Singing the praises of Anthem Golf & Country Club.
By Patricia Baldwin
Photography by Ira Montgomery, Casey Bishop/Dreamstime.com, Aidan Bradley, and Wladimir Bulgar/Dreamstime.com
According to the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the word “anthem” means a song or hymn of praise or gladness. Well, raise your voices and sing out “hallelujah.” Anthem Golf & Country Club, in the Arizona community of the same name, is worth shouting about.
First of all, the club boasts at least two of just about everything — two 34,000-plus-square-foot clubhouses (the Persimmon and the Ironwood), two 18-hole championship golf courses, two golf shops, two golf practice areas, two sets of men’s and women’s locker rooms, two fitness facilities, two pools, nine tennis courts, spa services, casual and formal dining … All this is tucked away within a gated, resort-style community that is reaching completion with 2,800 homes and that was voted the Best Master Planned Community in America in 2001 by the National Association of Home Builders. (Outside the gates, the overall Anthem community encompasses 5,800 acres and will boast more than 12,000 homes at buildout.)
When now general manager Guy Shelander first saw Anthem, he recalls, “I was struck by its beauty.” He still is. And he shares some local knowledge: For a stunning sunset, secure a table on the Persimmon Clubhouse patio. A favorite wedding venue is the lawn in front of the Ironwood pool. And the pristine desert landscape at Ironwood has, at times, been known to be punctuated by snowcapped vistas. Anthem is a great place to visit and a great place to live.
DESIGNING MEMBER
Greg Nash, a club member and the designer of the club’s two golf courses, has provided golfers two dramatically different challenges in the Persimmon and Ironwood layouts that stretch more than 7,200 yards each.
“You don’t get bored with either,” notes Chris Lamberti, director of golf.
Lamberti distinguishes Nash from the many pros-turned-designers: “Designing is his major; playing golf is his minor.” In fact, Nash has designed nearly 40 courses in Arizona, as well as others in California, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, Texas, and internationally in Thailand and South America.
Nash says the challenge in designing courses in Arizona is the turf restriction to 90 acres of grass imposed by state legislation in 1986. The result often is target, desert golf. The key, Nash adds, is knowing how to situate those precious 90 acres.
Anthem’s Persimmon Course, which opened to rave reviews in 1999, features elevation changes from 50 feet to 300 feet. Perhaps most notable is the final stretch of holes 15 through 18 that makes for a strong finish. A member favorite is the 581-yard (from the tips), par-5 No. 16 whose plateau fairway is cut in half by a wash, while a bunker bisects the greenside fairway. The preferred tee shot will land on the right side of the fairway to allow a strong second shot to roll onto the green. An errant shot to the left side of the green will not hold, and the ball likely will find a bunker.
The Ironwood Course, which opened in January 2004, encompasses seven water features, intimidating bunkers, and a backdrop of a mountain mesa. This is a classic high-risk/high-reward design.
Postgame postmortems most often focus on “Anthem Alley,” the 10th through 12th uniquely crafted water holes that tend to drive up members’ scores.
Nash acknowledges some personal favoritism toward the par-4 10th hole, although he also notes that the 411-yard (from the tips) downhill layout is the hole he’s gotten the most “guff” about. The strategic tee shot will hug the bunkers to the right, setting up the approach shot to the green that juts out into the water hazard. Whatever the position of the drive, however, the approach shot to the peninsula green is, in Nash’s words, “one of the most intimidating golf shots into a green.”
Next along the “alley” is the 11th, a 217-yard par-3 featuring a semi-island green. And the 12th is a 598-yard par-5 — the longest hole on the course. A lake awaits an errant tee shot on the right; a lake awaits an errant approach shot on the left.
Both Anthem courses boast large greens and the five-pin rotation for hole placements keeps the layouts interesting for members. And, with four sets of tee markers and a “combo” course designation, there is a course yardage to fit every game.
Although the natives know this, visitors should be aware that the greening of the desert at Anthem is thanks to reclaimed water — a responsible approach to golf in an area that gets 9 inches of rain annually.
A postscript about Ironwood: This is where serious golfers hone their games. The practice facilities are extensive, including a double-ended driving range, a large practice green, chipping and pitching greens, and practice bunkers.
Not a golfer? Not to worry. Chris Endres, director of instruction, has shaped some interesting programs for beginner golfers, who are initially enrolled in the “I Know Nothing About Golf” sessions and who hopefully graduate to the “I Know a Little Something About Golf” program.
IN THE KITCHEN
Here’s some advice: Don’t skip a meal while visiting Anthem Golf & Country Club. Executive chef David Morris has developed an a la carte menu for the casually elegant Persimmon Bar & Grille and a more casual dining atmosphere for the Ironwood. (Head to the Ironwood Grille for breakfast and specialties hot off the griddle.) The Ironwood also offers three individual rooms that can be customized for private parties or opened into one large room for a larger function — and a private dining room that can be reserved for special occasions.
