Papago

Of all of the terminology specific to golf, perhaps no term has changed in perception over the years as much as “muni.”

There was a time when “muni” almost invariably was preceded by the adjective “hardscrabble.” The term conjured images of hitting battered range balls off scruffy mats to a flat, dirt range with makeshift “greens” marked by rickety pins topped by tattered flags. Conditions got only marginally better when you reached the first tee.

No more. That quickly becomes apparent when scanning the 2009 list of Golfweek’s Best Municipal Courses. The top three courses – Bethpage Black (2009), Chambers Bay (2015) and Torrey Pines South (2008) – are U.S. Open venues. And many others, including fifth-ranked TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, host the major pro tours.

In some cases, municipalities have spent tax dollars lavishly to build or upgrade facilities such as Chambers Bay, Indian Wells Golf Resort and Harding Park, which will host the Presidents Cup this fall. One can debate whether those outlays make for good public policy, but they’ve resulted in courses that grade well not just in the muni category, but fare well against more ballyhooed public-access facilities.

Courses such as Piñon Hills in New Mexico, Thunderhawk in Illinois, George Wright Municipal in Massachusetts and Sand Creek Station in Kansas have for years been fixtures on the Golfweek’s Best lists of top courses in their respective states.

Suffice it to say, this isn’t the “muni” golf of our youths. And for that, we all can be thankful.

– Martin Kaufmann

Golfweek’s Best: Municipal Courses (2008–09)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb.5, 2009 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Tournament

Golf Foundation (TGF) today announce that the 2009 Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirassou will be played March 26-29 at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, Ariz. Owned by the City of Phoenix since 1963, and long considered one of the country’s finest and most popular municipal golf courses, Papago underwent an extensive restoration project in 2008. The course reopened to residents of Phoenix in December 2008 and is already receiving accolades from the golf industry for its new and improved look. (read full article)

Facelift brings back glory of Papago Golf Course in Phoenix - but with modern flair

PHOENIX - There was a time when Arizona golfers used to spend the night in their cars for a weekend tee time at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. Those days have been gone for quite some time. The years, and 100,000 rounds a year, had not been kind to this 1963 William Bell classic. It was time for major reconstructive surgery.

This month, after a six-month operation and recovery, a more youthful Papago was unveiled. Now with modern greens, a 21st century irrigation system and a little more length, Papago has become a lot more than a shell of its former self; it's reinvented (read full article)

By Gary Van Sickle
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
Published: December 15, 2008

PHOENIX — I don't suppose there's any chance the United States Open could ever come to the greater Phoenix area. Not with the average high temperature here in June hitting 103 degrees.

If not for the Arizona heat, however, the USGA could add Papago Golf Course to its list of municipal courses on the Open rotation. The current Open munis are Torrey Pines, whose majesty was underscored by Tiger Woods and an unforgettable championship last summer; Bethpage Black, which will host its encore Open next summer; and Chambers Bay, a newcomer in Tacoma, Wash., already penciled in for the '15 Open. (more)

Fly-In Fave: Papago
Airport: Sky Harbor, Phoenix, Ariz.
Drive time from curb to clubhouse: 15 minutes

The moment I laid eyes and club head on this 46-year-old, city-owned classic old-school desert course's first tee, I knew it was a rejuvenated winner. In a valley loaded with incredible desert resort courses lined with stately saguaro and otherworldly rock formations (especially up in Scottsdale, a half hour's drive north), Papago is tree-lined throwback that doesn't scrimp on the turf coverage, is eminently walkable and holds its own in the drama department.

Local architect Billy Fuller got it right when called in to give Papago — originally laid out by Billy Bell of Torrey Pines fame — the modernization treatment. While keeping Bell's sprawling, balanced routing intact (No houses! No goofy tricks!), Fuller overhauled the tees, greens, bunkers and irrigation system so it can stand up to the wear and tear of nearly 100,000 rounds per year. (more)

Standing on the first tee at the newly remodeled Papago Golf Course, one thought overwhelms us as we stare out in almost disbelief at the new fairways and greens that roll up and down the hillside in seemingly every direction.

"It has been our pleasure to work with Billy Fuller in the restoration of Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona. He created and implemented the restoration plan for Papago in the face

of a timeline from closing in April 2008 to re-opening of a fully restored Papago in November 2008.

His presence in the field and his vision of the finished product were assets to the project that can’t be valued. Billy brought a myriad of players with different agendas together into a cohesive position and plan concerning the restoration. His credibility with the contractor was invaluable in the under budget and on time success of Papago".

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Papago Golf Course, a municipal golf course in Phoenix that opened in 1963, is set to re-open for public play after shutting down in April to undergo an extensive restoration project. Play will be open to the public beginning Saturday, Dec. 6, with tee time reservations being accepted starting Thursday, Nov. 27.

