Destinations
Three Play
Thompson Golf Group’s Trio of Courses Shine in Arizona
By Tom Mackin
“Every course might have 18 holes, but it’s the service and the playing conditions that bring people back,” said Ryan Thompson, CEO of Thompson Golf Group in Gilbert, Ariz. “We try to offer the best possible golf experience at each of our properties. Be sincere, and make customers feel appreciated … it’s easy to be nice.”
Service and surfaces are the differentiating theme at three courses the Thompson Golf Group owns in Arizona: Power Ranch Golf Club in Gilbert, Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club in Cave Creek, and Longbow Golf Club in Mesa.
Power Ranch, located southeast of Phoenix, was originally built in 1998 and designed by Dick Bailey. Part of a Trilogy community, the course offers views of the nearby San Tan Mountains and the Superstition Mountains in the distance.
The course was closed for five months in 2023 while undergoing a $2.8 million renovation project that included all new greens and greenside bunkers. Water comes in play in a few spots, most noticeably where the ninth and 18 holes share a hazard. The one-two punch of the 558-yard par-5 17th and the 413-yard par 4 closing hole, the No. 3 and 5 handicap holes respectively, offers a testing end to the par-71, 6,932-yard layout.
The facility is also the home to Slate Bistro, which is far from a typical clubhouse restaurant at a public course. “We created a place and an environment where locals would feel welcome alongside the golfers and not feel like they are intruding on a golf space,” Thompson said. “We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, with prime rib available every day. It’s really good food.”
Dove Valley Ranch, built in 1998, is located right where the cities of Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Cave Creek meet. “There’s not a lot of public golf up in the North Scottsdale area,” said Thompson. “We have a strong local following at that course. We’re kind of a happy benefactor for people who come to the Valley and are looking for a good course at a more affordable rate to go along with some of the bigger name courses in Scottsdale.”
After purchasing Dove Valley Ranch in 2015, Thompson reinvigorated the course with all new greens. “People were very excited to see that place really come back to life,” he said.
Dove Valley is a tale of two nines when it comes to scoring. The front is more open but does place a high premium on approach shots. On the back nine, fairways get a bit tighter, and there are a lot more risk/reward opportunities that don’t always involve a driver off the tee. Some slight elevation changes throughout provide good views of nearby Black Mountain.
EXPANDING THE BRAND
Thompson acquired Longbow Golf Club, a popular tournament venue in Mesa, in 2022. “It was kind of our head-to-head competitor with Power Ranch for many years,” Thompson said. “I watched it and saw how strong the brand was there. I told the owner (Bob McNichols) that when he was ready to sell, please give me a call. And in April of 2022, he did that.”
Located 30 minutes east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Longbow is well known as a “second shot” course. Designed by Ken Kavanaugh, the layout offers a memorable experience right from the first hole, a par 5 that features the “Pebble Beach Tree” and a waste bunker up the entire left side of the fairway.
The venue is tournament tested, having hosted the LPGA Symetra Tour, Cactus Tour, the American Junior Golf Association (the AJGA’s Heather Farr Classic has been played here since 2004), the University of Notre Dame Clover Cup, the 2021 U.S. Disabled Open Golf Championship, and a 2021 Senior Women’s Open Championship Qualifier.
An adjacent Home2Suites by Hilton Mesa, a four-story facility with 111 suites designed for extended stays, is located just a wedge away from the 18th green, and the Longbow clubhouse is home to The Grille.
Thompson’s family were farmers in the Midwest, growing corn, soybeans, and alfalfa, so he never was worried about figuring out how to grow grass when he entered the golf industry. “It was more about, How do I grow tee times and my team?” he said. “Golf is a lot more of a lifestyle job than the corporate world that I came from, with people who usually love to play. But it’s been good fun. Our team has now grown to 289 employees.”
One hallmark of Thompson Golf Group has been its ongoing commitment to improving the facilities they own. “I love remaking a facility. I hope we have impressed upon enough people that we care about our product and we’re doing it for them.”
What’s next for Thompson? “I’m always looking (at other courses),” he said. “But right now things are a little expensive out there. I’ll grow, but not for the sake of growing. I’ll do it when it’s right, with the right property and the right location.”
AT-A-GLANCE
Power Ranch Golf Club, Gilbert, AZ 85298, (480) 988-0004
www.PowerRanchGolfClub.com
Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club, Cave Creek, AZ 85331, (480) 488-0009
www.DoveValleyRanch.com
Longbow Golf Club Mesa, AZ 85215, (480) 807-5400
www.LongbowGolf.com
