Scottsdale club prepares to open new putting course by Forrest Richardson

Starfire Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, is preparing to open ‘The Bandana’, a new 22,000-square-foot putting course designed by Forrest Richardson. The club will also return to its original name, Scottsdale Country Club.

“I grew up near Scottsdale Country Club,” said Richardson. “Besides playing there as 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.”

Besides The Bandana, Richardson is also under way with creating ‘The Six Shooter’, a 10-hole short course that will feature a ‘par-two’ putting hole. “The idea is to bring fun to the historic property,” said 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.” The Six Shooter’s par-two hole has been named ‘Shorty’, and will be joined by other holes such as ‘Raisin’ Cain’ and ‘Dick’s Hat Trick’. The par-29, 10-hole routing is scheduled to open in mid-2026 and will complement the 18-hole championship course that is also being prepared for the future.

The Bandana putting course by Forrest Richardson plays around a rock garden that features cacti (Photo: Forrest Richardson)

Richardson’s vision for 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.

The Bandana putting course will change direction and hole locations every few days. Richardson’s centrepiece is a rock garden with native desert cactus and plants. The regionally sourced rock used features veins of chrysocolla, a silicate mineral that is often found with copper. The Bandana green plays around this ‘island’ of rock and cactus, sharing space with the Six Shooter’s sixth hole, ‘Shorty’.

“We wanted an experience where those just out for a friendly putting match would interact with players on the short course,” said Richardson. “The large green is meant to be an inclusive golf space, and I’m 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 Bandana will open in early 2026 (Photo: Forrest Richardson)

The Starfire’s improvements and name change are being led by owner group, Swing First, with input from its partners, Jeff Lundgren and Dave Ashton. Wadsworth Golf Construction is executing the work, which is being overseen by construction superintendent Art Jenkins.