Simply put, The Views is everything its name implies

The seventh hole is the signature hole for the course. This picture-perfect Par 3 stands on an elevated tee with the entire panorama of the mountains in front of you. Being distracted by this view can certainly take your mind way to enjoyable places that may have nothing to do with golf. B ESIDES THE SOCIAL ASPECT of playing with friends and enjoying the natural beauty, you still need to focus on hitting the shot. From the back tees, it plays 183 yards to a small kidney-shaped green. But like all holes at The Views, there are multiple tees to match your game. It plays downhill, usually one club less than normal for the distance. The green is well bunkered, in the front left and all across the back. There are deep grass bunkers front right. If you mishit, and miss landing in one of the bunkers, you are then most likely in the desert since the desert embraces the entire green surround just beyond all of the bunkers.

The challenge doesn’t end there, though. The green itself is set at a 45-degree angle and is long and narrow. Once there, you experience another challenging aspect of The Views; rolling greens that are dominated by subtle breaks everywhere. The most challenging putt at The Views is a straight putt, probably because there are so few of them, and you expect it to break.

The club though is not resting on its laurels. Starting in the late Spring of 2020 through the Summer of 2020, The Views is undertaking a complete greens reconstruction project. The primary reason for this project is to upgrade the drainage systems for all of the greens for the longevity of the golf course, providing a high-quality golf experience. The golf course architect Mike Gogel, in conjunction with the club’s golf leadership team and advisory committee, wanted to make sure the new greens didn’t just drain better. They also wanted an improved golfing experience.

“The construction of the new greens, we will be increasing the overall size by nearly 26%. This increase in size will allow us to soften the contours on the greens allowing for more varied hole locations. One of the primary goals is to create a unique set of greens taking into consideration all skill levels. With the new sand base construction, the greens subsurface will allow increased drainage to manage water and cultural practices more efficiently,” said Gogel. I F YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED The Views, my suggestion is you must try it, the Golf Club located on the Norwest side of town in Sun City Oro Valley. Once you do, you will keep coming back. This course epitomizes all that is great about the game of golf. A challenge on every hole that requires focus to score your best. Between shots, a setting that can take your breath away, whether you’re playing the course for the first time, or you played it hundreds of times. You will find the condition of the course is outstanding year-round, and the staff provides friendly professional service making sure that you thoroughly enjoy your time.

So, watch The Legend of Baggar Vance and fall in love with the challenge and mystique of the game, either for the first time or all over again. Then, experience golf ’s challenge, beauty, and mystique first hand by playing The View Golf Club. O NE OF THE MORE interesting golf movies out there is The Legend of Baggar Vance, starring Will Smith, and Matt Damon. There is one scene where Damon’s character is in the middle of a match with Bobby Jones and Walter Hagan. Smith, as Damon’s caddy, tells Damon to watch Bobby Jones as he prepares for a shot.

Jones’ character is jovial and conversational with everyone around him until he is not. When he begins to prepare for a shot, he becomes singularly focused on the shot. Zeroed in on the target, eliminating all distractions, both visual and auditory. And naturally, his shot is long and true.

When you play The Views Golf Club at Oro Valley, remember this short story and the example the Jones character set. The reason is that The Views is everything that its’ name describes. The scenic panoramas of The Catalina Mountains are incredible. You are literally in their foothills, and on particularly crisp days, you feel as if you can reach out and touch them.

Distracting, to say the least, but in a very good way. However, remember the Jones character enjoyed his setting until he didn’t. Playing The Views requires you to pay attention and focus on every shot. The vistas are gorgeous. The setting in the middle of the Sonoran Desert landscape is remarkable on every hole. But as beautiful as it all is, it can expose your weaknesses in your golf game.

The fairways are generous. However, the desert terrain on each hole seems to beckon for the misplayed shot. It also puts a premium on club selection to get close to the hole. Keep your slice or hook under control, or you’re probably going to be enjoying the desert landscape.