PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Talking Stick Golf Club — Piipaash Course

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Talking Stick Golf Club — Piipaash Course in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Talking Stick Golf Club — Piipaash Course golf course

Talking Stick Golf Club — Piipaash Course

Scottsdale, AZ
Black tees · 6,725 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Talking Stick Golf Club — Piipaash Course

Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the Piipaash Course at Talking Stick Golf Club (formerly the South Course) offers a traditional parkland-style design set in the flat Sonoran Desert on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land. Flanked by eucalyptus, cottonwood, and native trees without course-side housing, the layout features generous fairways, slightly elevated green complexes defended by bunkers and subtle slopes, and water hazards coming into play on five back-nine holes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Talking Stick Golf Club — Piipaash Course

Off the tee

Fairways are broad and welcoming, lined by mature trees and native desert vegetation. While driving is generally forgiving, positioning tee shots on the preferred side of the fairway opens up significantly better approach angles into well-defended green complexes and avoids flanking desert or back-nine water hazards.

Elevation & terrain

Situated on completely flat desert terrain, the course has no meaningful elevation changes. Shot distance and club selection are unaffected by slopes, making wind and pure distance control the main factors.

Approach play

Approach shots demand aerial precision into slightly raised green complexes guarded by bunkers and false fronts. Running shots are difficult to hold on the elevated surfaces, so high-trajectory iron play to the middle of the greens is the most reliable strategy.

Around the greens

Greens are protected by strategically positioned bunkers, gentle slopes, and steep edge drop-offs. Short grass surrounds offer options for chipping or putting, but recovering from deep green-side bunkers or steep swales requires precise touch.

Best way to play it

Capitalize on generous landing areas off the tee while staying disciplined to avoid outer desert boundaries and back-nine water hazards. Play conservatively for the center of raised green complexes to navigate bunker defenses and edge fall-offs.

Key takeaways

  • Traditional parkland routing framed by mature eucalyptus and cottonwood trees without residential homes.
  • Coore and Crenshaw design delivering clear, visual strategic options ('what you see is what you get').
  • Flat desert topography means distance control is uninfluenced by elevation.
  • Raised green complexes protected by bunkers and slopes heavily favor accurate aerial approach shots.
  • Water hazards impact five back-nine holes (notably 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18), requiring careful risk-reward decision-making.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
399
13
Target the center of the broad fairway off the tee to establish a clear view for your approach into the raised green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~159 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
4
413
3
Favor the right-center portion of the fairway off the tee to keep well away from the left-side desert hazard.
Your 240 yd driver · ~173 yards remaining by raw distance.
3
3
220
7
Club up to safely carry the deceptive fairway bunkers situated 25 to 45 yards short, aiming for the center of the large green.
4
4
318
17
Play to the wider left fairway lane around the center bunker to set up a clean, full wedge into the sloping green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~78 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
5
4
468
1
Hit a strong, centered drive down the wide fairway and take enough club on approach to carry front bunkers onto the middle of the raised green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~228 yards remaining by raw distance.
6
4
381
15
Find the short grass off the tee to afford a clear view into the raised green, avoiding bunkered edges.
Your 240 yd driver · ~141 yards remaining by raw distance.
7
5
509
9
Position your drive in the center-left fairway, then favor the right side on your layup or approach to avoid the steep left drop-off.
Your 240 yd driver · ~269 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
8
4
472
5
Drive down the center of the fairway and ensure your approach lands below the hole to avoid steep downhill putts.
Your 240 yd driver · ~232 yards remaining by raw distance.
9
3
173
11
Select enough club to carry the front bunkers, targeting the center of the green complex.
10
4
400
10
Aim down the middle of the fairway off the tee to clear tree overhangs and fairway bunkers for a clean iron approach.
Your 240 yd driver · ~160 yards remaining by raw distance.
11
4
385
8
Target the right-center of the fairway off the tee and aim for the right half of the green on approach to stay clear of the left water hazard.
Your 240 yd driver · ~145 yards remaining by raw distance.
12
4
434
2
Play to the right fairway lane to avoid left-side out of bounds, setting up a precise approach into the small, bunkered green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~194 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
3
146
16
Club up to carry the deep front bunker onto the back-center tier, being careful to stay below the hole on putts.
14
5
533
6
Drive to the broad fairway short of the diagonal waste hazard, then lay up for a clean wedge into the elevated green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~293 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
15
4
436
4
Drive aggressively down the wide fairway to set up a long approach shot, aiming for the center of the sloped putting surface.
Your 240 yd driver · ~196 yards remaining by raw distance.
16
5
536
14
Evaluate your tee shot distance before deciding whether to attempt carrying the creek on your second shot or lay up short for a simple wedge approach.
Your 240 yd driver · ~296 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
17
3
178
18
Take enough club to clear front bunkers and safely clear water, aiming for the center of the putting green.
18
4
324
12
Play short and left-center off the tee to avoid the right-hand water hazard, setting up a wedge to the left portion of the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~84 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot 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.