READER MARSHAL REVIEW

Tucson's Starr Pass is no pushover

By Ron Reece, Internet Golf Guy

I had not played Starr Pass since my college days at the University of Arizona. In those days, I drank as much beer as I could, lost most of my balls and hit on as many beer cart babes as my heart would let me.

And those were the good old days. Starr Pass was a TPC course that was about as difficult to master as it was for me to date a quality girl. Yes, those were "the days". Lute Olsen's Wildcat basketball teams had stars like Steve Kerr, Matt Othic and Sean Elliot. My golf game always sucked, yet I continued to play the most difficult golf courses knowing my charge account at the local Vans Pro Shop was still good. It's taken many years for this hack to finally figure out that I should try to play less challenging courses.

Ahh, but I enjoyed coming back to play the "new" Starr Pass.

One thing is for certain, much of the desert scenery has been replaced with fairway vistas dotting the landscape. I don’t care how good of attempt it was to blend in the houses with cacti and red rock, I didn’t fly down to Arizona from my winter wonderland in the northwest to check out the latest in suburban architecture. I came to Arizona with the same reason everyone else has: to get lost in the desert and play some pretty good golf doing it.

Well, Starr Pass is, by no means, a pushover now. The front nine is solid, and it is still outdone by the magnificent back side. The 15th and 16th holes both are legitimate signature holes on any Arizona course. And one of the best aspects of the back nine is the abundant attempts to birdie -- and even more to blow a good score. Isn’t that what TPC golf is all about? Plenty of drama awaited me and my foursome without the big purse and bustling gallery.

Starr Pass offers some of the best amenities in Tucson. The restaurant is top notch and the food is so good, many Tucsonans drive to Starr Pass just to eat. The locker room is first rate.

The "new Starr Pass" is a difficult round of golf. In that way, it really hasn't changed. But today's Starr Pass is more fair and offers a great challenge that teams with gorgeous views. Starr Pass is one of the few courses in Tuscon that combines a well designed course with great amenities. You will be in awe of the scenery, but only quality sticks need to show up.

Ron Reece is an amateur hack who golfs all over the world. He is a regular golf blogger on many web sites including Netcaddie.com.