Verrado Golf Club: Founders
Verrado Golf Club: Founders
4242 N Golf Dr
Buckeye, AZ 85396-3504
United States
Telephone
Overview
Featuring picturesque views of the White Tank Mountains, the Founders course is a very playable John Fought and Tom Lehman design. Five sets of tee boxes and generous landing areas, coupled with hazardous rock formations and elevation changes, make this course enjoyable for a variety of skill levels.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Best in State: Ranked since 2025.
2025-'26 ranking: 45th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Golf course has a lot of very good holes but it was rather distracting to have long distances green to tee with street crossings and weaving around houses."
Read More2026
Review
“Individual holes are quite good but a major detraction is the long distances from green to tee weaving around houses and crossing streets frequently. Conditioning was disappointing with slow and bumpy greens and bunkers having no significant aesthetic quality."
Read More2026
Review
“The Founders Course blends classic strategy with desert scenery, using the natural contours of the surrounding mountains to create a routing that’s both playable and visually striking. Generous fairways, well-shaped greens, and good conditioning make it one of the best public options in the West Valley. The layout offers a strong mix of risk-reward opportunities that keep better players engaged while remaining enjoyable for all skill levels. The finishing stretch, highlighted by the downhill par-5 18th, provides both challenge and wonderful aesthetics. This public facility is well done. I would recommend playing if you're in the area."
Read More2025
Review
“Formerly "The Raven"."
Read More2025
Review
“A fun course with some nice green complexes and strategy choices."
Read More2024
Review
“A solid course worth playing. It has a few nice risk reward holes, and a few fairly interesting green complexes. A nice addition to a greater PHX area public golf trip."
Read More2024
Review
“The views of the desert mountains and the Phoenix skyline are aesthetically pleasing, especially when coupled with the sharp contrast of the vivid green playing areas set against the dark desert terrain. The layout features a wonderful blend of uphill and downhill holes along with several holes that have an open route to the green, while a a select number of holes require a carry to go directly at the green but still providing an option to go around the desert or penalty areas."
Read More2024
Review
“Nice variation in hole designs, but majority of holes are flat terrain with not enough variation in direction and elevation/slope or fairways. Very good condition for a public course. Greens are varied in size and shape, and well bunkered. Scenery is outstanding."
Read More2024
Review
“Good public access course which can be fun for all players."
Read More2023
Review
“At Verrado (Founders) course, designers Tom Lehman and John Fought take full advantage of the rocky, desert terrain to create a course that maintains your interest throughout the round. The bunkering is minimal but highly strategic, forcing you to formulate a careful plan on every tee shot. While the fairways are generally wide, to hit the proper line you need to either work the ball into the correct position or carry a hazard. If you miss the proper line, your approach shot will be more challenging. This is the course for golfer who likes to think. The greens are large, with subtle, sweeping breaks rather abrupt transitions. Most greens are open to running approach shots. The open greens, wide fairways, lack of forced carries, and excellent matching of distance and angle from forward tees make this course a terrific choice for higher handicappers who like to face a reasonable challenge. Although a number of the first 7 holes are good, from 8 onward nearly every hole is excellent. These include the long par 4 8th, where you hit your drive over or around a rock escarpment, the drivable uphill par 4 13th where a short approach will run 50 yards back down the fairway, and two beautiful par 3s (14 and 17). Verrado is the kind of course you could play every day and never get bored—it should be on the “must play” list of Phoenix visitors."
Read More2021
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