This luxury golf club in Arizona offers the ultimate high-roller amenity: private flight service

For Arizonans looking to escape the scorching heat of summer, Flagstaff, a mountain community 7,000 feet above sea level, offers a welcome respite. It takes about two hours by car from metro Phoenix to reach the pine-covered oasis, which is also home to several golf courses, most of which are private.

The drive isn’t bad, but there is only one major highway going up and down the mountain. So on weekends – especially around holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day – the bottleneck starts early. Throw in an unfortunate fender bender or worse, and you could expect a painfully long commute.

Eliminating that potential exacerbation was our top priority Pine Canyon – a luxurious, master-planned community and private club just minutes outside of downtown Flagstaff. The innovative solution? Private chartered flight service direct from Scottsdale Airport to Flagstaff. Flight time: approximately 40 minutes from take-off to landing. And as soon as you land, a car will be waiting to take you the remaining eight kilometers to the club.

“The private golf space is exactly this idea of ​​the confluence of hospitality and lifestyle, and I think what we’ve discovered is that to really be a leader in the space, it’s paramount to bring that hospitality and lifestyle outside the gates,” Todd Severson, managing partner of Symmetry Companies, the owner and developer of Pine Canyon, told me recently. “Most of our members are second homeowners, and to the extent we can integrate the lifestyle into even the way they arrive, we can meet their needs.

“When members and their guests arrive on site, they are relaxed, excited and ready to reconnect with all their friends.”

The flight option proved to be a hugely popular amenity during the pilot season, but it’s not the only luxury benefit members and guests can enjoy at Pine Canyon. The course – a 19-hole Jay Morrish design that originally opened in 2004 – recently underwent a $6.4 million renovation that included improving the course layout, appearance and playability, implementing more sustainable irrigation (with a 30 percent total water use reduction) and adding 100 meters in length.

The playing experience is mountain golf at its best, with multiple elevated tees, each positioned to maximize the potential for soaring drives, sometimes against the impressive backdrop of Humphreys Peak. The fairways are perfectly maintained and the greens are fast and heavily shaped. Standout vistas include the opening drive on hole No. 1, the par-3 3rd and a stunning approach on the par-4 6th. The back nine also starts with a bang, thanks to the beautiful downhill short par-4 10th and another great shortie, the par-3 11th. There is a lot of variation in distances on the par 3’s, even from the forward tees. As the back nine winds downhill, you are treated to views of one of the course’s ‘ghost trees’, which you must navigate around to reach the green on hole 14.

There’s also a 19th hole – a short and sweet finisher to round out your round, with Pine Canyon’s opulent clubhouse in the background. Post-golf activities include full-service dining, a spa and state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facilities. Guests have the option of staying in one of the club’s custom-built cabins, all of which are thoughtfully furnished and have private balconies with beautiful and serene views of the grounds. Kids have plenty to do too, with a lush football and soccer field to play on, as well as a swimming pool, splash pad and water slide. And there’s more to come. An additional seventy-five hectares will be developed in the coming years into new homes and a family-friendly 9-hole par-3 course.

According to Severson, giving members the opportunity to fully enjoy the club’s many amenities was a driving force behind the addition of private flights. Although Pine Canyon does not currently have a partner for on-demand private flight booking for members, the club’s concierge and hospitality department can still assist members in scheduling private flights to and from Pine Canyon and even other courses upon request, as well as car service to and from Flagstaff Airport. The club understands that the key benefit of private aviation is the reduction in travel time, allowing members to extend and maximize their time on property.

“It allows for a seamless transition from their everyday life to their club life,” he said.

Whether you drive or fly, the Pine Canyon experience is always worth the trip.