Scottsdale Country Club—currently operating as Starfire Golf Club—prepares to introduce The Six Shooter, an innovative 10-hole short course.
Designed by Forrest Richardson, golf course architect, to blend creative short course golf with playful elements that welcome both avid golfers and newcomers to the game.
One of the Six Shooter’s most distinctive features is the dramatic Blue Boulder at the 4th Hole. 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 square-foot 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 idea is to bring fun to the historic property,” says Richardson. “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 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 square-foot 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,” says Richardson. “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.”
The par-29, 10-hole routing, is scheduled to open in mid-2026.
Richardson says his 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.
