Talking Stick Golf Club: O'odham Course

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw's 1997 O'odham Course at Talking Stick, a minimalist masterclass built on dead-flat Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land with no water anywhere on the course. Coore and Crenshaw took a piece of ground with few cacti and no mountain views and created what's widely regarded as one of their best early public works. The par-5 2nd is the 'pay me now or pay me later' hole, Coore's own phrasing, where out-of-bounds left shapes the tee-shot decision. The par-4 3rd is perhaps the most attractive hole, playing into a corner of the property with mountains in the distance. The par-4 12th is the critics' favorite: an interesting 358-yard short par-4 with a split fairway built into the minimalist desert contours. Pure strategy design, risk-reward choices defined by contour rather than forced-carry water. A must-play for students of Coore/Crenshaw or minimalist architecture. Pair with the sibling Piipaash Course for 36 at one of the Southwest's most architecturally significant resort facilities.