Gainey Ranch Golf Club (Arroyo/Lakes)

Overview: The Arroyo/Lakes routing at Gainey Ranch Golf Club combines two very different nines in a 27-hole Scottsdale facility. Arroyo is the longest of the club's three nines, asking for a blend of power and placement before finishing at its distinctive peninsula green. Lakes changes the mood with fuller turf, water features and a waterfall at the ninth. Together, the nines make a par-72 round that moves between the open feel of the Sonoran Desert and a more sheltered, water-shaped landscape.

History: Gainey Ranch was developed as three named nines, Lakes, Dunes and Arroyo, rather than as a single fixed 18-hole course. The club credits Michael Poellot, formerly Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s chief architect, and Bradford L. Benz with designing the golf courses. That shared authorship is visible in the way the nines have distinct identities while still fitting together as a coherent desert club. The club's published material does not provide a reliable opening year for this exact routing, so the profile leaves that field open.

Did You Know? The two nines provide a useful contrast in strategy. The Arroyo nine is described by the club as the longest of the three and closes with its peninsula green, while Lakes is known for its waterfall at the ninth. Because Gainey has three nines, the daily 18-hole combination can change, making the exact routing part of the course's identity rather than a minor label.