Palm Valley Golf Course: Goodyear, AZ

Palm Valley Golf Course – Goodyear, AZ

​Playing golf as a ‘single’ is a good way to meet new people.”– Carol Williams

I had the pleasure of playing the Palm Valley Golf Club yesterday. On Friday I stopped by there to check it out and have lunch at the onsite restaurant, the Fairway Grille. After lunch, I made a tee time for Saturday.  It’s the nearest course to where my sister-in-law lives so thought it would be a good course to try.  I was not disappointed.

I love this place.  First of all, every person who works there seemed genuinely glad I was there.  Lunch on Friday was really good, and the staff was very friendly.  Today, after my round, I stopped in for a cold drink before heading back to my SIL’s house.  I saw a hamburger being delivered to the table next to me and it was huge. I’m not talking about all the fixins making it look big, but the hamburger itself was a thick piece of meat.  They have a full bar and a nice variety of menu selections so I can assure you no one leaves the Fairway Grille hungry or thirsty!

Now about the golfing.  I got matched up with two men from Calgary, Alberta. You never know about men. When guys are out with their guy friends they don’t necessarily want to play with a woman. I never really care who I get matched up with. You can meet interesting people from very interesting places on the golf course. Anyway, I ask them if they were ok with playing with a woman and they said “YES”. I wasn’t sure if they were just being polite or actually were ok with it. I think after I hit my first tee shot right up the middle any fears they had were alleviated.  We ended up having a good time and the weather was perfect.

I really enjoyed the course.  There are generous fairways but, if you aren’t hitting in the fairway, it has a lot of hardpan sandy waste areas and some deep sand bunkers. I don’t recommend getting in any of them.  I did get in the waste area once which I didn’t like because that hardpan sand is not friendly on the golf club.  I also got into a deep sand bunker once but managed to get out and one-putt to save par.  Oh… and the greens are really fast!

Truth be told, even if I had a bad game I would enjoy playing this course.  It’s a pretty course and the staff is super friendly.  This is a place I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys golf.

Three Lakes Golf Club: Malaga, WA

Senior Women Golfers at Three Lakes Golf Club

The Three Lakes Golf course is just 4 miles south of Wenatchee, located at 2695 Golf Drive, Malaga, Washington 98828.  It has an 18-hole ladies league, mostly senior women, that plays on Thursday morning and a 9-hole ladies league that plays on Wednesday evenings. League play generally runs from mid April into mid October.  Visitors are always welcome.

Three Lakes has reasonable membership rates and green fees. It isn't a long course but it is challenging with every fairway and green having it's own unique nuances.  Ball placement is very important in the fairways and on the greens to score well.  It's always best to stay below the pin when approaching the green.

Three Lakes​ is one of those courses you will want to play again after your initial outing because you will have a better idea of HOW to play it​ better.  If you're a visitor to the area, there are numerous hotels and motels in the area as well as RV options.  

After your round, I encourage you to enjoy a beverage and/or some food at the Three Lakes Grill. The Grill is a ​wonderful little cafe where they serve generous portions for reasonable prices. They don't have a full bar but do have a good selection of beers and a decent selection of wines. The only thing I think that's overpriced here is a glass wine.