Talking Rock

Getting To Know: Talking Rock

An Insightful Interview With Head Golf Professional, Dave Buettner

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Head Golf Professional, Dave Buettner, who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Nestled between the beautiful Bradshaw Mountains and high desert terrain in historic Prescott, Arizona, Talking Rock Ranch combines a casual western lifestyle with exclusive country club amenities for a unique blend of relaxed luxury. The picturesque, four-season private luxury home community features a design aesthetic encompassing Arizona ranch living in its Ranch Cottages and custom homes while offering luxury amenities like the more than 30,000 square foot Ranch Compound and the 7,350-yard championship golf course that surrounds it.

Winding through 1,000 acres of preserved land, the Jay Morrish-designed masterpiece's varied landscape encompasses washes, ponds, and thousands of pinon and juniper trees - giving lots of opportunity to encounter unpredictable conditions. Lucky for its members and guests alike, Talking Rock Golf Club's team of golf professionals, led by Head Golf Professional David Buettner, has seen it all and can help players navigate the terrain and seasonal wind that can impact even the lowest handicap.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Through Talking Rock's Stay & Play special, guests enjoy accommodations in a fully furnished, 2,000-square-foot Ranch Cottage with stunning golf course and countryside views. Besides golf on the Jay Morrish-designed championship course and a meal at The Ranch House, guests may also take advantage of miles of the community's hiking, biking and jogging trails; state-of-the-art fitness center; regulation lap pool; and additional dining and lounging options.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
The greens at Talking Rock are big and fast! While reading the line of your putts, pay close attention to where the water drains surrounding the greens are located. This will give you a sense of uphill/downhill grade and will definitely help you keep from three putting and thus produce a lower score.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
In 2012, Talking Rock's signature Jay Morrish-designed, 7,350-yard championship course made an impressive jump from number 19 to 11 on Golf Digest magazine's 25 Best Golf Courses in Arizona.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
Hole 15 is a course favorite. The 337-yard, downhill-drivable par 4 is a signature of golf course designer Jay Morrish. It plays as a classic risk/reward hole, with two fairway bunkers that you must carry and three more guarding the green. With a 360 degree view of the surrounding area, including Granite Mountain, this hole has it all.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Enjoy a glass of wine or a tall beer as you sit on Granite Mountain patio and take in the scenery and the ideal climate that Prescott has to offer.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
It is believed that PGA Tour player Jeff Quinney holds the course record shooting a 66 off of the back tees.

Back Tee Stats
Par:
Yardage: 7,350
Slope: 135
Rating: 73.7

More Information
Talking Rock
14503 N. Talking Rock Ranch Road
Prescott, AZ, 86305
877-922-4440
www.talkingrockranch.com/

Revised: 03/26/2013 - Article Viewed 30,718 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.