PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club in Wickenburg, AZ.

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Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club golf course

Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club

Wickenburg, AZ
Black tees · 6,992 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club

Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club features the Big Wick championship course, a Bill Brownlee and Wendell Pickett design set in the Sonoran Desert roughly an hour northwest of Phoenix. The course features an unusual par-71 layout composed of six par 3s, five par 5s, and seven par 4s. Built through canyons, arroyos, and rolling hills, the course boasts year-round bentgrass greens, sweeping vistas of Vulture Peak, and water features on signature back-nine holes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club

Off the tee

Fairways are generally generous in width, encouraging confident driving, but wayward tee shots that miss the turf land directly into native desert brush, arroyos, or fairway bunkering. Several holes offer elevated teeing areas that provide increased distance but demand accurate line selection.

Elevation & terrain

Significant elevation changes are a defining trait, featuring downhill drops off elevated tee boxes as well as steep uphill holes such as the par-5 9th. Golfers must adjust club selection to account for elevation drops on downhill par 3s and uphill approach shots into elevated green complexes.

Approach play

Approach play requires strict distance control into large, highly contoured green complexes. While many fairways are forgiving, approaches to signature holes require navigating forced carries over water hazards, streams, and surrounding desert canyons.

Around the greens

Greens are surfaced with bentgrass that remains fast and smooth year-round, featuring notable slopes, tiers, and surrounding collection areas. Misplaced approach shots leave challenging recovery putts or sand shots from greenside bunkers.

Best way to play it

Capitalize on scoring opportunities on the six par 3s and five par 5s by favoring conservative targets away from water hazards and desert washes. Calculate elevation changes carefully from elevated tees and aim for the proper section of multi-tiered greens to avoid multi-putts.

Key takeaways

  • Unconventional par-71 layout featuring six par 3s, five par 5s, and seven par 4s.
  • Rare year-round bentgrass greens in an Arizona Sonoran Desert setting, delivering fast, smooth putting surfaces.
  • Dramatic elevation drops off tee boxes combined with steep uphill holes like the par-5 9th.
  • Generous fairway landing zones balanced by harsh penalties for shots entering native desert brush or arroyos.
  • Signature back-to-back water holes on #13 (Big Water) and #14 (Yikes) provide high-impact risk-reward decisions.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
441
7
Take advantage of the wide fairway landing zone off the tee. Focus on distance control for the approach into the large green complex while avoiding surrounding bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~201 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
3
209
17
Club down to account for the significant elevation drop. Target the central portion of the green to avoid missing into desert brush or greenside bunkering.
3
4
438
9
Favor accuracy over distance off the tee to keep the ball clear of desert brush, establishing a clean angle into a well-guarded green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~198 yards remaining by raw distance.
4
3
183
15
Aim for the middle of the green surface to bypass surrounding sand traps and desert native areas, using green contours to feed the ball toward the hole.
5
5
622
1
Play this long par 5 conservatively in three planned shots. Position the tee shot and second shot in the fairway, then favor the right-center of the green to avoid the water hazard on the left.
Your 240 yd driver · ~382 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
6
4
343
13
Steer clear of the fairway bunkers on the right side of the landing zone off the tee to set up a short iron or wedge into a receptive bentgrass green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~103 yards remaining by raw distance.
7
5
526
3
Place a drive down the fairway center to evaluate going for the green in two or laying up short of the bunkering for a full-wedge approach.
Your 240 yd driver · ~286 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
8
3
193
11
Select enough club to carry the front bunkering and reach the green center, avoiding wide misses into surrounding desert terrain.
9
5
575
5
Drive into the fairway, then play a cautious second shot to avoid the steep sidewall that can funnel errant lay-ups backward or left. The approach is a blind shot straight up the hill into an elongated green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~335 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
10
4
365
14
Position a tee shot down the center-left of the fairway to leave a short approach iron into a smooth bentgrass green while avoiding right-side fairway bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~125 yards remaining by raw distance.
11
3
186
18
Adjust club choice to account for the downhill elevation change, aiming for the center of the green to stay clear of surrounding bunkers.
12
4
433
2
Target the wider section of the fairway off the tee to leave a manageable mid-iron into a protected green complex, respecting lateral desert hazards.
Your 240 yd driver · ~193 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
3
246
16
Factor in the 100-foot downhill elevation drop to select the proper club over the water hazard. Conservative players should use the bailout area positioned to the front-left of the green.
14
5
595
10
Favor the right side of the fairway off the tee to steer clear of the stream on the left. On the approach, play safely right of the pond that hugs the left side of the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~355 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
15
4
416
6
Drive into the fairway center away from desert brush, setting up a controlled approach shot to the middle of the contoured bentgrass green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~176 yards remaining by raw distance.
16
4
426
8
Aim for the center of the fairway off the tee to bypass desert arroyos, establishing a clear approach line into a sand-guarded green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~186 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
3
212
12
Take sufficient club to clear the desert carry, targeting the middle of the wide green complex to stay away from greenside sand traps.
18
5
583
4
Keep tee shots and lay-ups in the fairway, navigating clear of bunkers and native brush to set up a wedge approach into the final green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~343 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

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.