After losing the title sponsor and the country club course that was the LPGA home here in prior years, there was little time to put this event together. Papago is a municipal golf course. Although it re-opened in late 2008 with an updated layout and features like a new irrigation system, the longer term plan is ongoing.
What does that mean? Amenities that one might expect at the course have not yet been built. For instance, the clubhouse at this time is still a trailer, there is no restaurant, and the golf shop is very limited. As I played, about 3 weeks before the event, there was building and maintenance activity at nearly every hole. Restrooms were being built. A facility for club storage was going up.
The Phoenix LPGA International is a televised event. My biggest concern is not how the players will react; they are professionals who play all kinds of courses in all kinds of conditions. They understand how economic conditions have affected several of their events. I am happy that new sponsors and a location could be found to keep the event in Arizona! My concern is how the course (and, therefore, Phoenix) will be portrayed on television. Let's admit it -- Papago Golf Course isn't the prettiest course. It isn't a desert course like Superstition Mountain. No saguaros and desert blooms. Papago is not surrounded by million dollar homes. It is surrounded by apartment buildings, power poles and highways. How the Phoenix LPGA International looks to the world will likely be up to the media. Will they focus on golf or on the negative? Only time will tell.
Factoid: On days when the public plays Papago Golf Course, a cart may be rented or you can walk the course.
See tournament info, map, schedule, and photos of the Phoenix LPGA International.
