by Forrest Richardson
Scottsdale Country Club — currently operating as Starfire Golf Club — prepares to introduce “The Six Shooter,” an innovative 10-hole short course. I designed this course to blend creative short course golf with playful elements that welcome both avid golfers and newcomers to the game. I grew up near Scottsdale Country Club. Besides playing there as a kid hooked on golf, my brother and I rode dirt bikes in the desert just north of the course. At one time it was at the edge of town, with nothing but desert beyond the course. Today, the course is among the last remaining courses open to the public in Scottsdale, and I wanted to create a space that honors its history while offering a fun, fresh experience for a new generation of players.
The “Blue Boulder” Being Placed on Site at Scottsdale Country Club
One of the Six Shooter’s most distinctive features is the dramatic “Blue Boulder” at the 4th Hole. The rock used has veins of Chrysocolla, a silicate mineral that is often found with Copper creating the vibrant blue-green color that is reminiscent of turquoise. Weighing nearly 30,000 pounds, the massive rock was sourced from a quarry near Tucson and carefully transported and set in place as the centerpiece of an expansive 8,000 s.f. punchbowl green. The boulder sits within the putting surface as both a visual landmark and a strategic design element, creating a memorable and playful challenge for golfers approaching the green.
The “Blue Boulder” 4th Hole at Scottsdale Country Club’s New Six Shooter Short Course
The day the big, beautiful boulder arrived from Tucson to Scottsdale, Jeff Lundgren and Dave Ashton, partners of the owner group Swing First, visited the site to watch the placement. Their hands-on involvement throughout the process has helped shape the course’s creative direction, and it’s been a genuinely fun collaboration. On site that day, we helped guide the giant specimen into place with the crew — a moment that turned months of planning into a very real and very memorable centerpiece for the Six Shooter short course.
Dave Ashton and Jeff Lundgren, Owners of Scottsdale Country Club, Pose with the “Blue Boulder”
The idea is to bring fun to the historic property. Arizona has lost many of its pre-World War II courses to housing development and a general lack of preservation. The plan here is to uphold many of the old Scottsdale Country Club hallmarks, but in a fresh spirit that speaks to a new generation of Scottsdale residents and visitors. To usher in that fun experience, we created the course’s cowboy mascot, Dick. You also get fun names for the holes like, the par-2 hole has been named “Shorty” and other holes such as “Raisin’ Cain” and “Dick’s Hat Trick.”
The Six Shooter Logo Featuring Dick the Cowboy
The Six Shooter is a series of par-3 holes ranging from 80-yards to 150-yards. The 6th Hole is an innovative par-2 putting hole that is incorporated into a large, 25,000 s.f. “Social Green” called The Bandana. Players reaching the 6th Hole are presented with a 150-foot putt challenge — an undulating green with tee markers set on the green surface. The Six Shooter routing allows loops of 6-holes or a full 10-hole round.
We wanted an experience where those just out for a friendly putting match would interact with players on the short course. The large green is meant to be an inclusive golf space, and we’re fully prepared for the occasion where groups will have to communicate with each other if their putting lines are in each other’s way. Imagine that, people talking instead of just focused on their cell phones.
The par-29, 10-hole routing, is scheduled to open in mid-2026. Our vision for Scottsdale Country Club also includes a new putting course “The Bandana” set to open in early 2026 and the 18-hole championship course that is also being prepared for the future. The 18-hole layout includes a total refresh with new bunkering, expanded greens and turf reduction to meet water conservation goals. Those plans are scheduled for a 2027 start. Currently operating as Starfire Golf Club, the facility will return to its original name — Scottsdale Country Club — in 2026. Our goal is to continue to bring innovative, fun golf design while preserving the legacy of this historic course.
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