Tucson Attractions
University of Arizona Spring Game 2009
April 5, 2009 by Tucson Realtor - Michael Krotchie · Leave a Comment
Being a University of Arizona alumni I try to make as many sports events as I can and yesterday’s Spring Game was no exception. Expectations in Tucson are high coming off of last season’s 8-5 finish and victory over BYU (YouTube video below) at the Las Vegas Bowl and the quarterback situation for this season remains unresolved. I was hoping to see either Matt Scott or Nick Foles lock their hold on the position but it appears to still be up in the air.
Las Vegas Bowl 2008 Highlights
The weather was perfect for the scrimmage and several thousand fans showed up to support the Wildcats. I just wished the wife and I had gotten there a bit earlier as we missed the free hats they were giving out. Before the scrimmage there was a meet and greet with the team and fans lined up to get autographs from several Wildcats; I noticed the crowd around Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski was especially large and with good reason, he is probably one of the best TEs in the nation and should provide some offensive fireworks again this season.
The White team prevailed 23-21 over the Blue team and I look forward to the upcoming season, hopefully we can continue last season’s successes and make another bowl game! Below are some photos that I snapped from the stands, enjoy!
PGA Accenture Match Play Championship Right Around the Corner
February 20, 2009 by Tucson Realtor - Michael Krotchie · Leave a Comment
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
The PGA’s Accenture Match Play Championship is right around the corner and will be held at the brand new Ritz-Carlton Golf Club located within the master-planned Dove Mountain community. For those of you who haven’t stopped by yet I recommend that you take a few hours and make a field trip, it truly is a spectacular course/resort (what you would expect from a Jack Nicklaus designed course).
The Accenture Match Play Championship, which brings together the world’s top 64 golfers in a unique head-to-head match-play competition, was founded in 1999 and was held in Arizona for the first time in February 2007 at The Gallery Golf Club in Dove Mountain. It was announced during that after another year at The Gallery the tournament would move to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain for the February 2009 tournament.
The practice rounds being Monday, February 23rd, and the actual tournament begins on Wednesday the 25th, continuing through Sunday the 1st of March. At the end of this post is a more detailed schedule of play.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain also features a 50,000-square-foot Clubhouse complex, complete with all of the services one would expect from a top-level private club, including a pool, tennis center, supervised Ritz Kids program, state-of-the-art fitness center, steward-serviced private locker rooms, a double-ended practice facility, and several dining venues with spectacular views.
The resort includes the just opened 250-room Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort hotel and spa, and the first phase of The Residences, a 300-home residential community which is currently open in Phase I. If you would like pricing/floorplan contact me and I’ll pass that right along.
For those of you who missed out on last year’s victory by Tiger Woods here is a brief recap (1:51 long)
I’m hoping Tiger can make it out for this tournament after having season-ending surgery on his knee late last summer. The Tucson community can definitely use his presence to bolster the estimated $100 million+ economy boost the tournament brings to town. And that $100 million estimate was from 2007! I’m also looking forward to see how the new Nicklaus course treats the pros versus The Gallery course where the tournament was played last year.
Twenty seven holes are currently completed with nine more holes slated for completion in 2010. The first 18 holes, comprising the two tournament nines, are par 72 measuring 7,833 yards, while the third nine measures 3,974 yards at par 36. The routing of the final nine holes is complete but exact yardage has yet to be finalized.
The Arizona Daily Star has published an interactive course map that is pretty neat, check it out here.
Nicklaus designed course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana, AZ
If you do end up stopping by here are some helpful area links:
Shopping
Dining
Dining in/around Dove Mountain (Not a whole lot, but there are a few places to eat in the Fry’s Shopping Center)
Other area restaurants and dining options
Hotels
For those of you driving/flying in from out of town be aware of the ongoing I-10 construction.
Parking will also be another obstacle to overcome. There is a huge designated parking lot (I say designated because it’s just dirt) on the southside of Tangerine Road a mile or two east of I-10. Shuttles will be provided from there to the course and back free of charge, and the parking lot will be monitored by TPD.
If anyone has spare tickets let me know!
