Grayhawk Golf Club — Talon Course

The Talon Course at Grayhawk lives in the shadow of its Tom Fazio-designed sibling, the Raptor, which is a disservice to a layout that Golf Magazine ranked among the Top 10 You Can Play in the United States. David Graham, a former US Open and PGA Championship winner, brought a professional player's perspective to the design in collaboration with Gary Panks, and the result demands precision at every turn.

From the back tees, the Talon plays 6,973 yards at par 72. Its 149 slope rating is the highest among Grayhawk layouts and among the highest in the Scottsdale corridor, and the number tells the story before you strike a ball. The Talon is harder than the Raptor by most measures, with tighter landing areas, more severe greenside contouring, and a routing that asks for specific shot shapes rather than letting you play to strength.

The Bent grass greens are distinct from the Bermuda and Poa trivialis surfaces found on most Scottsdale courses, offering a grain-free roll that rewards pure putting strokes. Graham and Panks routed the course through Sonoran Desert terrain with Tifdwarf fairways that create a sharp visual contrast against the native landscape. Target-golf character is clear: fairways are the playing surface, and everything else is penalty. Accuracy off the tee matters more than length.

The harder, cheaper, less famous side of Grayhawk, with a slope rating and a Top 10 ranking that should both carry more weight than they do.