Scottsdale-based golf course architect Gary Panks and 1981 U.S. Open Champion David Graham designed the par 72, 7,078-yard golf course Raven Golf Club at South Mountain in 1995. Moving 800,000 cubic yards of dirt and carving the Raven out of a cotton field along Baseline Road and 36th Street in Phoenix was no small task. Today its unique level of service, playable parkland layout (more than 7,000 pine trees were transplanted along the fairways) and premiere course conditions make the Raven South Mountain a top choice for locals and golf travelers. Golf Digest magazine has named the Raven No.1 in North America for customer service. And since its opening the facility has hosted Arizona

Course Condition Longtime golf course superintendent Scott Anderson is considered one of the top agronomists in the state and his leadership skills produce top-notch conditions. During the winter months, when the ryegrass fairways and poa and bentgrass greens are at their best, the firm putting surfaces are some of the best in the Valley. The Par 4s There

Where

The Par 3s Four unique holes, offering various lengths and directions, offer plenty of challenge and intrigue. They range from No. 2, a 137-yarder surrounded by a monstrous bunker on two sides, to No. 7, an uphill 221-yard test with a lake on the left. No. 11, at 195 yards, and No. 14, at 167 yards, is often played into the wind on the inward nine. The Par 5s Two reachable par 5s, the 526-yard ninth and the 519-yard 12th, offset two very long par 5s. No. 4 usually plays into the wind and stretches to 596 yards with a green protected by a huge expanse bunker on the right. No. 17, at 593 yards, requires two spectacular shots to reach in two. Panks and Graham designed all the par 5s with subtle challenges and ample bunkering. Playability and Challenge Perhaps the defining characteristics of the course are its playability and challenge as players of every skill level are drawn to the course, but are still tested depending on the hole locations and conditions. Errant tee shots may be found between the pine trees, but recovering for par is not an easy task as plenty of well-placed bunkers make approach shots a challenge. The course may be played from 5,759 to 7,078 yards and it

Food and Beverage A point of pride for the facility, it goes beyond exceptional food on the menu at The Raven Grill, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An outdoor grill at the turn, called Frank

Affordability Green fees, for such a highly rated golf course (one of nine in the Valley of the Sun to be given 4.5 stars by Golf Digest), are a great value. They range from shoulder season rates in October ($89 to $129) to a peak season rate of $160 seven days a week mid-January until May. Banquets and Tournaments A practice facility right off the clubhouse, a playable golf course, an ideal pace of play, an onsite food and beverage facility with the pavilion that overlooks the 18th green, a scoreboard outside the Raven Grill and nationally-acclaimed service. With new chairs and barstools, fresh paint and spiffy carpeting the Grill is a fine-tuned sports bar. Five brand new LCD TV

3636 East Baseline Road Phoenix, AZ 85040 Phone: (602) 243-3636 Web site: www.ravenatsouthmountain.com Par: 72 Yardage: 5,759 to 7,078 yards