PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Starfire Golf Club — The King

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Starfire Golf Club — The King in Scottsdale, AZ.

Personalize your game plan
Choose the tees you're playing and add your driver carry for distance-aware course strategy.
Starfire Golf Club — The King golf course

Starfire Golf Club — The King

Scottsdale, AZ
Palmer tees · 6,106 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Starfire Golf Club — The King

Starfire Golf Club — The King (historically known as Scottsdale Country Club's Championship Course) is an Arnold Palmer-redesigned parkland-style layout in central Scottsdale, Arizona. Unlike typical target-style Sonoran desert courses, Starfire features traditional tree-lined fairways with mature eucalyptus, pine, and cottonwood trees, forgiving landing areas, and water hazards coming into play on multiple holes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Starfire Golf Club — The King

Off the tee

Tee shots are generally welcoming with broad Bermuda fairways framed by mature trees rather than harsh desert scrub. Precision is required to avoid tree blockades and strategic fairway bunkers, while water hazards dictate target lines on select back-nine holes.

Elevation & terrain

Terrain is mostly gentle and walkable across the parkland setting, though subtle elevation changes occur on select holes, including a drop from tee to fairway on the 6th hole.

Approach play

Approach shots require distance control to hit Bermuda greens guarded by strategically placed sand bunkers and water features. Water poses a direct threat on signature holes, including an island-style green on the 4th and dramatic back-nine water carries.

Around the greens

Green complexes feature moderately undulating Bermuda surfaces surrounded by sand bunkers and grassy collection areas. Chipping from flat lies in the fairway surrounds is straightforward, but greenside bunkers demand sound sand play.

Best way to play it

Capitalize on the generous fairways off the tee to establish comfortable approach angles, while exercising caution when approaching greens bordered by water. Sound shot placement over force yields lower scores on this parkland layout.

Key takeaways

  • A rare parkland-style layout in Scottsdale featuring mature eucalyptus, pine, and cottonwood trees instead of classic desert target terrain.
  • Water hazards guard multiple key holes, including an almost-island green on Hole 4 and significant water carries on Holes 16 and 17.
  • Multiple reachable par 5s reward well-placed tee shots, offering realistic scoring opportunities throughout the round.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
5
559
9
Aim down the middle off the tee to take advantage of the generous landing area, avoiding the tree lines on either side to leave a clear path for the second shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~319 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
2
3
188
15
Select club to reach the center of the green, taking note of wind conditions and avoiding greenside bunkering.
3
4
421
1
Drive toward the center-right of the fairway to secure a clean approach angle toward a well-defended green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~181 yards remaining by raw distance.
4
3
144
17
Focus purely on distance control to find the center of the green, ignoring pin placement to avoid penalty areas surrounding the target.
5
4
349
13
Favor a controlled tee shot into the center of the fairway to set up a short-to-mid iron approach into a protected green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~109 yards remaining by raw distance.
6
5
498
11
Hit a straight drive off the elevated tee to gain distance and set up a potential attempt at reaching the green in two.
Your 240 yd driver · ~258 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
7
4
400
7
Position the tee shot away from the water hazard to set up a safe approach to the guarded green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~160 yards remaining by raw distance.
8
3
203
5
Aim for the middle of the green to avoid surrounding bunkering and secure an easy two-putt.
9
5
504
3
Lay up to a comfortable full-wedge distance on the second shot to navigate fairway sand and attack the pin on the third shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~264 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
10
3
197
10
Target the center of the putting surface to take the water and sand hazards out of play.
11
4
396
4
Keep tee shot disciplined down the fairway centerline to avoid encroaching out-of-bounds lines and tree branches.
Your 240 yd driver · ~156 yards remaining by raw distance.
12
4
339
8
Avoid the large right-side fairway bunker on the drive, aiming left-center to set up an approach into a green guarded by sand traps.
Your 240 yd driver · ~99 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
13
5
479
12
Play a conservative second shot short of the hazard if going for the green in two poses water danger.
Your 240 yd driver · ~239 yards remaining by raw distance. The green may be within range for your second shot depending on lie and conditions.
14
3
169
18
Aim directly for the heart of the green, taking enough club to cover fronting sand bunkers.
15
4
385
6
Favor the open side of the fairway off the tee to establish a clear view on the approach shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~145 yards remaining by raw distance.
16
4
369
2
Commit fully to carrying the water feature off the tee or on approach, ensuring proper club selection to clear the hazard.
Your 240 yd driver · ~129 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
3
153
16
Take extra club to guarantee clearing the fronting water hazard, aiming for the safe middle portion of the green complex.
18
4
353
14
Place the drive in the fairway center to avoid flanking trees and bunkers, creating a straightforward approach to the final green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~113 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.