When we visited, the building housing the bar and pro shop seemed pretty bare bones. There is no opulent clubhouse and pro shop like you may find elsewhere in some of the other courses. However, the proshop is well stocked with a lot of unique merchandise featuring their logo, which I think looks pretty dang sharp. There is a casual bar/restaurant called Slice 19 on site as well.
I believe there is an event center located behind the clubhouse for hosting weddings and events but that is a separate building I did not go into.
The Chimera sculpture near the driving range is one of the first things you will see when you pull up to drop off your clubs.
While the course is the center of a planned community, it doesn't suffer the claustrophobia that can plague a lot of these type of courses. Construction continues to surround the course as you can see from this Google image. I dont see the continues development causing problems as the holes are sufficiently wide to not be a problem, even once all the lots are full.
The course tops out at 6,906 yards from the tips. In keeping with the club's name the tees are themed off of the mythical Chimera:
| Tee | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pegasus | 6,906 | 72.4 | 132 |
| Serpent | 6,530 | 70.4 | 127 |
| Goat | 6,135 | 67.7 | 123 |
| Lion | 5,616 | - | - |
The course features Bermuda greens and fairways. A lot of mature palm trees are on property along with water in play on 4 of the holes. These 4 holes happen to make good use of the water, making for some of the more memorable holes during the round.
For my round I played with my wife and one of her co-workers. I played my own clubs but they rented clubs. The clubs provided were nice new Callaway sticks.
The course offers a nice large range to warm up on. There is (or will soon be) a golf academy offered at Chimera with club fitting and launch monitors available.
The range area is kept dormant with artificial turf greens. A great idea in my opinion in the desert climate. The range tops out around 280 yards from the furthest but a net at the end makes hitting through the range unlikely.
There is also a putting green across the parking lot from the range. It also features a chipping area and a large bunker for sand practice. One more green sits next to the first tee.
For my round I played with my wife and one of her co-workers. I played my own clubs but they rented clubs. The clubs provided were nice new Callaway sticks.
The course offers a nice large range to warm up on. There is (or will soon be) a golf academy offered at Chimera with club fitting and launch monitors available.
The range area is kept dormant with artificial turf greens. A great idea in my opinion in the desert climate. The range tops out around 280 yards from the furthest but a net at the end makes hitting through the range unlikely.
There is also a putting green across the parking lot from the range. It also features a chipping area and a large bunker for sand practice. One more green sits next to the first tee.
Hole 1 Par 4
394 | 374 | 356 | 321
The opening hole sits adjacent to the clubhouse. It plays nearly straight away with just a slight bend to the left as you approach the green. Off the tee you do have to clear water that sits directly in front of the tee boxes. This should not really come into play, being only about 100 yards to carry; but with the first tee jitters, one never knows.
Down the left side of the hole is a fairly open gravely desert-type terrain. A smattering of trees runs down this area making shots hit down this side no certainty to advance.
More pressing trouble lies in the form of a pair of bunker down the right side of the hole. It is around 250 yards to reach these from the back tees.
From the forward tees, the water is no longer in play and the hole offers up a pretty wide landing zone.
The pair of bunkers that are the primary defense off the tee also mark where the hole turns to the left slightly. From this point the approach in is less that 150 yards.
On your second shot you must avoid a trio of bunkers that sit on either side of the fairway. The approach directly up the fairway is open and while the hole plays ever so slightly uphill, running your approach onto this green is easily done.
The green is fairly deep at just over 100 feet and slopes from back to front.
The look of this hole sets the tone for the rest of the course. While I was playing I couldn't help but think that this course feels a lot like TPC Scottsdale. What I mean by that is the expanse of green pretty much everywhere with the exception of the highly manicured "desert" zones that frame the holes and hold up the traditional tree hazards.
Hole 2 Par 5
563 | 543 | 508 | 468 yards
From the elevated tees you can see the green as the first par 5 hole plays straight ahead. Down the left runs a strip of desert that slopes back towards the fairway. Down the right side is a long bunker that sits right in the landing zone off the tee.
In order to clear that bunker you need a 300 yard carry from the tips, so it is best just to avoid that and play down the left side as the hole slopes back towards the right.
