PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Encanto Golf Course

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Encanto Golf Course in Phoenix, AZ.

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Encanto Golf Course golf course

Encanto Golf Course

Phoenix, AZ
Tips tees · 6,458 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Encanto Golf Course

Designed by William P. Bell in 1935, Encanto Golf Course is the third oldest golf course in Arizona. Located in central Phoenix, this municipal parkland course features flat, walkable terrain, wide fairways framed by mature palm trees, low-lipped bunkering, and views of the downtown Phoenix skyline.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Encanto Golf Course

Off the tee

Wide parkland fairways framed by mature palm and salt cedar trees offer generous landing zones. Tee shots require staying clear of property boundaries, tree lines, and the central driving range separating the 1st and 9th fairways.

Elevation & terrain

Built on flat urban parkland, Encanto requires virtually no elevation adjustments on the front nine. However, subtle uphill slopes on key back-nine holes make long par 4s play slightly longer than listed yardages.

Approach play

Small green complexes feature minimal hazard interference, with modest bunkering having low lips. Water hazards come into play on select holes, particularly on the opening two holes and hole 12, demanding accurate distance control on approaches.

Around the greens

Greenside bunkers feature minimal lips and are relatively easy to exit. Surrounding green complexes contain small, subtle slopes where missing to the correct side is helpful on select par 3s, though recovery scrambling is generally forgiving.

Best way to play it

Focus on keeping drives in the wide fairways and capitalising on scoring opportunities on the front nine. Save discipline for the tough back-nine finishing stretch, where longer uphill par 4s demand solid long-iron play.

Key takeaways

  • Historic parkland design built in 1935 by William P. Bell, featuring mature palm trees and views of downtown Phoenix.
  • Exceptionally flat and easy to walk compared to typical desert target courses in the region.
  • A central driving range separates the 1st and 9th fairways, creating out-of-bounds boundaries on errant drives.
  • Water hazards directly affect play on holes 1, 2, and 12.
  • A demanding back-nine stretch featuring long, slightly uphill par 4s over 400 yards tests long-game accuracy.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
5
508
3
Tee off favoring the center of the fairway to steer clear of the left driving range boundary and the water on the right. A solid drive opens the chance to reach or approach the green in two shots.
Your 240 yd driver · ~268 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
2
4
322
15
Favor the left side of the fairway off the tee to avoid the right-side water hazard on both the drive and the approach shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~82 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
3
3
192
13
Select enough club to reach the center of the green while avoiding long misses toward the park boundary behind the green.
4
4
420
7
Your 240 yd driver · ~180 yards remaining by raw distance.
5
3
198
11
Target the center or right portion of the green. Missing short or right provides the safest miss, as bunker shots from the left offer very tough recoveries.
6
4
386
9
Your 240 yd driver · ~146 yards remaining by raw distance.
7
3
136
17
8
5
554
5
Treat this hole as a traditional three-shot par 5 by finding the wide fairway off the tee and laying up to a comfortable full-wedge distance.
Your 240 yd driver · ~314 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
9
4
435
1
Drive down the center of the fairway to keep clear of out-of-bounds houses right and the driving range left, setting up a precise iron approach to avoid two greenside bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~195 yards remaining by raw distance.
10
4
305
16
Aim for the middle of the fairway off the tee to leave a short wedge approach, taking care to stay left of the driving range out-of-bounds boundary.
Your 240 yd driver · ~65 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
11
3
157
18
12
5
540
12
Aim tee shots down the center-right of the fairway, keeping away from out-of-bounds right while guarding against the left water hazard that is difficult to spot from the tee.
Your 240 yd driver · ~300 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
13
4
393
6
Your 240 yd driver · ~153 yards remaining by raw distance.
14
3
217
8
Use enough club to reach the center of the putting surface and favor the right side to avoid the left greenside bunker.
15
4
460
4
Hit a solid drive into the wide fairway and take an extra club on your approach shot to accommodate the uphill slope into the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~220 yards remaining by raw distance.
16
4
418
2
Focus on maximizing distance off the tee to leave a manageable mid-to-long iron shot into the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~178 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
4
416
10
Your 240 yd driver · ~176 yards remaining by raw distance.
18
4
401
14
Find the fairway off the tee and take an extra club on the uphill approach shot to reach the green, enjoying skyline views to end the round.
Your 240 yd driver · ~161 yards remaining by raw distance.

Course information and strategy are provided for planning purposes. Yardages, course setup, hazards and playing conditions can change. Always confirm current course information before your round.