New golf courses actually within the city limits of Scottsdale are as rare as Roger Clemens admitting he’s wrong.

There already seems to be a golf course on every other corner and there’s simply no longer much room to build. So the best new courses in the Phoenix Valley these days tend to be out a good distance from the hustle and bustle, like Raven at Verrado and We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro - which are already two of the 10 best courses in the state.

There is one good new course in Scottsdale now - the TPC Scottsdale Champions Course. It’s not really new, it’s a revamp and rename of the old TPC Scottsdale Desert Course by architect Randy Heckenkemper. But Heckenkemper’s Champions is so much better than the Desert Course that the experience is like going from dating Roseanne Barr to dating Jennifer Aniston (hot and still apparently not crazy).

Champions Course’s exciting redone finish plays nothing like its prior life’s tired wheeze to round’s end. For Scottsdale, it’s newer than newer.

And for at least now, it’s still very reasonably priced for this winter escape land. The only problem some visiting golfers are having with Champions is that the course only takes tee times seven days in advance. Now, it’s not a problem to walk on Champions many afternoons. But those who want to play in prime hours, play with a bunch of friends or plan their long-awaited, can’t-waste Arizona trip down to the minute, sometimes figure they have to leave Champions out.

Maybe not …

Arizona Golf Packages has 30-day advance tee time booking at TPC Scottsdale Champions Course. That’s still not as much as the 120 days out the golf packager can book you into all the other Phoenix-Scottsdale courses, but it’s a major difference from seven days.

“We think it’s something that’s a real plus for golfers,” said Anthony Trapani of Arizona Golf Packages. “We’ve been getting a fair share of people asking about TPC Champions too.”

Don’t worry. This isn’t breaking the rules like Clemens “allegedly” did. It’s a legal edge.

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