On your second shot there is not much danger unless you want to go for the green. Short right, is another long bunker. Closer to the green, guarding the front left corner is another smaller round bunker.
The green is elevated from the fairway to prevent long shots from rolling up. Another wide bunker runs all the way across the back of the green, hidden from view.
Hole 3 Par 3
189 | 167 | 141 | 117 yards
A mid length par 3, this green is surrounded by a trio of large bunkers. There is room to miss short right but the green is crowned to repulse those short shots.
Hole 4 Par 4
424 | 400 |374 | 339 yards
Another straight ahead par 4. A bunker lurks down the right side. 275 yards will clear that trouble but then lands you in the narrowest part of the fairway.
Mounding down the left side can lead to a friendly kick back towards the fairway. After negotiating that right side bunker you have another cluster of green side bunkers to contend with on your second shot into the green.
Wayward shots into the rough can find trouble behind the conifers that dot the right side of the hole.
Hole 5 Par 4
357 | 339 | 323 | 307 yards
A short par 4 that uses well placed defenses to negate the lack of distance. Off the tee, only about a 200 yard tee shot is needed. Anything more than that begins to flirt with the trio of bunkers that sit on either side of the fairway and choke down the hole to a narrow chute.
Beautiful views of the mountains and desert extend beyond this hole as you play up to the green.
The approach in must again negotiate flanking bunkers on either corner of the green. Another bunker sits behind the green.
This large tri-pronged green offers some tough pin placements, especially if located in the extreme back left corner.
Hole 6 Par 5
536 | 518 | 506 | 468 yards
After finishing the 5th you must cross Olivia Parkway to reach the 6th. Clever signs like this one give no doubt where you are.
The 6th is a par 5 that is not too long but one that controls your decision off the tee by placing a cluster of bunkers 250 yards off the back tee. These bunkers choke the hole down to a narrow little chute. A 270 yard drive can fly that hazard and expose the green to be reached in two.
Laying back and hitting something around 230 yards is the safe play.
The second shot, should you lay back behind the bunkers is an easy one to a wide landing zone.
The only real remaining hazard here is a long bunker extending along the left side of the green.
Hole 7 Par 4
449 | 413 | 383 | 354 yards
A long narrow par 4. This hole tends to slope from right to left for the first half of its play. Off the tee a large bunker sits down the left side. Another smaller bunker sits on across the fairway on the right.
On your second shot a cross bunker juts out from the left to front the green, which is again elevated from the fairway.
The green is a large oval with a spine cutting across it diagonally. Aside from the bunker which covers the front of the green, another one wraps around the back. There is room to miss your approach to the right here.
Hole 8 Par 3
160 | 142 | 126 | 110 yards
A short to mid par 3 with plenty of hazard around the putting surface. Immediately in front of the tee boxes is a sandy swatch of ground. This leads to a drainage ditch and a brick retaining wall.
Once across that ditch you have a large bunker sitting short left and the more obvious water hazard that runs all along the right side of the green.
A smattering of palms frame the back of the hole with a Tuscan style tower in the standing in front of a beautiful stretch of mountain ridges.
There is actually room to miss the green on pretty much any of the sides. It is a much more visually intimidating hole that it actually plays.
Hole 9 Par 4
404 | 380 | 352 | 317 yards
The last hole on the front is a dogleg left that wraps around water as you approach the green.
Off the tee your aiming point should be the just left of left most bunker. That bunker is only 250 yards from the back tees so it is in play.
Also in play is the water down the left. It is a bit farther to reach that at 280 yards. There is also a hidden bunker over there that may save your ball from getting wet.
As you come up the hole you can see how the hole slopes towards the water as it wraps around to the tucked green.
From the left side of the hole it plays much harder with a forced carry all the way to the green.
From the right side of the hole, it is a much more forgiving angle. Here the biggest hazard are the trio of bunkers that wrap the right side of the green.
More great desert views off to the right as you approach the green.
Dating for everyone is here: ❤❤❤ Link 1 ❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteDirect sexchat: ❤❤❤ Link 2 ❤❤❤
SV..