Designed by former U.S. Open and PGA Champion David Graham and golf course architect Gary Panks, Grayhawk’s Talon Course is one of the most exciting and dramatic tests of golf in the Southwest. Nestled in North Scottsdale, Talon is of the highest rated daily-fee golf courses in Arizona, and is included on Golf Magazine’s prestigious list of the “Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.” The course also has hosted numerous high-profile golf events including the semi-finals and finals of the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf; pro ams for the FBR Open; Hospice of the Valley Pro Am; Grayhawk Golf Club Charity Day Presented by Scottsdale 101 Auto Collection; the Heather Farr Trophy Matches and the Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl Golf Classic. The Talon Course provides breathtaking views of the nearby McDowell Mountains as well as the distant skyline of Phoenix and Scottsdale. However, Talon’s true beauty lies in the way the golf course blends with its natural surroundings. The back nine of the golf course was built around a series of deep box canyons and many holes skirt thick stands of Mesquite, Palo Verde and Ironwood trees while ancient Saguaros and numerous species of native flowering plants dot the out-of-play areas. Graham and Panks place a premium on positioning off the tee, but a little extra distance will come in handy. As a design element, the fairways appear smaller than their true size – adding a component of confidence to the scoring equation. Most of the greens are quite large, however, they are multi-tiered which effectively reduces their size. Careful consideration of the day’s pin sheet is required to avoid difficult putts from tier-to-tier. The areas around the greens are typically generous, giving golfers a shot at salvaging par after a wayward approach.