Your Next Home in Whisper Rock

 

 Its name is fitting, because as it sits amid a string of gems in an endless sea of golden sand, praise has come its way in respectful tones. Hushed, not loud. Unpretentious, not bodacious. Dignified, not flamboyant. Whispers.

 

That is the method in which word has spread of Whisper Rock Golf Club, which is many things, but mostly it is true to a genuine humility and the premise that it owes its existence to committed trailblazers. Where once there were miles of primitive desert, this area today is a dynamic golf destination, with many options for the millions who pack their clubs and head for warmth.

 

If Whisper Rock is worthy of all the plaudits since opening in 2001 and surely it is due reverence must be paid.

 

“We did not plant the seed. We fell from the tree, said Gregg Tryhus, offering tribute to those whose visionary talents turned Scottsdale into a golf mecca and allowed for the existence of Whisper Rock.

 

There was the birth of Desert Forest in 1962, which remains arguably Arizonas finest golf course. There was Jerry Nelson with Troon, Pinnacle Peak and Estancia. There was Lyle Anderson with Desert Highlands and Desert Mountain and his stroke of genius 30 years ago to bring the Skins Game to Thanksgiving TV and show the snow-shovel citizenry there was terrific golf in the Arizona desert. Michael Meldman joined the Estancia project and later with Discovery Land Co. created Mirabel. There was DMB Associates with Silverleaf and DC Ranch.

 

“They envisioned grass against the great Sonoran Desert and created the evolution of a marketplace, said Tryhus, a North Dakotan who attended graduate school at Arizona State and fell in love with the area. He made it his home, and created Grayhawk Development, which brought Grayhawk Golf Club and Whisper Rock Golf Club to life.

 

The former is a 36-hole public facility that has hosted a PGA Tour event, a five-star junior tournament and everything in between, while the latter is . . . well, “The Rock,” where egos are checked at the door and passions for golf, camaraderie and personality are membership prerequisites.

 

“The greatest charm is that everyone’s the same; there is no difference,” said one of the earliest members. “You know coming in you’re not going to change the place; here, the members make the club.”

 

That it’s earned widespread acclaim as one of the nation’s elite private golf clubs in just a short time suggests there is a magical formula at work, but that is not the case. True, there are two superb courses – the Lower, designed by Phil Mickelson and Gary Stephenson, opened in 2001 and is defined by brilliant green complexes; the Upper, by Tom Fazio, opened in 2005 and offers incredible desert vistas. And, yes, the quality practice facilities enable the club’s hundreds of single-digit handicappers and more than 30 who play professionally (Mickelson, plus Aaron Baddeley, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer, Geoff Ogilvy, Chez Reavie and Kevin Streelman among them) to stay sharp. But what shines through at “The Rock” is the pure golf environment and a comfort level felt with every step, none of which are taken as if walking on eggshells.

 

“We’re just trying to be ‘The Rock.’ ”

 

They accomplish that on so many levels, it’s uncanny. The slices of flavor that get to the heart of Whisper Rock’s mystique can be found in the locker room and the grill room. Wonder why the lockers are only 5 feet high? So you can see your fellow members walk by. “If lockers were bigger, you couldn’t say hi.

 

At Whisper Rock, they call it “The Hang,” and Heltne explained that “it is more important than the golf. The ability to ‘hang’ is the charm of this place.” A Masters flag in a grill-room case was signed by Mickelson, who paid tribute to “The Hang.

 

The approach proves intoxicating, because at Whisper Rock, there’s a distinct feeling that members share a kinship with whomever they meet that day – be it the guy at the bag drop, a member of the pro-shop staff, a caddie or a pro athlete who made (or still makes) his fame and fortune shooting pucks, dunking basketballs, playing baseball, or patrolling gridirons, but can come into this club and blend in seamlessly.

 

An eyewitness to the dynamic growth of Scottsdale, Barber marvels at the golf courses within a short drive. “There are so many choices to play and practice,” he said. “It’s a wonderful area. They have built a great place for golf.