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Golf Southwest
Everyone knows that Arizona boasts some of the best golf in the world. We've made it our business to water, shape, and mold close to 300 courses out of Phoenix's desert soil. As a result, people from around the world seek us out to sample our handiwork.
But what happens when you've made all the shots, you've sunk all the putts, and the beverage cart's offerings have run dry? At that point, it's time to take in the pleasures of the 19th hole-the perfect complement to the previous 18.
If you're new to the extra green, check out this rundown: Good 19th holes offer great food, cool libations, and a relaxed atmosphere for spinning stories of the day's travails. Great ones also give you access to sports beyond golf, so you can catch up with the scores you might have missed while you were swining away. Above all, though, they provide a place to unwind, a pit stop between the fairway and the highway, where you can get your bearings before heading home to your own reality.
Though the Greater Phoenix area has as many 19th holes as courses, a few fill the aforementioned prescription to a "tee." They stand as the hall-of-famers , the TPCs and Grayhawks of our post-links gathering places, largely because each one offers its own special take on what a 19th hole should be-and delivers big.
The newest of our world-class 19th holes, Fox Sports Grill, opened in November 2002 and immediately made a name for itself as one of Scottsdale's most upscale sports-food meccas. The enormous bar side gives you sports on multititudes of giant flat-screens and seating from booths to Barcalounger-style easy chairs. Golfers who want a quieter post-play environment can retire to the TV-free dining room and enjoy a menu that moves beyond traditional bar food with surprising appetizers such as succulent jumbo Maryland crab cakes and wood-fired grill specialties, including cider-cured smoked pork chops. Incidentally, you can sample the same menu in the bar, if you want both fantastic food and a sports fix.
The extras, though, propel Fox into the realm of great 19th holes. Unsatisfied links-men can continue working on their game on Fox's outdoor putting green, while those looking for a new challenge can hit the felt in the billiards room. Feel free to visit the cigar lounge to sample some stogies, or reserve the private chef's room for a special post-play meal.
