Gold Canyon Golf Resort
6100 S. Kings Ranch Road
Directions: Take U.S. Highway 60 east past Apache Junction to Kings Ranch Road, turn left and proceed one mile.
For tee times: (480) 982-9449
For lodging: (480) 982-9090
Website: www.gcgr.com
Gold Canyon Golf Resort broke ground at the base of the Superstition Mountains in 1981, and 25 years later it still is breaking ground.
According to Gold Canyon’s general manager, Carlo Karim, “Believe it or not, we’re still in our infancy stage, as far as the resort is concerned.’’
While the 36 holes of golf, which include the Dinosaur and Sidewinder courses, are entrenched, Karim noted that the coming years at Gold Canyon will experience some major changes and upgrades for the resort and 400-acre property.
Already there is a new 2,500-square-foot patio that comes complete with a large, blue-and-gold umbrella and exotic blue-ice firepit. Called “The Ledge’’ because of its lofty, panoramic point of view, it offers food and drink as well as amazing Arizona sunsets.
The Bar & Grill at Gold Canyon also is brand-spanking new, as the old Greenwood’s sports bar has given way to marble, leather, flat-screen TVs and a two-way fireplace that sits center-stage. No wonder the locals often outnumber the guests.
Gold Canyon also has become a leader in the wedding industry, offering several distinct settings and party facilities (indoor and outdoor), including its one-of-a-kind Town Hall site. To that end, Karim has hired a full-time wedding planner in John Loetz.
The pro shop and clubhouse, small by today’s standards, also will be redone in the near future, Karim said. Additionally, the refurbished spa, called the Healing Arts Center, now boasts every treatment imaginable, from massage to reflexology to acupuncture.
There also is a change in regard to the resort’s 101, bright-white-colored casitas. In the past two years, approximately half of those have been sold as time-shared properties.
“We’re constantly tying things together, and we also plan to add several boutique shops and other amenities,’’ Karim explained. “In fact, the entire property has been
re-vegged, re-lit and groomed to perfection.’’
With change comes the residential impact. But in that regard, Gold Canyon might be spared better than most. That’s because the next project – the Villas at Gold Canyon – will confine housing rather than let it roam.
“We’ll start breaking ground on the Villas at Gold Canyon at the end of this year,’’ Karim said of the 201 one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums that will line the southern border of the Sidewinder Course.
The $15 million to $18 million project, which will offer condos between $180,000 and $300,000, will give Gold Canyon’s following a vacation home within the resort.
“What we’ve found is that people like to live at a resort, because by owning their own property here, they get to enjoy all the amenities,’’ said Karim, whose six years at Gold Canyon were preceded by management stints at such regal retreats as the Arizona Biltmore, the Beverly Hills Hilton and the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.
“Really, Gold Canyon is an ideal place to live because you get the peace and quiet of nature, and yet you’re not too far from the city.’’
Originally, Gold Canyon Golf Resort was the brainchild of developer Harold Christ. Today, it is owned by Canadian-based GCG Holdings.
“It’s always been beautiful out here, but it’s never been so attractive,’’ Karim noted. “So slowly but surely, we’re helping the resort reach its maximum potential.’’
Which doesn’t mean Gold Canyon Golf Resort is going to be huge someday, even if Pinal County is the fastest-growing area of Arizona.
“We’re still a small resort that relies on the Superstition Mountains for our magic,’’ Karim said. “And we’ll always keep that feel, because it makes for a more intimate stay.’’
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