Stay and Play (More): Home2 Suites by Hilton Mesa at Longbow Golf Club

One highly sought after luxury in golf travel is being able to wake up and walk right onto the course from your accommodations. That’s now possible at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz., where a brand new Home2 Suites by Hilton Mesa opens its doors right next to the popular course this month.

The four-story facility, with 111 suites designed for extended stays, is located just a wedge away from the 18th green and the Longbow clubhouse. “It will bring the type of business and group events that we have never been able to host before because the nearest hotel was eight miles away,” said Longbow’s General Manager Bob McNichols. “That’s going to help us attract more out of- town visitors and golfers with stay-and play packages that could include other area courses. We’re also building a walking path between the hotel and the course, and we’ll be providing a six-passenger cart that can be used to bring guests back and forth.”

“We wanted to be right near the clubhouse for easy access,” said Ted Mosley, President/ COO of Quorom Hotels and Resorts in Dallas, Texas. “Bob has done an incredible job of creating some high-profile tournaments on the NCAA amateur and professional levels, which generates a significant amount of business for the market, including hotel rooms. We plan on participating in a lot of that. It’s going to be a really symbiotic relationship where we can help each other. We’re excited about the opportunity.”

Located 30 minutes east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Longbow Golf Club is known for providing a strong test of the game. Designed by Ken Kavanaugh, the layout offers a memorable experience right from the first hole, a par 5 that features the “Pebble Beach Tree” and a waste bunker up the entire left side of the fairway.

The venue is tournament tested as well, having hosted the LPGA Symetra Tour, Cactus Tour, the American Junior Golf Association (the AJGA’s Heather Farr Classic has been played here since 2004), the annual Notre Dame Clover Cup, the 2021 U.S. Disabled Open Golf Championship, and a 2021 Senior Women’s Open Championship Qualifier. Off the course, the Longbow Toptracer Range, which debuted last year, makes practice perfect with swing stats sent via an app to your smart phone. It’s the same technology used by PGA and LPGA Tour pros.

Hotel guests will get a bird-eye view of the entire facility. “From the second, third, and fourth floors of the hotel you will see lots of golf,” said McNichols. “You will also be able to see from the Superstition Mountains all the way to South Mountain in the west and the McDowell Mountains to the north, behind iconic Red Mountain looming large nearby. It has a lot going for it in terms of location.”

Whether teeing it up or not, future hotel guests and daily visitors can also enjoy delicious dining in The Grille at Longbow Golf Club. Open daily for breakfast (try the Bandito Burrito or a  Country Scramble), lunch (the award-winning burger with house made BBQ-flavored chips on the side is a popular choice) and late afternoon appetizers. The Grille also serves up cocktail favorites such as the Longbow Lemonade and has a variety of beers on tap, including local offerings such as Kilt Lifter and Scottsdale Blonde.

With the growing Longbow Marketplace, the Fat Cats Mesa entertainment venue, and a 40,000-square-foot brewery in the planning stage, the business district surrounding Longbow Golf Club is drawing more visitors than ever before.

“We’re starting to get our own character in this area around the golf course,” said McNichols. “For me, all of this is great news, especially since getting involved as the developer two decades ago. I call it my 20-year, overnight success.”

And all that time Longbow Golf Club has been the star of the show. Now it’s becoming the center point of an emerging destination.

AT-A-GLANCE:

Longbow Golf Club
Mesa, Ariz.
(480) 807-5400
www.LongbowGolf.com