The course is the centerpiece of a 1,600-acre community where contractors plan to eventually build more than 5,500 homes. The Duke is located near South of PHX Sky Harbor International Airport near Maricopa, a small town west of I-10, the highway that runs from Phoenix to Tucson.
At The Duke, Phoenix architect David Druzisky has created a rolling terrain of knolls and bumps on the fairways, combined with elevated greens. He's also made effective use of the Santa Rosa Wash, which wiggles through the course introducing hazards, and forced carries.
"The original site was absolutely flat," Druzisky said, "but 3 million yards of dirt were moved to create the sites for the houses surrounding the course. So we were able to cut out a golf course with contours and subtle shapes."
