The Takeaway:  The first of the two 18 hole courses to go in at The Gallery, John Fought and Tom Lehman’s North course is a meticulously maintained desert course framed by saguaro cactus. It is more playable than most desert courses and enjoyable on a daily basis, but doesn't feature any dazzling design features.  Grade B

Quick Facts

Designer:  John Fought 1998

Cost:  Private

Phone Number:  520-579-4116

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit The Gallery Golf Club (North)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - 14000 North Dove Mountain Blvd, Marana, Arizona  85658 – UNITED STATES

Photos:  See additional photos of The Gallery Golf Club (North)

What to Expect:  The Gallery Golf Club, located 20 miles north northwest of Tucson, is a 36 hole club that is a sister club to the 27 hole Dove Mountain facility. Combined they offer more Arizona golf to their members than any other club not named Desert Mountain. The North course at The Gallery was designed by John Fought who always does a solid job with his designs but rarely looks to dazzle you with tricked up or exaggerated features. Instead, he delivers generous playing widths and forgiveness around the greens that makes the course enjoyable to play day in and day out. It is a nice contrast to the traditional target style golf courses so often found in Arizona's desert that are so penal they can grind on players over the long term. Of the various pars, it is the one-shotters that stand out most followed by the par fours. Nothing is going to blow you away, but it is a solid collection of holes. The North course enjoys more elevation changes than the South which helps it deliver an enjoyable visual experience with a variety of vistas throughout, but course for course, the two are very comparable in quality. If conditioning is important to you, then you won't be disappointed at The Gallery with top notch turf found from tee to green and the colors offering a striking contrast to the desert landscape. While it is conceivable for players to walk the course, the heat and terrain of Southern Arizona will encourage the vast majority of golfers to ride in a cart while playing. In the end, the North course at The Gallery is a very good desert golf course with solid, but unspectacular, holes with playability being the greater emphasis over challenge.

By the Numbers

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  7th Hole – 197 Yard Par 3 – The attractive 7th hole embraces the Tucson area by featuring saguaro cacti and a distant view of the desert mountains. There are two bunkers well short of the green and two additional bunkers closer to the putting surface, but the circular green is a generous target to hit.

7th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (197 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 3:  15th Hole – 198 Yards – A dual green one-shotter, the primary green is smaller and on the left side while the alternate green is larger and on the right. The hillside of saguaro cacti that create the backdrop is very Arizona as is the native desert foliage surrounding the hole. The primary green has a necklace of bunkers wrapping from the front around the right and to the back of the green and features a boulder in the back bunker.

15th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (198 Yard Par 3)

15th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (198 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 4:  2nd Hole – 422 Yards – The dogleg left 2nd features an aiming bunker straight away and stands as a great spot to hit your drive to, or just left of, in order to set up a good look at the green. The left side of the green is built up with a boulder wall while the front and back have bunkers lying in wait. The tier in the putting surface makes the front third of the green the area you want to attack aggressively while the back third should be approached with a bit more caution.

2nd Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (422 Yard Par 4)

2nd Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (422 Yard Par 4)

Best Par 5:  16th Hole – 550 Yards – The 16th plays downhill to a fairway that bends slightly to the right around a fairway bunker. The approach shot is where things get interesting with a pond coming into play 100 yards from the green and running up the left side and fronting that half of the green. Players can go for the green in two by challenging the water head on, or they can layup and approach it with a more comfortable club in hand.

16th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (550 Yard Par 5)

16th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (550 Yard Par 5)

Birdie Time:  17th Hole – 336 Yard Par 4 – Late in the round Fought gives players a chance to take a stroke back from Old Man Par that they may have coughed up earlier. This short par four plays straight away and features a bunker lined up with the center of the green but with room on either side of it. A drive that stays short of the bunker will leave a flip wedge into the green and a great opportunity to stick a shot tight to the flag.

17th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (336 Yard Par 4)

Bogey Beware:  9th Hole – 725 Yard Par 5 – The closing hole of the front nine measures a whopping 725 yards where a variety of things can go wrong. After the sizable carry over the desert to reach the fairway, players will need to navigate a half dozen fairway bunkers before having a pond encroach on the right side 150 yards from the green that is fronted by a desert wash. Getting home in two isn't going to be an option, so hit your second shot to your favorite yardage and give yourself some confidence to attack the green from.

9th Hole at The Gallery Golf Club (North) (725 Yard Par 5)