It was common for LPGA Tour pros to rave about course conditions, cushy locker rooms and other amenities the past five years when they
competed at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Papago, under a management agreement with the fundraising arm of the Arizona Golf Association, reopened for play in December and still is in the midst of a massive renovation project. “It obviously is a huge task,” Tom Maletis, president of TGF, said this week. “But we had a lot of the same concerns when we moved to Superstition (six years ago from Moon Valley Country Club). We were able to do that and re-create a successful event, and I believe we’ll do it again this time.” Maletis said that TGF made preliminary plans for holding the event at Papago well before the site officially was secured, “so we already had some things lined up.” Lack of infrastructure and parking are the major challenges. The only current structure is a temporary trailer in use as a pro shop. Course general manager Al Murdock said there is plenty of room in the former clubhouse area to erect temporary facilities. Large tents and temporary structures will be needed for locker rooms, a media center, officials, operations and concessions.
“There have been some pretty good events held at places with a lot less space than we have right now,” Murdock said. “TGF has been in this business a long time, they’ve been on site, and they know what it takes to get this stuff done.”