If there’s one golf course in Arizona that truly rocks, it would have to be Elephant Rocks in Williams, 35 miles west of Flagstaff. Located in the shadows of Bill Williams Mountain, the course has gone through several iterations en route to its current 18-hole championship layout measuring 6,695 yards.

Looking at this beautiful course today, it is hard to imagine that just over 20 years ago the fairways were without grass and the greens were made of oiled sand. The city took over management of the Williams Country Club in 1990, and hired golf course designer Gary Panks to bring the existing nine holes up to modern standards. The city also changed the name to Elephant Rocks at Williams to recognize the massive lava rocks that are situated on both sides of the road as your drive into the course. The rocks do resemble their namesakes. In 2000, Panks designed an additional nine holes to make it a true championship-caliber course.

When teeing up on the first hole, you look down the straight-as-an-arrow fairway of the 351-yard par 4, and see Williams Mountain directly in the background. The city and mountain were name after “Old Bill” Williams, a mountain man and trader who often trapped in the area. Three out of the four par 3s at Elephant Rocks require shots over water, with the greens protected by large bunkers. The 18th hole and final par 3 is a downhill 212 yards with a 100-foot drop from the tee box to the green. “You just pitch a seven iron shot down the middle of the fairway and watch it roll,” suggests Bruce Brossman, a frequent visitor to Elephant Rocks.

The course meanders its way through stands of large ponderosa pines, and features four par fives. Hole 17, a 565-yard uphill par five, is tough to reach the green in two shots. Another tricky feature of the Gary Panks design can be found in the bent grass greens. While they are often guarded, they look fairly flat, but the designer built in subtle breaks, making them hard to read. Overall, visitors will enjoy Elephant Rocks at Williams with its great scenery, challenging holes and cozy clubhouse, which was built by railway workers in 1932.

Ride the Rails to the Grand Canyon
For RV-golfers, you’re in for a treat. There are several very nice RV parks in and around Williams. If a visit to Grand Canyon National Park is on your itinerary, you might want to consider taking the train and just park your rig at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park. This completely paved facility offers 124 sites, pull-throughs, cable TV, wireless Internet, and an indoor swimming pool. For those traveling with pets, you will appreciate the pet resort. Grand Canyon Railway’s pet resort has 28 spacious rooms for dogs and 16 comfortable custom-made condos for cats. You need to allot a little extra time for checking your pet into the resort before getting on the train, which departs for the Grand Canyon at 9:30 a.m.

The Grand Canyon Railway takes visitors from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. During the scenic two-hour and 15-minute train ride you can enjoy the comfortable onboard amenities and take in the scenic landscape. If you plan to stay at one of the lodges at the South Rim, your luggage will be transported to your room for you.

You don’t have to be a mountain climber or marathon runner to enjoy the splendors of the Grand Canyon. Once you step off the train, the magnificent beauty is all around you, which is why nearly 5 million tourists chose to visit the Grand Canyon last year. The Grand Canyon has a West Rim, North Rim, and South Rim, but it is the latter that draws most visitors.

If you are physically able to hike even part way down into the canyon, you will appreciate it even more. Bright Angel Trail is the most popular South Rim trail leading down into the canyon. It is best to get started early in the morning, especially in summer when the temperatures can rise to triple digits. There’s water at the mile and a half rest house and at three-mile house, but bring your own just in case. Sunscreen, sunglasses, good walking shoes and a camera are all necessary items as well.

Another option for getting around, besides the convenient bus service at the South Rim, is to rent a bicycle. Bright Angel Bicycles offers a first-class tour that features relatively easy biking coupled with loads of historical information from the several stops along the way.

After returning to Williams, take a stroll down Main Street, and step back in time. This is a portion of historic Route 66, known as the Mother Road. Don’t miss Bearizona either; it’s a drive-through wildlife adventure that’s full of surprises.

For further information, visit elephant-rocks.com, thetrain.com, bikegrandcanyon.com and bearizona.com.

Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer and writer who lives in Yakima, Washington. Rick writes a weekly golf blog, “The 19th Hole,” which is published every Saturday at rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.

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