San Ignacio Golf Club: No. 8 a Challenge for Anyone

By Ryan Finley, Contributor

GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. - Elevated tee. Tight fairway. Desert on the left. The right side is out of bounds.

Ouch.

For any golfer, the ultimate challenge includes numerous hazards. For those who consider themselves a John Wayne in spikes, the Green Valley course is for you.

Just listen to golf professional Gabe Teso talk about it. "It's 535 from the back tees, which may not be too good for the average golfer," he said. "There's an elevated tee, a tight fairway, a ravine on the right, desert on the left. Defninitely not one for the unafraid."

In order to handle the hole, one needs to be able to hit through narrow areas, at the very least. Even for a par 5, the hole is tough.

"It's a three-shot hole, if you're lucky," Teso said. "It's hardly an easy three at that. You're lucky to bogey that thing."

Teso suggests a few ways to conquer the challenge of such a narrow fairway. "Be able to hit the ball long and hard," he said. "(You) can't veer too far left or right. Just keep 'em long and straight."

From the elevated tees, the 8th hole's tee box opens up into a narrow fairway. A ravine borders the right side, the desert borders the left. A larger bunker lies in front of the green.

Combine all of those hazards, and the hole may leave, to borrow a phrase, "a good walk spoiled".

According to Teso, the hole has ruined more than a few enjoyable afternoons.

"People come in here to complain all the time," he said. "For the most part, players tend to enjoy most of the course. When the reach the 8th, things tend to go wrong.

The San Ignacio Golf Club is located at 24245 S. Camino del Sol in Green Valley, a small town some twenty miles south of Tucson. Green Valley, already known as an affordable alternative to Tucson municipal courses, has put forth yet another gem in courses.

At the corner of Sunrise and Kolb Road, the course is open to the public and will run anything from 51-100 dollars per round.

The 8th hole in itself may be worth the price of admission. "It's hardly an easy hole," Teso said.

That, it seems, is an understatement of par-5 proportions.