 725 yards down hill into the prevailing wind. It is well bunkered and has a lake in play in the lay up area. The North Course is outstanding desert golf and certainly memorable.
The South Course
The South Course was opened in 2002 and was designed by John Fought. Fought used styles best know by Donald Ross in designing the South Course and although fairways are generous and greens are large, the South is more difficult that the North.
Many greens and fairways tilt away from center. The course travels down hill for the first seven holes, reverses and climbs back to the club house. The course has a unique feature on the par-3 14th. The hole is played from 150 to 200 yard and has two separate greens. There is also a tee near the fourth green that enables a player to play from the opposite side and continue to the 15 hole. This allows the player to play a nine hole loop since the regular course does not return to clubhouse at the ninth hole.
Signature hole is the par-4 4th, which can stretch to 500 yards. With a large lake on the right side, a player can bite off as much of the lake as he dare with his tee shot. Even from the men's tees, many players wind up with 200 yards left.
Both courses offer many sets of tees with both tipping out around 7,400 yards.
The club has built walking paths and over 50 percent of members walk. It is not unusual to encounter wildlife during your round.
There is a good group of players in the club, including five that managed to qualify for USGA events over the past few years . With approximately 35 percent of members full time there is always a game to be had. The peak season is December to April and although the club is private there is limited outside play available.