How Dick Hyland, Director Of Golf at The Country Club at DC Ranch, made his way to the best golf course in Scottsdale

Growing up across from Merion Country Club in Pennsylvania impacted his decision to make golf his career.

All the kids in that area worked at one of about a dozen fine clubs in that area such as Aronimink Golf Club, Philadelphia Cricket Club, The Philadelphia Country Club, and a host of others.

I did that through college and all the while my game kept getting better, as I really worked hard on it, especially my short game as I didn’t have the length some of the bigger guys did.

My senior year another professional mentioned I should consider a career as a PGA professional, as he thought I could make a go of it so off I went.

I got my PGA Class A Membership after but three years of PGA f business schools and of course passing the playing ability test.

I was the Director of Instruction at the Innisbrook Resort in Florida which also included coordinating Golf Digest Golf Schools where Bob Toski and the legendary Jim Flick were the lead instructors. Jim ended up being one of my closest friends and instruction mentors those next 35 years.

Never did I guess this part of my career would take off so quickly at a Scottsdale private golf courses. 

I was then selected by the PGA of America to teach in their instruction workshops. From then on I believed I could really give this professional golf career a go at a Scottsdale private golf course. 

Through all of this and my travels, I was able to play many terrific clubs and of course, some of the favorites have been besides Merion East are Augusta National where I posted two 72’s and two 71’s in the four rounds I played there years ago. Other courses like Pine Valley, Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Seminole, Muirfield Village, Pebble Beach, and Cypress Point are must-plays if you get invited. OOPS,

I failed to say the Cochise Course at Desert Mountain on of the best golf courses in Scottsdale, where I had the course record for many years at -10, a  62, how could I forget that!!!

What makes these Scottsdale private golf courses special in my opinion, each hole is a distinct, memorable piece of artwork having holes going in every direction.

When you walk up 18 at the best golf course in Scottsdale you wish you had more holes to play, you can remember every hole distinctly after playing only one round, you used every hole in your bag, did the course start into the east sun and finish into the west sun?

And if you never got to play it again would you be disappointed?

If your answer is no, it could use a refresher!!

My sleeper course to play would be Loch Lomond Golf Club near Glasgow, Scotland.

When the weather is nice (90 inches of rain per year) it has it all from a golf point of view if you ever get the chance, do not pass it up.