Grand Canyon University Golf Course

Overview: Grand Canyon University Golf Course is the current 18-hole public routing on the former Maryvale Golf Course site in west Phoenix. John Fought's redesign is listed at par 71 and 7,269 yards from the back tees, with a parkland setting defined by mature trees, rebuilt greens, reshaped fairways and new bunkering. The course deliberately avoids a desert target identity: the playable lines come from tree corridors, green contours and approach angles rather than cactus or forced carries.

History: The property began as Maryvale Golf Course in 1961, created through the vision of developer John F. Long and architect William Billy Bell. After the old course fell into disrepair, Grand Canyon University and the City of Phoenix partnered on a major redesign. The course closed during the work in 2015 and reopened on January 1, 2016. That is the opening date for the current GCU routing, while 1961 remains the important date for the original Maryvale course.

Did You Know? The redesign changed the course from par 72 to par 71 by turning the tenth hole from a par five into a par four. John Fought also rebuilt all 18 greens, recreated the bunkers and lengthened the layout by about 600 yards. The result is a course with a long history under a new name, where the preserved mature trees connect today's university course to its Maryvale predecessor.