Talking Rock

Prescott, AZ • Private

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Overview

Desert courses are rarely walkable, mainly because of great distances between greens and tee boxes, but when Jay Morrish designed Talking Rock, a couple hours north of Scottsdale, he set out to create a walker-friendly layout. With a relatively flat design and minimal distances between holes, Talking Rock is a relatively easy walk. A housing development lines many holes on the front, but the back side is a little more secluded, with holes framed by trees and large, softly-rising bunkers.

About

Holes 18

Length 7350

Slope 138

Facility Type Private

Designer Jay Morrish, ASGCA/Carter Morrish

Awards

Ranking history:

Best in State: Ranked 11th, 2013-'14. Ranked 15th, 2015-'16. Ranked 19th, 2011-'12. Ranked inside the top 20, 2005, 2009-'10. Ranked inside the top 25, 2007. Ranked 31st, 2023-'24.
2023-'24 ranking: 31st.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.3

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

6.6561

Character

6.9104

Challenge

6.6302

Layout Variety

6.6517

Fun

7.0348

Aesthetics

6.801

Conditioning

7.0517

Reviews

1 / 6

Review

“Good variety of holes, demands using every club in the bag, and wonderful scenery."

2024

2 / 6

Review

“This is a big course, suited to the wild west. Fairways are wide, greens are huge, bunkers are large. As a result, it is a very playable course for all handicaps. Tee boxes are at appropriate distances given the elevation, most greens have an accessible line, and fairways have a place where you can play it safe. In many cases, fairways are pinched where long hitters would land, so play is easier for shorter hitters and more challenging for low handicappers off of the back tees. OB or lateral hazards were generally well off the fairways."

2023

3 / 6

Review

“A fun track with some very challenging holes but overall not a course that beats you up. Enough undulation on the greens make them intersting but again not overly punish you for a slight misread."

2022

4 / 6

Review

“Fun experience in nice year round climate."

2020

5 / 6

Review

“Best in the Prescott area; bentgrass greens (with significant poa on front 9); rye fairways; sticky rough keeps balls in play; lots of sand although bunkers have been reduced/redesigned on front 9 with back 9 to follow. Gorgeous setting but part of a housing development that is too close to course, especially on front 9."

2019

6 / 6

Review

“Very good private club in high desert...out of the way but worth the time to get there. Great routing and very good greens all year long. A little on the difficult side. Walkable."

2018