The Boys of Spring

by Victor Williams

Springtime golf in Arizona means longer sunsets and some serious afternoon play.

The American holidays are all about family, food, football, Santa’s gift-giving festivities and, for us die-hard golfers, getaway golf — or delicious stay-at-home golf if you happen to live in Arizona or other Points South. There’s simply no room left for anything else, especially baseball.

Besides, it’s winter, and in a big chunk of FG’s read-o-sphere, it’s colder than that old first baseman’s glove your kid left on the front porch in September. Baseball is in hibernation and its loyal minions dream of Opening Day way off next April. The World Series is a distant vapor. And for thousands of fans who switch-hit from the diamond to the fairway, golf is a dicey proposition. Better to chill the sticks along with the horsehide, break out the boards, hit the slopes and wait for the first blush of spring.

Then again, it’s tough for dedicated duffers to abandon the cause for three whole months. Good thing there’s a way to work both golf and some serious, sun-splash baseball worship into the calendar a little earlier next year, and every year. It’s called the Cactus League — the western portion of Major League Baseball’s spring-training schedule — and it just so happens to take place in the desert golf capital of America: Phoenix-Scottsdale-Mesa.

Every March, established stars, up-and-comers and raw rookies from nine teams (12 if you count the three who train in Tucson) work out the kinks in seven ballparks, giving hometown fans an up-close-and-personal look at their heroes as they gear up for the regular season. Kids load up on autographs and cheer in the stands as mom and dad join in the fun and, of course, think about what they’re gonna do after the game. With temperatures in the 70s and 80s and hundreds of golf courses — some of them among the nation’s highest-ranked resort tracks, with four-star accommodations to match — it’s obvious what’s on hackers’ minds.

“The only time they need to be away from the golf course is noon to 3 o’clock,” says Doug MacKenzie, director of communications for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau. “All the games start at 1, they’re convenient, and the ballparks are close in. You can play 18 in the morning, usually walk up and get tickets, get some sun, take a break, then go back for another 18 afterwards.”

And for those three hours, golfers can forget the bogeys and plot their next career-best score while relaxing in a laid-back family atmosphere. “The games really are a lot of fun,” MacKenzie says. “You get to see some of the major players up front. There are some good crowds, good camaraderie, and it’s a great way to bring the family out to see the game — and enjoy yourself with some cold beverages.”

That sounds pretty darned good to folks from America’s northern tier or wherever the weather is on the nasty side from November through March. And since a lot of Arizona’s winter visitors are long gone, it’s the right time to wedge in a special spring break.

“It has such a great impact on the valley as a whole in terms of springtime visitors from key markets,” says Mark McDermott of the Fountain Hills Visitors Bureau, where the stellar We-Ko-Pa and several other high-ranked public courses attract visitors who want quick access to games without having to head downtown.

“Fans interested in golf are seeking out the best courses because they tend to be a higher-value visitor at that time of year. They’re coming from farther away and have more discretionary income.”

MacKenzie agrees: “It’s perfect. The weather is really phenomenal. March is one of our busiest months. There’s good golf every morning. In the fall it’s tricky because you’ve got some overseeding, but everybody is open for business in March. And it stays light out a little longer so you can catch some late holes.”

Beyond the spot-on temps and top-notch playing conditions, there’s the ease of access. Southwest, US Air and other carriers offer plenty of flights into Phoenix, and it’s a scant two-hour jaunt or less from all major West Coast cities. In addition, many smaller airlines now offer frequent flights into Mesa’s Williams Gateway Airport from cities such as North Las Vegas, Chicago, Bellingham, Wash., and Reno, Nev.

Once you get off the plane and rent the wheels, seven bandbox ballparks are within quick reach. No matter which team they follow — the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale, the Milwaukee Brewers or Oakland A’s in Phoenix, the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, the Seattle Mariners or San Diego Padres in Peoria, the Texas Rangers or Kansas City Royals in Surprise, the Chicago Cubs in Mesa (the Diamondbacks, White Sox and Rockies play in Tucson) — Cactus League golf vacationers benefit from not having to leave their immediate area to log some serious hours on or near the green, green grasses of the fairways and diamonds.

Though the Valley of the Sun as a whole comprises one of America’s fastest growing metropolitan areas with all the fixings, including brutal rush-hour traffic, stadiums are within easy reach of one another.

“Because there are so many golf courses and the proximity of spring training, they’re not driving all around. If you plan to play golf in the area, you can plan to play close to those ballparks,” MacKenzie says.

Most fans stay “three and a half to four days” on average, he adds, and their itineraries are rarely limited to golf and baseball, thought there’s more than enough of both to fill an epic two-weeker. Many folks like to venture farther into the wondrous desertscape beyond the irrigated fields to experience what Arizona is really all about.

“People who come out to watch spring training are generally outdoors people, so they’ll do a combination of golf, hikes, horseback riding, things where they can really enjoy the outdoors,” MacKenzie says. “It’s a slice of heaven to come down and enjoy the weather.” Or a hook of heaven, depending on your swing path.

Speaking of which, Phoenix-Scottsdale-Mesa, and Tucson to the south, boast incredible golf and recreation-based resorts that can break the budget if you want to go all out, as well as a slew of public courses for the more bargain-minded. We’re talking well more than 250 courses to choose from in central and southern Arizona. Sure, a lot of the most well-known are private — Desert Mountain, the Golf Club at Scottsdale, Grayhawk and many more — but the daily-fee resort lineup is stellar as well, led by such immaculate layouts as The Phoenician, Troon North and Talking Stick in Scottsdale, The Boulders and Legend Trail in Carefree, McCormick Ranch, Raven and Dove Valley in Phoenix, SunRidge Canyon and We-Ko-Pa in Fountain Hills and Ocotillo in Chandler. And then there’s the often-overlooked Mesa courses such as Las Sendas and Longbow.

Down Interstate 10 in quieter, more old-school-pueblo-style Tucson, Westward Look, Tucson National and Starr Pass are all worth a visit, and in the mountains between the two cities is Ventana Canyon, a sublime retreat with an incredible golf course. Stay-and-play lodging packages are as numerous as the courses themselves, ranging from affordable one- or two-day getaways to full-blown multi-course, mega-day stays complete with spa visits and other activities.

In centrally located Mesa, for instance, packages start at $89 per person, with dozens of golf courses within a 20-minute radius.

The main thing is to make the commitment and get out there. Spring training is a national tradition, golf is your passion, and the family’s getting cabin fever — the good folks in Arizona can take care of all three with sunny aplomb, and turn that inning-based golf outing into a thing of beauty and a home run of a vacation. FG

 

Spring Into Action

Phoenix-Scottsdale Visitors Bureau www.visitphoenix.com

Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau www.visitmesa.com

Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau www.visittucson.org

Major League Baseball Cactus League www.cactusleagueinfo.com

 

Williams Gateway Airport, Mesa

www.flywga.org