RV Life - Back Issues

Turquoise Valley Combines Great RV, Golf Facilities

With a hundred full-service RV spaces and the longest golf hole west of the Mississippi, Turquoise Valley Golf & RV Park is a must-visit for travelers to Arizona. Located in Naco, a one wood and a wedge shot from the Mexican border, this spectacular facility truly embodies its motto: “Nice People, Great Food, Quality Golf!”

The showcase of the golf course is the 747-yard, par 6, 15th hole, affectionately dubbed “The Rattler.” It's bitten its share of decent golfers over the years. According to general manager Pete Campbell, The Rattler is one of only a few par 6s in the world. Another noteworthy fact about Turquoise Valley: It's the oldest continuously operating golf course in Arizona. The original course was constructed in 1908, according to Campbell.

In 1936, as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, the clubhouse was moved to its present location and the development of the current site began. The original course was built as a nine-hole, and it operated as such until the back nine was added in January 1999.

Situated at 4,600 feet above sea level, Turquoise Valley is a welcome respite from the Arizona heat in the summer months. Campbell says the temperature can be as much as 20 degrees cooler than in the Phoenix area.

Dave Marrandette, a recent visitor to Turquoise Valley, appreciates the proximity of the golf course and RV park. “They are right across the street from one another,” says Marrandette. You can literally walk to the course with your clubs.”

With nearly 30,000 rounds of golf played each year, Campbell says that the busiest times are from January through March. However, April 16 will also be very busy at the RV golf resort. On that day, Turquoise Valley will host its seventh annual Pro-Am Golf Tournament. First place prize money is $5,000, with a total of $20,000 in prizes.

Located less than 30 minutes from two of Arizona's most popular tourist destinations — Bisbee and Tombstone —Turquoise Valley's RV park is reasonably priced and well-equipped. The 100 stalls offer full hookups, including electrical, sewage, free cable TV and more. Rates are $17.50 per night, $100 for a week, or $240 a month. The stay and play special is $30 per person, per day. This includes overnight at the RV park, 18 holes of golf, and a cart.

Coyote's Hideout, according to many, serves the best Mexican food this side of the border. Located on the premises and open daily from 7 a.m. till 4 p.m., Coyote's is also the place where numerous “Rattler Tales” can be heard.

2005 Seattle Golf Show

The seventh annual Seattle Golf Show will be held April 1-3 at Qwest Field Event Center, the new name of the venue in downtown Seattle where the event has been held for the past four years.

“The early April dates are more in line with the Northwest golf season,” said John Tipping, the show's producer. “Winter sports are coming to a close, golf courses and resorts are staffing up, and people are starting to pull their clubs out of the closet.” The show is viewed as the official opening of the region's golf season.

During its three -day run, more than 150 exhibitors will open their doors to the golfing public; the region's golf associations will conduct meetings and seminars, and the game's leading manufacturers will display the newest club technology. The community has responded to the event, with attendance at last year's show increasing by 30 percent over the previous year.

The show will have some new additions this year, along with all of the attractions of last year, including a free round of golf to all paid adult attendees. The Seattle Golf Show is co-owned by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA, and is managed by PNGA Media. For more information, visit the show's Web site at www.seattlegolfshow.com.

Good Bye Don

And on a sad note, I bid a fond farewell to one of the most avid RV golfers of our time. Don Poier, the 53-year-old play-by-play announcer for the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies, passed away suddenly in late January of an apparent heart attack.

Don and his wife, Barb, had enjoyed the RV-golf lifestyle for the last few years, hitting the road as soon as the Grizzlies ended their season. Traveling mainly throughout the western portion of the U.S., the Poiers always planned their RV stops where quality golf courses could be found.

Don, a 1974 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, was a fixture in the Pacific Northwest broadcasting field for many years. He served as program director for KING-TV in Seattle and spent more than 20 years as an announcer on Pac-10 football and basketball games. He also covered Seattle Seahawks football and Seattle Mariners baseball. Don served as the Grizzlies' announcer since the team's inception as the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995. When the franchise moved from British Columbia to Memphis in 2001, so too, did Don and Barb Poier.

When I interviewed Don a year ago, he shared his feelings on the RV lifestyle: “When traveling from city to city by airplane, you can't really enjoy life at that frenetic pace. But traveling in an RV, now that's the way to slow the pace down and really embrace what's before you.” Though the voice is silent, his spirit echoes on.