Las Sendas Golf Club Mesa, Arizona
Las Sendas Golf Club offers golfers a chance to challenge their game on one of the top playing surfaces in all of Arizona. Constructed in 1995 by architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., Las Sendas is a strategic desert-style course that winds through the Usery Mountains and will challenge every part of your game. The combination of beauty and quality makes this course a great destination to host a customized golf tournament to suit your occasion. With a beautiful course and versatility to match, its no wonder Las Sendas is consistently rated one of the top 10 courses in Arizona and rated one of the best courses to play by golf digest.
As we arrived to the course, we were greeted by course staff and went to check in. The clubhouse was a bit smaller than I expected but featured some awesome gear. I nabbed a Las Sendas divot tool (repair those ball marks!) as well as some ball markers and a hat. While the shop was small, the selection was good so it wasn’t hard to find something I liked. Once we checked in, we headed out to our bags to get ready for the round. To get to your carts, take a sharp left out of the golf shop and head downstairs.
Before heading to our carts, we decided to stop by the The Grille to grab something to eat.
Chipping Area
The staff informed us that they had just expanded their sports bar and had some great specials during happy hour from 3-7. There were some good sporting events on at the time and the 12+ TV’s were showing everything from football to basketball to golf (of course). If you are looking for a place to watch some NFL games, they have NFL Sunday Ticket so you can watch any game you’d like! I tried their signature Bull Dog Margarita and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to ease that swing tension before the round.
Once we finished up it was time to get ready for the round. The practice facility is just a short ride away and featured a fairly large putting surface, a separate chipping green with a practice bunker, and a range equipped with balls at each station. The chipping green also features practice balls so you can get a lot of chipping done in a short period of time. I didn’t have any expectations, but the practice facility at Las Sendas really surprised me. There was enough room for multiple groups to get their practice in and work on each facet of their game.
Par-4, Hole 1
The first hole at Las Sendas starts you off with a difficult par-4 with water along the right side. You can try and cut a bit of the water off, but the landing area is small and affords no room for error. The smart play is to use a 230ish yard club and play it along the left side. Your approach shot will be a bit longer but there is only one bunker in the front of the green so you can miss short if you need to.
One of my favorite holes on the front nine was the par-5 6th hole. Playing at only 523 yards from the tips, this par 5 is no cake walk. The tee shot can either be played safely short and to the left, or you can take a risk and aim over the stack of boulders straight at the fairway. Taking an aggressive approach will allow you to reach the green in two. If played safe, you must execute 3 to get it on the dance floor. The green has a sharp ridge, and depending where the pin location is, you may have a tricky putt.
Par-3, Hole 11
Moving on to the back nine, the ranger had come up to us and told us to keep pace with the group in front. No problem, we love fast pace of play and appreciated the reminder. My favorite hole on the back nine was up next in the par-3 11th. Playing at only 135 yards from the tips, this hole does not beat you with distance, but rather elevation. While most par-3’s consist of dramatic elevation drops, this hole consisted of a dramatic elevation climb. Make sure to take an extra club or two in order to get it up there, or else you’ll be left with a drastically uphill chip.
As we moved through the back nine, the ranger continued to pressure us to play faster. We had kept great pace throughout the day, so I was a bit confused why we were being pressed. I appreciated the conscientiousness of the staff to ensure golfers have a smooth experience, but it was a bit bothersome to be hurried so much. Just make sure to keep up with the group in front of you and you will enjoy your day!
Overall, Las Sendas proved to be a challenging course. While being similar to other desert courses, Las Sendas was not as forgiving and featured many tight fairways and approach shots. The views were amazing, with the iconic red mountains visible on many holes. The property offered quite a bit off the course too with a completely redesigned restaurant area and good selection of pre-round snacks. If you want to golf on one of the top 20 playing surfaces in Arizona, stop by Las Sendas for a high-quality golfing experience.
Par 3, Hole 14
Course Rating 4 Stars out of 5
We rated Las Sendas 4 out of a possible 5 stars. Some of the strengths of the course were shot making, hole variety, and the condition/speed of the greens. Although nice, the size of the golf shop brought the rating down, as well as pace of play and tee box conditions. Las Sendas is one of the top courses in the state of Arizona and perfect for anyone looking for challenging target golf.