PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Ken Mcdonald Golf Course

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Ken Mcdonald Golf Course in Tempe, AZ.

Personalize your game plan
Choose the tees you're playing and add your driver carry for distance-aware course strategy.
Ken Mcdonald Golf Course golf course

Ken Mcdonald Golf Course

Tempe, AZ
Tips tees · 6,876 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Ken Mcdonald Golf Course

Ken McDonald Golf Course is an 18-hole municipal championship facility in Tempe, Arizona, designed by Jack Snyder and opened in 1974. Set on flat, highly walkable terrain, the traditional parkland-style layout features generous fairways framed by mature trees, large greens, and water hazards on up to eight holes fed by the Western Canal and internal lakes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Ken Mcdonald Golf Course

Off the tee

Fairways are generally forgiving and wide, but mature trees, out-of-bounds boundary curbing, and lateral water hazards punish aggressive or off-target tee shots.

Elevation & terrain

Terrain is consistently flat throughout the entire layout, ensuring predictable distance calculations and making the course easy to walk.

Approach play

Approach shots demand precise distance control to clear water hazards guarding several greens, avoid front sand traps, and land on receptive green complexes.

Around the greens

Greens are broad and generally slope back to front, flanked by sand bunkers and grassy surrounds that favor keeping shots below the flagstick.

Best way to play it

Position drives in the fairway to establish clear approach angles, manage distance over water hazards on key scoring holes, and target the middle of greens to avoid surrounding bunkering.

Key takeaways

  • Traditional Jack Snyder municipal layout built on flat, easily walkable terrain.
  • Water hazards from the Western Canal and lakes come into play on eight holes.
  • Distinct out-of-bounds boundaries established by driving range fencing and city pathway curbing.
  • Large, back-to-front sloping greens protected by strategic sand bunkers.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
365
13
Aim for the fairway center to avoid out-of-bounds defined by path curbing along the boundary.
Your 240 yd driver · ~125 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
5
574
1
Favor the right-center fairway, avoiding walking path curbing that marks out-of-bounds and staying clear of overhead utility wires.
Your 240 yd driver · ~334 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
3
4
397
11
Drive down the center of the fairway to set up a short-to-mid iron approach into a receptive green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~157 yards remaining by raw distance.
4
5
516
3
Stay toward the left side of the fairway away from the canal penalty area before playing toward the greenside bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~276 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
5
3
184
15
Take enough club to clear front sand traps while keeping the ball below the hole on the sloping green.
6
4
363
17
Target the middle of the fairway to avoid tree overhangs and gain an unimpeded approach to the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~123 yards remaining by raw distance.
7
4
375
9
Drive down the fairway center and manage approach distance carefully to avoid flying the green into path curbing.
Your 240 yd driver · ~135 yards remaining by raw distance.
8
3
200
7
Commit to a shot targeting the center of the green to carry the water hazard and clear front sand traps.
9
4
401
5
Drive toward the left-center fairway to avoid the water hazard on the right and the driving range boundary fence.
Your 240 yd driver · ~161 yards remaining by raw distance.
10
5
553
8
Favor the center or left-center off the tee to avoid tree trouble on the right side.
Your 240 yd driver · ~313 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
11
3
165
16
Select sufficient club to clear the water hazard cleanly, utilizing the red tee drop area if necessary.
12
4
409
12
Drive down the center of the fairway to keep clear of overhanging trees on the right.
Your 240 yd driver · ~169 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
3
216
6
Aim for the middle of the green to clear greenside bunkers and avoid missing short.
14
4
359
14
Tee off down the fairway center to avoid tree branches and path curbing.
Your 240 yd driver · ~119 yards remaining by raw distance.
15
5
541
10
Drive into the open fairway, then decide whether to lay up or take a high approach into the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~301 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
16
4
449
4
Hit a solid drive down the middle to leave a manageable long-iron approach into a well-guarded green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~209 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
4
347
18
Play a conservative tee shot into the fairway and steer approach shots away from the left-side water hazard.
Your 240 yd driver · ~107 yards remaining by raw distance.
18
4
462
2
Position the tee shot left of the fairway bunker, then carry the approach shot cleanly over the water hazard onto the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~222 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.