San Marcos Golf re-opens for public play

By William Godfrey

The San Marcos Golf Resort, located in historic downtown Chandler, recently completed a seven-month $3.9 million renovation. The stately, tree-lined course re-opened for public and guest play on November 1, 2014.

According to Michael Rus, General Manager for the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Resort, the complete upgrade of the property, “turned out wonderfully.” Rus, interviewed recently on the Bunker-to-Bunker radio program on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, shared the benefits to Valley golfers. “We are offering special introductory rates of $42 weekday and $49 for weekend play.” 

“There was a face-lift with a re-boot of tee boxes and bunkers along with a state-of-the-art irrigation system,” explained Rus. “With the help of Bill Norris of National Turf, we brought back the original luster with wall-to-wall turf coverage and a transformation back to the classic layout of the course.”

The new ownership of the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Resort renovated the hotel, the golf clubhouse and added a new Grill 60. This restaurant offers an innovative menu, yet harkens to its glory days with entrees like the Al Capone Burger. Legend has it, according to Rus, Capone frequented the original San Marcos and hosted many high-stakes poker games in his day.

The San Marcos Golf Course celebrated its 100th Anniversary last year and it claims it is the oldest grassed course in Arizona.  

“The 6,626 yard course opened in 1913, and was seeded with Bermuda grass shortly thereafter, making it the first golf course in Arizona with grass greens, ” according to the resort’s website. 

For more information or to book tee times, contact the golf course at 480.963.3358 or visit www.sanmarcosresort.com. Individual and corporate memberships are available by contacting Ben Martyn at 480.857.4472 or bmartyn@sanmarcosresort.com.

William Godfrey is a golf historian and free-lance writer. He lives in Phoenix. His books, “Papago Park –The Golf Course and its History” and “Maryvale Golf Course –The First 50 Years” can be found on amazon.com. Godfrey can be reached at willgodd@gmail.com or at 602.750.1468.