Founders at Verrado Golf Club

The Founders Course at Verrado Golf Club opened in 2002 as the centerpiece of the Verrado master-planned community in Buckeye, west of Phoenix. Designed by John Fought in collaboration with Tom Lehman, the course reflects both architects' understanding of strategic golf—Fought brings his Robert Trent Jones II pedigree and experience with Pacific Northwest layouts, while Lehman contributed the perspective of a former British Open champion familiar with ground-game options and risk-reward scenarios.

The routing works across rolling desert terrain at the base of the White Tank Mountains, incorporating natural washes and elevation changes uncommon in many Valley courses. The design emphasizes width off the tee and multiple approach angles, with generous fairways that reward players who position drives for optimal entry to the greens. Bunkering tends toward natural, ragged edges that echo the surrounding Sonoran Desert landscape, and the greens feature enough contour to make short-game execution important without resorting to severe undulations.

Verrado operates as a semi-private facility, serving both members and daily-fee play, which gives it a hybrid character within the Phoenix golf market. The course has hosted various regional amateur events and qualifiers over the years. Conditioning typically reflects the high standards expected of upscale Arizona desert golf, with the layout providing a solid test from the back tees while remaining accessible for mid-handicappers from forward sets. The setting offers views of the White Tanks to the north and the open desert expanses characteristic of the West Valley.