OK this is not hard to review this dump. Lets just start out by saying great layout with great potential. Problem? They are not taking care of this place at all. No Pride? No Money? What is it? This course is the definition of "Goat Track" to the point. We pull into parking lot at see the practice putting green. LOL, you got to be kidding me. This sets you up for knowing what you just wasted your green fees on. On a scale of 1-10 they don't hit the scale. Horrible with growth and patches of dirt everywhere. Bunkers? What bunkers? They have grass growing in them with no sand. The layout is execptional with alot of character only to see that they are not spending any money on the course. Sad. Don't waste a dollar on this one. Its a dump. I could go on and on with this one but I will leave it at what it is. A GOAT TRACK!

Customer Service

Customer Service? Really? At the Casino we found a bunch of unhappy looking employees like others have mentioned with no desire to set the bar on their customer service. 15 minutes just to get our drinks at the Buffet. Buffet? Ouch, thats another story.

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None ever played in this poor of shape.

Date Played May 2010

So we read up on Apache stronghold in the golfers guide to the valley and thought it would be worth the 1.5-2 hour drive up to play the stronghold. Pristine desert conditions on a difficult layout sounded like a fun day of golf with a day trip past the mines near Superior and Globe.

I have never played on such an ill-maintained course and this track is on the verge of going under. The back two teeboxes are almost completely overgrown and little grass exists from the tips or championship boxes. The fairways were heavily overwatered and not mown and the bunkers were all filled with weeds and hardpan. No bunker on the course had the proper sand or had seen a rake in about 4 years. The cartpaths are not marked very well and we had a hard time finding the teeboxes through the encroaching desert reclaiming its rightful spot. We were the only ones on the entire course and didn't see another person after we teed off. Fun to have your own private golf course but with such bad conditions I couldn't say that it was worth it. Nobody was at the pro shop when we returned as they all had gone home as well so it was like we really did own the place. The greens are the only place on the course where any maint. has been done but they are bumpy with many patches of killed grass and its like putting through a minefield almost every time. The greens were super slow and like putting on a carpet with the grass being as long as it was. Better bring your driver if you have an uphill upgrain putt.

For 35 dollars it was definitely not worth the greens fees (might want to call them desert fees really) and with the drive there and back I can't suggest anyone play this course. Although glimpses of its former glory can be seen in the layout of certain holes, the lack of maintenance has destroyed in 10 years what was rated the best public course in Arizona in the early 2000s. After playing read the blurb in the golfers guide and clearly the pictures of the course were from the day it opened. Hopefully new management procedures can bring this course back to its former glory.

My son and I played a round here on October 12, 2007. Although the course maintenance could be improved, it was one of my most pleasant and stimulating rounds(and this after just playing Troon North (2), Grayhawk (2), and Boulders). The setting is breathtaking (the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation), and you will get to tee off from some magnificent locations. If you want to gamble and are a long hitter, you can take a shortcut to a par 5 and have a short iron in. There is also a well bunkered four that you can reach in one if you hit it straight. The course finishes with a terrific elevated tee on 18. If you like the desert but do not like to see homes lining the fairways, this is the place to play. Oh, and it is a picturesque 90-mile drive east of Phoenix. Bring your camera. I have played Bandon and Pebble Beach--Apache Stronghold holds up well in this reporter's opinion.

Customer Service

The staff was friendly and accommodating.

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Troon North, Grayhawk, Boulders, Tucson National.

A great design, but compromised by poor maintenance and conditioning practices. Most holes are isolated in unspoiled desert wilderness, with great views from several ridges (be sure to hike up to the tips on #18 for a spectacular 360-degree panorama). This is exceptionally natural golf, with exciting strategy instilled through lay-of-the-land architecture that takes full advantage of the raw desert features. There are many forced carries over dry washes and scrub, but they are generally less difficult than they first appear. The greens contain wild contours that, if kept firm, would add so much more interest to approaches and the short game, but sadly, their bite is subdued by extreme overwatering. The dormant Bermuda fairways were in good shape and running fast, but the bentgrass tees were chewed up, bunker liners were starting to work free around the edges, and a couple of greens were struggling after poor sod repairs. It can be a difficult walk despite the many shortcut walker paths; some are not well-marked and they wind through rough desert scrub (high snake risk in the summer), but staying on the cart paths would add hundreds of yards to total walking distance. Even with the conditioning issues, the architectural merit is worth the $55 and the scenic drive from the Valley.

I played Apache Stronghold the first week of Oct 2005 after a long hot summer I've been told. The reviews dating back to 2001 do not do this course justice.This course was in excellent shape and what a fabulous overall golf experience.We travelled from Canada and stayed at the resort for three days. The golf package , rooms, meals, green fees cannot be matched for overall value. We are looking forward to our next trip and we will be playing and staying longer. If you have any doubts about this resort..? don't..we had a great time here in every way.

The course design is exceptional, blending with the natural terrain, which offers magnificent views.

The ratings and slope from the red tees seem a bit low.

The condition of the course must have improved dramatically since the Feb. 27, 2003 review by Ed Cates. I played it a year ago and it was 1,000 percent better when I played it this week. There are still some thin spots in a few fairways, but overall it's vastly improved. It will be even better when the turf is replaced with Bermuda in a couple of months. It is a treat to play this outstanding course.

Customer Service

Excellent.

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The golf package the resort offers is an excellent value. And service in the casino was very efficient.

The length of the course was a challange. Rooms were nice.

You name it.

This was one of the worst courses I have ever played. I never got a good lie in the fairway. The majority of the course was hardpan. It was not a diamond in the desert it was a 3 hour waste of time driving back and forth from Mesa. Who ever rated this course in the top 100 in the nation has no business golfing. Don't visit the casino either. Anytime you have to cash out over $50 you WILL WAIT for over and hour.

Vistas on the back 9. Breathtaking...

Absolutely NONE.

Tom Doak did a sensational job with this golf course. Though it lacks the conditioning of a high-end public course, it's conditioning and exceptional design fit the landscape perfectly. Playing Apache Stronghold is an unforgettable experience.

Customer Service

Staff was very accommodating.

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While small, the pro shop offered a nice selection of merchandise (right down to the personalized bag tag).

Layout, Greens, Location, Service

None

Absolutely gorgeous course in the middle of the desert. No homes, just you and the golf course. Extremely well maintained. Outstanding layout with at least five different sets of tees and large, undulating greens.

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None

Greens, although brown, were smooth, large and challenging.

Price, distance, course conditions, no beverage cart to appease the disappointment of driving so far for so little.

After reading the commentary from a previous writer I took a chance and drove 2 hours to see for myself. I felt the 5 star rating and price deserved a trial because of the high rates and crowded conditions in Phoenix. I convinced my brother in law to go with me (a low handicapper) saying I believed I discovered a diamond in the rough.

Well, I was both disappointed and embarrassed. The course deserves no bettter than a 2 to 3 rating as the discounted price of $59 was not worth the gas nor time spent to get there. The fairways were like rough, and the weeds were more prominent than the flowering desert. The greens were in good condition but too difficult for anyone trying to find some saving grace for the course.

In summary we wasted 4 hours driving to a course that was no better than several courses in the valley at a similar price. What was the guy from Lethbridge, Alberta smoking when he rated this course. Or was he really a Promoter for Apache Stronghold?

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This is a $30 green fee at best for all day golfing. They really want you to go to the casino and spend your money.