On the way to Tombstone, stop off for a cooler 18 at San Pedro in Benson

By Rebecca Larsen,
Associate Editor

BENSON, Ariz. (June 8, 2003) -- When it's 100-plus degrees in Phoenix, local golfers often seek respite at higher elevations. And one of the newest cooler golfing destinations is in the town of Benson, an old railroad crossroads about 45 miles east of Tucson, where they have opened the San Pedro Golf Course.

Summertime temps in Benson are about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, five degrees cooler than Tucson. Not total relief, but enough to make you think about playing golf instead of watching the PGA on TV with the AC going full blast.

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San Pedro and Benson may seem like the middle of nowhere, but the course had a somewhere kind of architect, Mark Rathert of Colorado who worked early on for designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. Since going out on his own, Rathert has designed such courses as Boulder Creek in Boulder City, Nev., Indian Creek in Nebraska and a slew of layouts in Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.

Designing San Pedro, a par-72 course that plays at 7,313 yards from the tips, was a bit of a special challenge, Rathert agreed, because it lies on top of what was once a town eyesore - a landfill and city corporation yard next to an out-of-date sewage treatment plant. But the city cleaned up the site and gave a long-term, highly attractive lease on the land to a Denver banker Tom Hartley who built the course.

Even though the site has some history, it also offers scenic advantages: the San Pedro River runs through the area, it's loaded with arroyos filled with thousands of ancient mesquites with black twisted trunks, and the Dragoon Mountains form a backdrop for the course. "San Pedro is an interesting property with beautiful natural areas," says Rathert, "and that helped keep development affordable."

The only time you really grasp the full impact of what the site once was is on the par-3 16th when you get a full view of the new up-to-standard treatment plant that was built on the site and that now provides treated water for the bluegrass fairways and bentgrass greens.

The front nine basically wanders among the arroyos along the river; the back nine travels through some canyons and ends up back at some man-made lakes next to the clubhouse.

Rathert has several favorite holes at the course. "I like the second (an uphill par-4) because it runs along the San Pedro River and the third hole that has a split fairway and is a risk-reward situation," he says.

That No. 3, a long par-4 (421 yards from the back, 269 from the forward), offers a choice of driving left off the tees toward one of the fairways that lies right in front of the green, or taking the easy way out on the right fairway if you're not driving well. If you go right, you still have to cross a small arroyo with a 9-iron to get to the green. "If driving is not the strength of your game, I still allow you to hit the ball safely," Rathert says.

Rates: The high-season rates at San Pedro Golf Course are $34.95 Monday through Thursday and $39.95 Friday through Sunday; summer rates are $19.95 and $24.95. Distances, slope/ratings: 7,313 yards (73.0/130); 6,852 (70.4/125; 6,298 (68.4/117); 5,716 (71.3/125); 5,262 (68.8/117). Getting there: The course is located at 926 N. Madison St., Benson 85602. Call 1-866-444-0992. for tee times. Take I-10 east out of Tucson for about 45 miles to Exit No. 304 - Ocotillo Street. Take a left for half a mile and then turn right on Darby. Go left at the next stop sign and the club entrance is on the right.

The course calls the par-4 18th its signature hole (457 from the back tees, 319 from the forward). Because of the ponds on this hole, you have the option of taking a tee shot over water to try to cut some distance off your second shot. It's a long way though from the back tees - about 225 yards in the air.

What will keep San Pedro going are the low green fees. "I'm a staunch believer in the fact that the game has gotten too expensive," says Rathert. "A lot more people will keep coming back to play if it's more affordable."

Other sights to see

Tombstone: If you're interested in seeing Tombstone, take I-10 out of Tucson east to Benson and at US-80 head south. In Tombstone your Western fantasies really take flight when you pull in at "The Town Too Tough to Die."

A pioneer named Ed Schieffelin went prospecting in this area in 1878 and found one of the richest silver strikes in history -- besides many members of the Apache tribe. There were more than 10,000 souls living in this Wild West town at its peak, including those famous gunslingers Wyatt Earp and "Doc" Holiday who took part in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.

Local citizens now dress the part of outlaws, lawmen and dance-hall girls in order to keep the taverns and restaurants open for the tourists. Park on any street and you will be in a living museum including the likes of the OK Corral, the Birdcage Theater, the Crystal Palace, the Tombstone Courthouse State Historical Park and many other spots.

Kartchner Caverns State Park: There is another key tourist spot about 10 miles southwest of Benson. It's Kartchner Caverns State Park, a series of caves discovered in 1974, but not acquired by the state from the Kartchner family until 1988 after several years of exploration. Since then, extraordinary precautions have been taken during development of the site to conserve the cave's near pristine condition.

Above ground, the park has a 23,000 square-foot Discovery Center with world-class exhibits, including a replica of the cave and interactive displays. There also is an auditorium showing informative videos. Shaded areas are available for picnics and there are also 60 campsites. For hiking, try the 2.4-mile nature trail called the Foothills Loop Trail and a shorter Hummingbird Trail.

Just travel west of Benson on I-10, take Exit 302 (Highway 90) and travel south for about nine miles to the park entrance. The entrance fee is $10 per car that includes the Discovery Center, park grounds, hiking areas, picnic areas and amphitheater. Cave tours are also available at an additional fee of $14 for adults. Call (520) 586-CAVE for reservations.

Where to stay and eat

If you want to stay in Benson, try the Best Western Quail Hollow Inn at 699 N. Ocotillo St.; phone, (520) 586-3646. The motel is just a couple miles from the golf course. Benson is not gourmet central, but Galleano's at 601 W. Fourth St. has fair Italian food; no reservations required.

Another possibility is staying in Tombstone which has many more motel and restaurant choices, including a brand-new Holiday Inn Express at 1001 N. Highway 80 in Tombstone; phone, (520) 457-9507.