Oldest public golf course in Scottsdale sold for $24 million

Starfire Golf Club, the first public-access golf course built in Scottsdale, Arizona, was sold for $24 million.

David Ashton and Jeff Lundgren of Swing First Golf made the purchase, according to the Scottsdale Progress.

The duo have owned the Golf Club at Johnson Ranch in the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek since 2004. Ashton and Lundgren were high school classmates in Scottsdale before attending BYU.

Starfire was built in 1953 and originally called Sundown. It was redesigned by Arnold Palmer, who added a third nine. The venue now has a par-70, 6,100-yard course as well as a 9-hole short course featuring eight par-3 holes.

In 2021, Bubba Watson played there. He said he did so to see how low he could go on a “regular” golf course but also to point out that golfers can have fun on any variety of well-maintained public golf courses. Watson shot a 62, still a course record.