GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons has big plans for Scottsdale National Golf Club, the country club he purchased in 2013. According to documentation submitted to the city of Scottsdale on July 1, he plans to add a new 18-hole championship golf course, a Par 3 executive course, overnight lodging for members, underground parking, and a new clubhouse!
At 175,000-square-foot, the new clubhouse will be roughly the size of a department store and feature expanded dining areas, locker rooms, and a bigger pro shop. It also promises breathtaking views of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Parsons hopes that when renovations and improvements are finished, the Scottsdale National Golf Club will be comparable to Augusta National in Georgia, Pine Valley in New Jersey, and Cypress Point in California, often ranked as the three best golf clubs in the world.
For now, Scottsdale National Golf Club is ranked as the 17th-best golf course out of 386 in Arizona, according to Golf Digest. Parsons plans to remodel and keep the existing course while adding another 18 holes to the west near Rio Verde Drive and 122nd Street.
Parsons has made sweeping changes since he purchased Golf Club Scottsdale for $600,000 and rebranded it. He purchased hundreds of adjacent acres in 2014, bringing his facility to a total of 650 acres bordering the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. He also brought in a new chef, increased staff pay, and added new carts and Toro maintenance tractors.
He made changes in club membership, as well, which comes at a $25,000 price tag, $850 in monthly dues and a $100 service fee for every round of golf. The further renovated Scottsdale National Golf Club will limit member play to 30 times per year and stay closed during the summer.
What sets this course apart isn’t just the fact that it’s owned by the GoDaddy founder, who was a member of Golf Club Scottsdale before purchasing it. The course is unique because, unlike many others in the Valley, it is not part of a master-planned subdivision with homes lining the fairways. Instead, it borders the desert preserve on three sides.
Once renovations are complete, it is likely to become Arizona’s second course to be ranked among the nation’s best. Currently, Arizona has just one course ranked in Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 best: the Estancia Golf Club in Scottsdale. The magazine named Estancia the best new private course in 1996.
Looking for more information on the best courses in our great state? Give me a call today or fill out the form below to chat with any of our local Scottsdale experts at The Matheson Team.
