My visit to Sterling Golf and Country Club was really fascinating. The club just recently opened (February, 2021) and so everything is new or still in construction. The course is a Troon managed club which gets you on with some discounts if you are using a Troon card or have a Troon Privé membership. The course is a Nicklaus designed course with a menagerie of mounds, traps, and hazards to menace all levels of golfers. I played the Blue tees which were still 6,500 yards and managed to throw out a number that I will not be recording in the GHIN computers. Google maps will take you to the wrong entrance off of Peoria. The club would like you to enter via Cactus, where you will be welcomed by their large contemporary water features. All of the architecture could be described as modern farmhouse and was quite upscale. The pro-shop was well outfitted and they even had a very large golf simulator adjacent. The Men's locker rooms were also quite impressive with more televisions then I cared to count. (I did not check out the Ladies locker room, but would have to guess it has similar amenities). 

Scenery: The course has a vast view of the White Tank Mountain Park and Barry Goldwater Peak (his name is on everything in this valley). Since much of the housing has not been built yet, it sometimes feels like you are in the middle of a farm. You can see all of the new trees arranged to wreak havoc on golfers in another 20 years, but for now they are still young and stick-like. There are a few very large water hazards, as well as dam style cascades-- where the water pours from one section to a lower section-- all built from cast concrete. I would imagine the scenery rating will improve over time as the trees fill out and the construction zones go away.

Service: Like most courses I have visited, the people working at Sterling Grove seemed happy to be working there and were very friendly. They will take your bag, load it, and drive it behind the main building to get you rolling after check-in. There is a call button on their GPS system to get the beverage cart's attention. They currently only have alcohol via the beverage cart. There is a food truck next to check-in if you need some hot foot to get you going.

Variation: As one may expect from a Nicklaus designed course it is long and complex. Definitely felt designed to one day host a PGA tournament. Given the property is pretty much flat, they did do a fair amount of earth moving the give each hole a unique feel with some small to moderate hills. There are some blind spots, some hidden hazards, and a variety of off-fairway "crap" in which I spent a lot of time searching for my ball or attempting to hit out of. The grassy hazards are a nightmare, so stay out of 'em!

Maintenance: There were personnel all over the place keeping the property tight and clean. Since the course is brand new, there were still some areas under construction with dirt on the cart paths or fencing blocking you from the work zones. We saw one green that had a 3 foot wide and maybe 30 foot long mowing scar right through the middle. We were hoping that landscaper didn't get fired, but hopefully learned a valuable lesson about dropping the mower deck. The fairways, greens, and hazards were in very good condition and fairly consistent from hole to hole.

Value: Now is the time to get out there. I played a 4 hour round and we were pushing the foursome ahead of us only minimally. They are currently under utilized and have rates that reflect their need to draw in new golfers. Anywhere around $100 peak or $50 off-season would make this a tremendous deal compared to comparable courses in the valley.

In summary, great course. Will definitely visit again and am looking forward to how it will look in the coming years once it is built out a bit more.