2009 Accenture Match Play Schedule of Events
Saturday, February 21
Volunteer Appreciation Party
(by invitation only)
Walter Hagen Club
3-5 p.m. MT
Sunday, February 22
Bracket Announcement
5 p.m. MT
U of A/ASU AM-AM
Presented by the Tucson Conquistadores
Location and Time TBD
Monday, February 23
Practice Round for Professionals
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
Pro-AM
Presented by the Tucson Conquistadores
Location and Time TBD
Tuesday, February 24
2009 Practice Round for Professionals
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
Accenture Match Play Championship Sponsor Appreciation Party
(by Invitation Only)
Westin La Paloma Ballroom
6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. MT
Wednesday, February 25
Play begins: 32 Matches
(approximate match times: 7:40 a.m.-12:34 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST
Thursday, February 26
Sixteen Matches
(approximate match times: 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
8 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST
Friday, February 27
Eight Matches
(approximate match times: 10:50 a.m.-12:14 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
9 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST
Saturday, February 28
Four Quarterfinal Matches
(approximate match times: 7:38-8:14 a.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
Two Semifinal Matches
(approximate match times: 12:05-12:20 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. EST
NBC: 2-6 p.m. EST
Sunday, March 1
36-Hole Championship Match
(First eighteen holes -- Approximate match time: 7:40 a.m. MT)
(Resuming match -- Approximate match time: 12:20 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT
18-Hole Consolation Match
(Approximate match time: 12:05 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EST
NBC: 2-6 p.m. EST
Monday, March 2
First Flight: Accenture All-Amateur Team Championship
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
6:30 a.m. MT -- Registration & Breakfast
Location: Clubhouse
8:00 a.m. MT -- Shotgun Start
Location: Clubhouse
Immediately Following Play -- Lunch & Awards
Location: Clubhouse
Second Flight: Accenture All-Amateur Team Championship
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
11:30 a.m. MT -- Registration & Lunch
Location: Clubhouse
1 p.m. MT -- Shotgun Start
Location: Clubhouse
Immediately Following Play -- Reception & Awards Location: Clubhouse
Please contact the Accenture Match Play Championship office for further details at: (520) 207-0595
Tiger Commits to PGA Accenture Match Play Tournament!
February 19, 2009 by Tucson Realtor - Michael Krotchie · Leave a Comment
Courtesy of golf.com
Woe is me.. I was already moping from not having tickets to the Accenture Match Play tournament in Dove Mountain, and to add salt to the wound azcentral.com is reporting that Tiger will indeed be playing.
Maybe I’ll hang out by the nearby Basha’s shopping center with a sandwich board around me that says “Will work for tickets”…
Sabino Canyon – A Great Tucson Retreat
May 12, 2008 by Tucson Realtor - Michael Krotchie · 2 Comments
Being in Tucson and missing out on Sabino Canyon is a tragedy. Sabino Canyon is a natural desert oasis located in the Coronado National forest and is home to numerous eco habitats, rare species of trees, animals and birds. It’s a perfect place for a family picnic or maybe you can quench your thirst of nature photography with the sun playing hide and seek behind overgrown pear cacti. The Canyon also offers the pleasure of walking through miles and miles of wilderness that is teeming with wildlife.
Located in southern foothills of the Catalina Mountain Range, Sabino Canyon is easily accessible by taking Sunrise Drive east until you run into Sabino Canyon Drive. Sabino Canyon is a very popular hiking destination and offers several trails of varying skill levels.
Blackett’s Ridge Trail
An adventurer’s prescription of the day will be the Blackett’s Ridge Trail. It is called the classic hike of Sabino Canyon and you can wander through the thick vegetation and over the ridge that lies between the Sabino Canyon and Bear Canyon. It begins where the phoneline trail ends and is an upward climb through a forest of ocotillo and saguaro but once you reach Blackett’s Ridge you will find spectacular views of Tucson and Mt. Lemmon.
Facts
Length of the trail: 1.7 miles
Highest elevation change in the trail: 4410 feet
Best Season: Anytime
Colossal Cave Mountain Park – An Enjoyable Tucson Tourist Attraction
July 24, 2007 by Tucson Realtor - Michael Krotchie · Leave a Comment
Colossal Cave Mountain Park is just the place to go if you want to enjoy some of Southern Arizona’s natural beauty or if you want to spend quality time with your family! Abundant in wildlife, Colossal Cave Mountain Park is a natural sanctuary to hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals and infinite butterflies, beetles, moths and numerous other invertebrates! Some of the mammals that can be spotted in the park include Pack Rats, Spotted Skunks, Ringtails, Foxes, Bobcats, Raccoons, and Mountain Lions and of course, bats, hundreds of bats!
One of the reasons Colossal Cave Mountain Park is so popular with everyone is because of its remarkable diversity in such a small area. The reason for such variety in flora-fauna and wildlife can be attributed to the Park’s location. Situated in the Sonoran-Chihuahuan transition zone, the park has a large number of desert species that can’t be found anywhere else in the entire Tucson valley.
Fortunately for us, the Park is riding high along a path that has been witness to transitions of time from ancient to contemporary with respect to plants and wildlife. Over the centuries, flora and fauna population have migrated in response to the multi-layered changes in the climate, further enriching the flora of the Park.
According to the official website of the Colossal Cave Mountain Park, today the park’s plant list accounts for almost one thousand species of wildflowers, trees, shrubs, cacti and the famous desert spring blooms!
I've lived in the Old Pueblo for more than a decade and have an intimate knowledge of Tucson as well as the surrounding areas. I go hiking and traveling whenever I have a break from real estate (which isn't often enough!) and enjoy taking in an Arizona sunset while relaxing in my backyard. 
