42660 West El Rancho Dorado Pkwy., Maricopa, AZ, 85138
The Duke Golf Club at Rancho El Dorado may not get the attention of the highest profile courses in the Scottsdale/Phoenix golf realm, but locals from all over the region make tee times on this fun playing field that provides excellent bang for your buck. Located in Maricopa in the far southeastern reaches of the Valley, the course known as The Duke'' earned Arizona Travel Golf magazine s award for Best New Course in Arizona in 2003. The Duke Golf Club at Rancho El Dorado is the centerpiece of a master-planned community backdropped by the Sierra Estrella Mountains. Though the course winds through the neighborhood and houses surround the golf grounds, the homes are generally well removed from the action. A desert wash makes its way through the pleasing layout that features wide fairways, unthreatening rough, and expansive desert areas. At about 7,000 yards from the tips, The Duke Golf Club at Rancho El Dorado isn t a pushover but it s an attractively varied, straightforward test that even inexperienced golfers can handle. Five sets of tee markers give players all skill levels an appropriate distance to hit from. The fairways usually yield plenty of run out. While the rough is not threatening, it may save your ball from going into the more threatening and unpredictable desert/ natural areas. Water only enters the fray on two holes the pretty par-3 5th, where you must carry a lake on your tee shot, and the par-5 18th holes, where you can play around a lake or take it on if you want to go for the green in two. The Duke Golf Club at Rancho El Dorado boasts very large undulating greens that are tricky to read. The putting surfaces will challenge skilled players. The Duke also boasts impressive practice facilities. You ll find a driving range, a chipping area with a practice bunker, and an elegant putting green. Inside the clubhouse you ll find a pro shop along with a bar and restaurant. Though it may not be centrally located in the Phoenix/Scottsdale golf mecca, the fun, user-friendly Duke Golf Club at Rancho El Dorado stands out in a pretty setting in Maricopa with its attractively priced tee times.
