Once you reach the fourth hole, the landscape begins to change as rapidly as the elevations. Stop and admire the view from the beautifully constructed tee boxes on No. 6 and observe as the flora turns from palm to cactus and from bush to brush. The Canyon course begins where the Desert leaves off. Tee shots require carryover desert terrain but the fairways open up to lush, wide boulevards. The ride is a bit more bumpy through the canyon, leaving plenty of interesting lies.
Water makes an encore appearance on four of the holes.
The challenge at The Phoenician comes from recognizing what you're up against at any given moment and playing the safest shot accordingly. It does not have much to do with the distance. All three nines can be reasonably played from the Championship tees. Except for a few par-3s with drastic drops, The Phoenician doesn't skimp on the shorter distances. That translates into manageable par 4s throughout the course, especially from the Phoenician and Forward tees.