5692 W. North Loop Rd,
Chandler, Arizona 85226
Office
+1 (480) 940 1500Pro shop
+1 (480) 940 1500Fax
+1 (520) 796 8260Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Brandon Gordon (Head Golf Professional)The Course:
18 holes. Desert-style. Relatively flat terrain - easy to walk.
Surroundings:
Desert environment.
Designer:
Gary Panks
Above distances are for the Devil's Claw course. Also at Whirlwind GC is the 18-hole Cattail course (par-72; 7334 yards from back tees).
33.278129
-111.988171
16 miles S of Phoenix
From I-10 in the south-east of Phoenix (below Tempe, Chandler and the intersection with the south-western end of the 202-Loop) take exit 162 and head west on Wild Horse Pass Blvd. After 3 miles turn left into Whirlwind Golf Club.
Whirlwind (Devil's Claw)
Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass boasts two top-quality championship layouts, almost identical twins, with only subtle differences between them. The Devil's Claw is the shorter of the two courses, but still a wonderful challenge at a fraction over 7000 yards from the tips.
Like its sibling, the Cattail, the surrounding terrain is essentially flat Sonoran desert, however course designer Gary Panks has ensured the Devil's Claw is full of pleasantly rolling fairways and many golfing challenges. The "Claw" may at times be more forgiving than the slightly tighter Cattail, but its stylish fairway and greenside bunkering pose many sandy threats, while stony desert terrain awaits anything hit too far offline.
Water puts in only two appearances, at the par-3 7th and again at the par-3 12th. The 7th is flanked by an attractive cascading water feature, giving the hole its name - Dragonfly Falls. The long par-4 11th, although bunkerless, is another fabulous hole. Called Rattlesnake ("Avehan") and first viewed from a slightly elevated tee, its the toughest hole on the back-nine, with the entire roller-coaster fairway sloping into the deepest dry canyon on the course.
Although marginally less scenic beyond the course than the Cattail, the Devil's Claw, with its impressive bunkering, open desert terrain and top-quality maintenance has all the ingredients for a thoroughly enjoyable and testing round. Real estate is conspicuous by its absence on or around the course.
Stay&Play at Whirlwind: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance.
Walking permitted.
Excellent
Whirlwind is located on part of the Gila River Indian Reservation, whose inhabitants were originally desert farmers, called Akimel O’othom. The Spanish gave them a name which is still used today, Pima.
These American Indian desert farmers were very skilled at creating irrigation systems for their crops, diverting the waters of the Gila River into canals. They were joined on this land by the Pee Posh (Maricopa) tribe.
The Gila River rises in western New Mexico and flows across Arizona, skirting the south of Phoenix, before joining into the Colorado River near Yuma. The Gila is one of the largest desert rivers in the world. In the past it, and its main tributary the Salt River, would both carry large volumes of water; however, irrigation and municipal water diversions have turned both into largely dry rivers.
5594 West Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, AZ 85226
+1 (602) 225 0100
Visit websiteLocated just 11 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport on the ancient Gila River Indian Community, this 500-room Sheraton resort was designed to be an authentic representation of the Gila River Indian Community's heritage and culture.
The architecture, design, art and legends of the Pima (Akimel O'othom) and Maricopa (Pee Posh) tribes are celebrated in every detail imaginable, indoors and out, at this Sheraton resort. In addition to the hotel and Whirlwind golf courses, Wild Horse Pass also offers the Native American Aji Spa, Koli Equestrian Center and the Wild Horse Pass Casino.
Whirlwind (Cattail and Devil's Claw courses)
No
Ocotillo; Legacy Resort; Raven at South Mountain; ASU Karsten; Papago; The Phoenician.
124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.
79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).
Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.
Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.