This writer only stayed long enough for lunch and the signature Persimmon Chicken Lettuce Wraps and blackberry jasmine green tea. More advice: Stay longer. The menus are fresh and innovative. Chef David’s cooking classes in the Ironwood kitchen are fun and educational — and fill up fast.
“We love to cook,” Chef David says. “My philosophy and focus, from a culinary standpoint and menu development, has always been: Research the freshest available produce, seafood, and meats. Pair these products with correct cooking procedures, from simple to complex. Then, focus on great looking, healthier, and, most of all, great tasting food.”
Last fall, the executive chef was selected for a team of 15 American chefs who served as ambassadors of the United States in Xian, China, during the annual Chinese International Food Show. Chef David and sous chefs Chris Wolf and Zachary Wethington were responsible for preparing specialty food from Spain for the show.
SO LITTLE TIME …
Whatever the season, the calendar at Anthem is full — with lessons, classes, golf and tennis tournaments, food and beverage activities, and formal and informal events that allow members to meet and network both socially and professionally. Both clubhouses provide various venues for special occasions such as birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and weddings.
Fitness and wellness activities are extensive. One of the more popular programs is “Buddy Training” designed for married couples, friends, and family to work together to reach specific health goals. There are also regularly scheduled hikes that range in distances from about 4 miles to 8 miles and in difficulty levels from easy to aggressive.
The extensive facilities and varied expertise of the staff allow Anthem to offer members a variety of multidisciplinary programs. For example, Erik Heywood, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, has teamed with director of golf instruction Endres to present a golf conditioning program. (Important because more than half of all golfers suffer from back pain.) On the tennis side, there are specially designed aerobics classes that focus on the physical needs of tennis players.
Want more? Well, new among the many spa treatments are prenatal massage and Thai yoga massage. And, the community of Anthem also offers a family friendly atmosphere with attractions such as a water park, a train station, and other amenities.
Are you ready to sing?
ANTHEM GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Location: 2708 W. Anthem Club Dr., Anthem, Arizona.
General manager: Guy Shelander.
Membership director: Lisa Jones.
Director of golf: Chris Lamberti.
Head golf pro/Persimmon: Tim Zimmerman.
Head golf pro/Ironweed: Matt Cohen.
Executive chef: David Morris.
Tennis pro: Walter Hurd.
Director of golf course maintenance: Bill Rupert.
Fitness director: Sarah Mitcham.
Operations director: Moe Elwefati.
Amenities: Located in the heart of a Del Webb community about 40 miles north of Phoenix, the club features 36 holes of Greg Nash-designed golf, nine tennis courts, two clubhouses, two resort-style pools, spa services, formal and casual dining, golf shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and two fitness facilities with the latest cardio equipment, free weights, and resistance machines.
Web site: www.anthemclubliving.com
STATE FLOWER
Throughout the Anthem community are beautiful specimens of the Saguaro Cactus, the state flower of Arizona. Lore has it that it takes 100 years before a Saguaro grows an “arm.” And fact has it that the slow growth and great capacity of the Saguaro to store water allow it to flower every year, regardless of rainfall.
SWEEP THE BALL
The next time you go out to “hit” some tennis balls, try sweeping them instead. If your intention is to hit the ball, it might actually stifle your follow-through. Your muscles tense as you prepare for the impact, and you will probably stop your forward motion. Try this instead. As you bring your racket forward, think of letting the ball merely get in the way of the racket as you swing and don’t think of the actual contact point. Continue the swing in the same tempo so you can see the racket out in front of you after the stroke, thereby “hitting through the ball.” This should give you a complete stroke by having a nice take-back and follow-through as you sweep the ball over the net.
Walter Hurd, USPTA Pro 1
Director of Tennis
Anthem Golf & Country Club
AROUND ARIZONA
SCOTTSDALE
About 30 miles from Anthem Golf & Country Club, the community of Scottsdale has become synonymous with the resort lifestyle: golf, tennis, shopping, dining, the arts … In other words, the good life — indoors and out. www.scottsdale.com
SEDONA
About 75 miles north of Anthem Golf & Country Club are the legendary red rocks of Sedona — worth a visit whether you have an afternoon, a weekend, or longer. In addition to numerous natural attractions and tours, Sedona is replete with shopping options, art galleries, restaurants, and entertainment. www.sedona.net
GAINEY RANCH GOLF CLUB
Members who enjoy the allure of the Sonoran Desert also will enjoy a visit to Gainey Ranch Golf Club in North Scottsdale, with its panoramic views of the McDowell Mountains. An award-winning, 27-hole course offers golf on three distinctive, championship 9-hole courses: The Lakes; The Dunes; and The Arroyo. Call the ClubLine for more information and reservations. www.gaineyranchcc.com