LEGEND TRAIL GOLF CLUB
A Western Experience: Legend Trail Golf Course

Par: 72
Yardage: 5,000-6,845

Rees Jones, the younger son of the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr., was the creator of Legend Trail Golf Course, a cowboy-themed golf club that delivers plenty of kick. Cut out of the high Sonoran Desert on the edge of North Scottsdale and Carefree, Legend Trail never has looked better since it was sold in 2004 to the Scottsdale Golf Group.

Despite lots of movement and large fairway and greenside bunkers that were recently renovated, the Legend Trail Golf Course is quite playable. That's because the younger Jones did an excellent job of keeping the golf course in front of the player. Or, as Rees likes to tell it, "Legend Trail is a traditional desert golf course".

Jones eases you into the fray with some relatively friendly par-4s, but like all good layouts the shots from the island-like tees get harder. The front nine takes flight at the signature seventh hole, a 490-yard par-5 that is reachable in two shots. The back nine also is quite memorable, especially the 16th and 17th holes, which are rare back-to-back par-5s that roll up and down the emerald-green fairways for 530 and 525 yards, respectively.

Steve Nicodemus' Tip: Legend Trail Golf Course is one of the best-conditioned courses in the Valley, a nice blend of desert and traditional golf. The par-5s you can score on-they're all reachable in two shots-and the par-3s are all scenic with lots of elevation changes. For North Scottsdale, Legend Trail is hard to beat on several levels, including the price point. And they serve a great chicken quesadilla.