PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Grass Clippings At Rolling Hills

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Grass Clippings At Rolling Hills in Tempe, AZ.

Personalize your game plan
Choose the tees you're playing and add your driver carry for distance-aware course strategy.
Grass Clippings At Rolling Hills golf course

Grass Clippings At Rolling Hills

Tempe, AZ
Sand tees · 3,535 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Grass Clippings At Rolling Hills

Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills in Tempe, Arizona, set against the red rock backdrop of the Papago Buttes, is an 18-hole public facility originally designed by Milton Coggins (front nine, 1960) and Gary Panks (back nine, 1987), with a major 2023 renovation by Jackson Kahn Design and Troon. Operating as a par-59 executive course during the day (mixing short par 4s and par 3s) and converting into an 18-hole, fully lit par-54 course at night, the course features dynamic rolling elevation, narrow fairway corridors, and small, firm, crowned green complexes surrounded by native desert terrain.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Grass Clippings At Rolling Hills

Off the tee

Daytime play requires controlled positioning with irons or hybrid clubs on short par 4s to stay within narrow fairway corridors lined with desert terrain and trees. Pushing drives off line risks severe bounces into native desert or out-of-bounds boundaries. Nighttime play converts the entire course into a short-course format where tee shots require precise iron distance control directly to green targets.

Elevation & terrain

Significant elevation changes shape the routing around the Papago Buttes, featuring dramatic uphill tee shots and steep downhill drops. Uphill shots obscure landing areas and require additional club length, while downhill shots increase ball rollout and heighten wind effect.

Approach play

Approach shots focus on precise distance control into compact green targets. Landing short or slightly off-line results in balls trickling down side banks into desert collection areas or sand bunkers.

Around the greens

Green complexes renovated by Jackson Kahn Design feature small footprints, turtleback crowns, and firm, fast turf. Chipping and pitching from surrounding collection areas demand delicate touch and precise spin to keep shots on the putting surface.

Best way to play it

Prioritize accuracy over distance on tee shots to keep the ball within safe landing corridors, and play for the center of the small greens rather than challenging pin locations on crowned edges. Managing distance adjustments for elevation changes and avoiding desert runoffs are the keys to scoring well.

Key takeaways

  • Dual-personality facility playing as a daytime executive course (par 59) and transforming into an 18-hole, fully lit par-3 course (par 54) at night.
  • Set in the Papago Buttes landscape with notable rolling elevation changes affecting club selection on almost every hole.
  • Crowned turtleback greens renovated by Jackson Kahn Design cause off-center shots to shed off into surrounding desert swales.
  • Hole 3 directly borders the Phoenix Zoo, where cheetahs and wildlife can be seen and heard alongside the tee and fairway.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
237
6
Favor the right-center portion of the fairway off the tee to gain the best angle and view into the green complex on this downhill starter.
Your 240 yd driver · Potentially reachable with your 240-yard driver carry.
2
3
166
10
Take less club to adjust for the downhill elevation change and target the middle of the green to avoid side slope roll-offs.
3
3
98
2
Aim up the left-center side of the fairway off the tee to avoid the zoo perimeter boundary and desert brush along the right edge.
4
3
108
14
Select club based strictly on pin depth and aim for the middle of the small green to stay clear of edge runoff banks.
5
3
126
16
Club up to account for the uphill rise and aim for the front-center of the green to allow the ball to settle gently.
6
3
125
12
Target the absolute center of the putting surface to protect against turtleback contours that shed off-center shots into desert collection areas.
7
3
153
4
Align carefully from the tee box and favor the right side of the green complex to avoid desert brush down the left side.
8
3
140
18
Account for exposed wind conditions on this elevated point and fire for the center of the green surface.
9
3
161
8
Target the left-center fairway corridor on your tee shot to create a clear approach path into the newly sculpted green.
10
4
268
5
Drive onto the elevated plateau landing area, keeping left of the tree line to establish a clean approach line.
Your 240 yd driver · ~28 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
11
4
332
3
Position your tee shot short of the fairway bunker to set up a controlled short-iron or wedge into the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~92 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
12
4
275
9
Favor the center-right side off the tee to clear left desert hazards, then attack the large green surface with confidence in true-rolling contours.
Your 240 yd driver · ~35 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
13
3
135
17
Take enough club to clear the front wash hazard completely and land safely on the central portion of the green.
14
3
189
11
Trust your yardage over visual sightlines to carry the crest and reach the middle of the blind green surface.
15
4
307
7
Aim strictly for the middle of the green target; mis-hits off the turtleback surface can roll up to 40 yards down into desert runoff terrain.
Your 240 yd driver · ~67 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
16
3
148
15
Use a solid mid-iron or hybrid aimed at the center-left section of the green to guard against right-side drop-offs.
17
3
166
13
Play directly for the center of the putting surface to protect against edge slopes that carry shots off into desert hazards.
18
4
401
1
Drive down the fairway corridor between the right hillside slope and left trees to leave an open approach into the home green.
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.