The Raven at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona

The owners' directive seemed simple enough; "Transform a flat cotton field in South Phoenix into a non-desert world class golf facility." With no natural features to work with, and only eighteen feet of fall across the entire property, The Raven at South Mountain is a classic example of imagination and vision in golf course architecture.

With an owner committed to high quality, approximately 715,000 cubic yards of dirt was moved to sculpt gentle mounds to frame golf holes, challenging chipping areas around the greens, and beautiful lakes. Over ten thousand, one gallon ornamental plants and native grasses were planted, over one thousand pine trees were planted, and 45,000 bales of pine needles were trucked in from Georgia to cover any exposed dirt. Designed as a Midwest style golf course in the middle of the desert, The Raven was built and open for play in twelve months. Two months after opening, The Raven at South Mountain was named the #2 ranked public course in the entire golf rich state Arizona, and has continued to be a favorite for its' playabilty, drama, and versatility.

The Raven designed and built during Gary Stephenson's tenure as Senior Designer with GPI.





  

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