The Takeaway:  The better of the two courses found at Gold Canyon, Dinosaur Mountain is an adventure with overly dramatic features and loads of artificial mounding. It is a decent public offering for Arizona, but would be hard to enjoy on a consistent basis.  Grade C

Quick Facts

Designer:  Ken Kavanaugh 1982

Cost:  Dynamic pricing Click for current rates

Phone Number:  480-982-9449

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - 6100 S Kings Ranch Rd, Gold Canyon, Arizona  85118 – UNITED STATES

Photos:  See additional photos of Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain)

What to Expect:  The more revered of the two layouts found at Gold Canyon, the Dinosaur Mountain course gets its name from the nearby mountain range that looks like the back of a Stegosaurus. Located 40 minutes east of Phoenix, Gold Canyon gets a fair amount of local play paired with resort play from visitors that have been coming to the area for several years. The course offers some expansive views due to the dramatic elevation changes found throughout the course; which also makes it a track that everyone is going to play while riding in a cart. The par threes utilize the severe elevation changes to create large drops to the greens which is fun but can also feel overdone at times. It is difficult to look beyond the artificial mounding found on the majority of holes, commonplace in the 80s when this course was designed, as it detracts from the natural surrounds while also creating some maintenance and playability challenges. If you are not straight off the tee it will cost you several golf balls since the desert outside of the fairway is flat out punishing while some of the extreme design features can also give higher handicappers a long day to endure. Ultimately, Dinosaur Mountain is a nice public offering for Arizona but not one of the elite layouts in the state.

By the Numbers

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  5th Hole – 235 Yard Par 3 – Featuring a mega drop from tee to green, the 5th will play substantially shorter than the yardage indicates, but the amount of hangtime your tee ball will experience also makes it difficult to keep online for its duration. The kidney shaped green has a bunker on the left side and slopes away to a chipping area on the right. Tee shots will hold well upon landing so you'll want to play to the depth of the flag which could be 1-2 clubs less than the yardage.

5th Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (235 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 3:  2nd Hole – 201 Yards – The elevation changes at Gold Canyon's Dinosaur Mountain course and that is often on display during the one-shotters, such as here at the 2nd. Similarly to the 5th hole, the tee shot here will play at least a club shorter than the number but features a smaller green with half the depth to attack. The front left and far left sides of the green boast deep bunkers while the right side features a series of moguls that can kick a ball any direction; sometimes for the better and sometimes not. The most favorable miss is long where a hillside will prevent the ball from getting away too far, but aiming at the center of this small target is the best play.

2nd Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (201 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 4:  13th Hole – 457 Yards – A strong two-shotter, the 13th bends slightly from right to left with the fairway sloping that direction as well. The bunkers and tree on the inside of the bend act as protection from players trying to cut yardage off the hole and gaining the ideal angle into the green. The putting surface has a bit of a plateau effect as it rises up above the ground around it and puts a premium on carrying a ball all the way to the green with an approach shot.

13th Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (457 Yard Par 4)

Best Par 5:  9th Hole – 542 Yards – The 9th plays slowly but steadily uphill from tee to green while offering a large driving zone to hit tee shots within. The approach shot is where things get interesting with water flanking the left side during the final 200 yards into the green. Further emphasis is put on accuracy as the green is only half as wide as it is deep and bunkers are found on each side to capture balls that don't stay on their intended path. The relatively tame green yields good looks at birdie, but the subtleness in the slow and steady slope will likely fool you the first time around.

9th Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (542 Yard Par 5)

9th Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (542 Yard Par 5)

Birdie Time:  15th Hole – 378 Yard Par 4 – The 15th is one of the most fun and memorable holes at Gold Canyon and will offer players an opportunity to cut loose on a driver in hopes of chasing one up near the green. The heroic drive will forgo the fairway on the right and instead take dead aim at the fairway leading up to the putting surface on the left side and will need to carry 250 yards in the air to clear the desert. Successful tee shots will tumble forward upon landing on the fairway and feed towards the low spot in front of the green. From there it is a flip wedge at the flag and a great chance of rolling in a birdie.

15th Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (378 Yard Par 4)

Bogey Beware:  4th Hole – 472 Yard Par 4 – Dinosaur Mountain's most difficult hole and #1 handicap is the lengthy par four 4th. Tipping out at 472 yards, the tee shot calls for a draw and features desert on each side of the fairway. With the fairway sloping to the left, players will have to fight the urge of letting the club turn over too easily on the second shot since a pair of bunkers rest on the left side of the green. If you can fight the natural terrain and stay up the right half of the hole throughout, you'll have a fighting chance of avoiding a bogey.

4th Hole at Gold Canyon Resort (Dinosaur Mountain) (472 Yard Par 4)