“We are proud and excited to unveil the new and improved Papago Golf Course,” said John Ferenchak, President of the Arizona Golf Association Executive Committee. “This has been an exciting project and we are optimistic that Papago will once again be one of the biggest names in Arizona golf.” (full article)

Papago restoration moving along

Restoring a golf course without any of the original drawings or blueprints can be a little tricky.

Fortunately for course architect Billy Fuller, there were some aerial photos available and there are plenty of golfers around the Valley with fond memories of the original design of Papago Golf Course.

Relying on those recollections, the restoration is well under way. Most of the construction has been completed and, this week, Phoenix-based Weitz Golf International began grassing the layout that once was considered among the finest municipal golf courses in the country.

"In its day, if it wasn't the best, then it was one of the best golf courses in Arizona," Arizona Golf Association executive director Ed Gowan said. "This was the place for real players. They played it a lot and that's what we want to see happen again."

Because the course drew the top golfers in its heyday and they played Papago often, Gowan and Fuller discovered that they had very detailed memories of its design.

With the benefit of that experience, crews began taking core samples of the soil and discovered that most of those memories were right on the mark. In at least one case, they found that a bunker had been added to a hole and was sitting on top of what used to be a green.

Overall, the greens had shrunk 30 to 40 percent and had flattened out from the original design of noted architect William Francis "Billy" Bell. Restoring those greens to their original size and contour is just part of the effort to return the course as closely as possible to its former glory.

In some cases, bunkers that sat above the greens in recent years originally were as much as 6 feet below the green surface, which changed strategic values. Those bunkers also have been restored and about 400 trees that were planted in the 1960s have been removed. More trees that are struggling to survive also could be removed before the course reopens in November.

The tree removal has been an important part of the project as they not only were harmful to turf growth, but also blocked the original sight lines and in one case nearly obscured a lake that has been increased in size and will regain its former prominence.

Other sight lines, highlighting the Papago buttes, also have been restored.

"My first impression was the incredible similarities to Riviera Country Club," Fuller said of the prominent course near Los Angeles that also was designed by Bell and has hosted the U.S. Open. "When I saw the movement of the property, I was quite surprised. It wasn't what I expected for a Phoenix property. The contours aren't as substantial as Riviera but they are extremely wonderful for golf."

Champions Tour player Dan Pohl predicted that Papago regulars from the 1970s will have their memories jogged when they see the completed project, but those who have played it only in recent years probably will just see "a different course."

In an effort to restore Papago, which hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1971, the city of Phoenix awarded the project to Arizona Golf Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the Arizona Golf Association. The AGA will run the course when the project is completed.

It was the only nonprofit bid the city received, and Rob Harman, who oversees the Phoenix golf program, said he is convinced that it was the right move. The selection faced opposition from some Papago regulars, including men's club members.

"It's progressing very well," said Harman, who has been involved with other turf projects on athletic fields. "Like every golf project, it might come down to the wire, but we're right on schedule. I'm very impressed with the work Weitz has done and Billy Fuller's vision for the course is just tremendous.

"There were a lot of questions because the AGA didn't have any experience in restoring golf courses, but we are thrilled with the team they put together to get this project done. Ultimately, it's still part of the city golf system, so they represent us and I think they're doing an outstanding job."

Four holes have received substantial changes, but Fuller made it clear on his first visit that most should be restored to Bell's design. With new tees added on some holes, it can play as long as 7,400 yards, about 350 yards longer than the original.

"The first thing I did was play the course," Fuller said. "When we were done I said, 'Guys, this is special. You don't want to take this and blow it up and have it become something else.' It needs to be preserved and it needs to be a restoration of what was here as close as we can get it. That has been the intent since Day One."

Papago Golf Course, the once-prestigious municipal layout that sits on the borders of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, will undergo a proposed $8.2 million renovation by the Arizona Golf Association beginning in April of 2008.

Rob Harman, the deputy director of the Phoenix City Parks and Recreation Department that oversees Papago, said Tuesday that the AGA’s request for a proposal has been approved by the city and has moved to the negotiations stage, meaning a contract is pending.

“The Arizona Golf Association has been a part of the vision of Phoenix golf for a long, long time. We (the city of Phoenix and the AGA) see the golf scene similarly, so I think it will be a great partnership,’’ Harman said. “(The City of Phoenix) already has a $12 million debt with our golf operations, so we really needed the private capital that (the AGA) can provide to turn around Papago and restore some of that prestige from yesteryear.’’

The architect the AGA is hiring is William “Billy’’ Fuller. Chief on Fuller’s resumé: he was the agronomist and groundskeeper at Augusta National for several of its projects involving the Masters over a five-year period.

Harman said. “The AGA proposal calls for closing the golf course in April and reopening it on Nov. 8, which would be in line with the grass-growing season. Some of the other proposals called for everything from not closing it at all, to closing it for two years.’