One of the rising stars in this category is Mesa and the East Valley. Located 12 miles east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,

Real Estate Services   Find your dream home   Before you buy   The best places to live   Free GetAways Newsletter

A review of Mesa's vital statistics as well as three exemplary golf communities follows.

CLIMATE. Mesa boasts low humidity, an average high temperature of 84 degrees, and more than 313 days of sunshine annually.

GOLF. There are 16 public and semi-private courses in Mesa, with an additional 14 public-access layouts situated in neighboring townships.

HISTORY. Mesa was founded in 1878 by 80 Mormon pioneers from Idaho and Utah. Its Spanish name for "table" was chosen because of its location on a plateau overlooking the Salt River.

BUSINESS. Motorola, Boeing, Intel, and other Fortune 500 companies are a major presence. Because many of the world's computer chips are manufactured in Mesa, the city and its surrounding area is becoming known as the "Silicon Desert." Entrepreneur Magazine and John Naisbitt, author of Megatrends, have ranked Mesa as one of the top cities in which to start a business.

MEDICAL FACILITIES. Mesa has four major hospitals, plus a Walk-In Family Health Care Center.

ATTRACTIONS. Mesa hosts the Chicago Cubs for spring training at new HoHoKam Park Stadium. Superstition Springs Center, area's newest mall, is home to 25-screen Harkins Superstition Springs Luxury Cinemas, nation's largest movie theater.

DAY TRIPS. On 65-mile Apache Trail, visitors can trace footsteps of Native Americans (and hopeful prospectors) through miles of spectacular desert wilderness and mountain lakes. Ninety miles north of Mesa is Sedona, the heart of Arizona's Red Rock country.

PERKS/QUIRKS. There are 32 major RV parks in and around Mesa. Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is located in Superstition Mountains.

MISCELLANEOUS. Of the 77 U.S. cities with populations of 200,000 or more, Mesa ranks low in crime, lowest in city taxes per capita, and highest in both public school enrollment and labor force growth.

Find Additional Courses on GOLFCOURSE.com Course Name City      State All AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VI VT WA WI WV WY Country UNITED STATES ALL AUSTRIA BELGIUM CANADA CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREAT BRITAIN GREECE HUNGARY IRELAND ITALY LUXEMBOURG MOROCCO THE NETHERLANDS NORWAY PORTUGAL SCOTLAND SLOVENIA SPAIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TUNISIA

INFORMATION. Mesa Arizona Convention and Visitors Bureau: (800) 283-6372.

COMMUNITIES

I. Las Sendas

REAL ESTATE. Master-planned, 1,800-acre community has a limited number of custom lots (starting at $90,000 for a quarter acre) from original offering. Golf course frontage sites range from $150,000 to $190,000 for up to a half acre. La Atalaya gated subdivision features 53 custom lots with mountain views ranging from $120,000 to $200,000. Two new gated subdivisions with 64 custom homesites (one-third to one acre) will be made available this month. Price range is $150,000 to $300,000. Blandford Homes, community's exclusive production home builder, has 14 models from which to choose. Homes range from $150,000 to $300,000 inclusive of lot premiums. Custom homes are also available starting at $469,000.

GOLF. Las Sendas ("The Paths") Golf Club, a "Top 10 You Can Play" selection in 1996, occupies a former dude ranch and is positioned as a high-end daily-fee facility. In addition to preferred advance tee times, custom homesite buyers receive a 50 percent discount off posted green fees. (Winter rate is $135; summer rate is $65). Blandford homeowners receive a 25 percent green fee discount. Rates include carts.

Contact: The Sonoran Land Group, 4600 South Mill Ave., Suite 210, Tempe, Arizona 85282; (602) 396-1058.

II. Superstition Mountains

REAL ESTATE. New 870-acre, 36-hole master-planned community set at base of Superstition Mountains is being developed by The Lyle Anderson Company, creator of Desert Mountain. Initial offering of 132 sites (one-half acre and up) is contained in three village clusters. Prices start in mid-$100,000. All have desert and mountain views.

GOLF. Superstition Mountains' courses are being co-designed by Jack Nicklaus with his sons Gary and Jack II. Each will offer a distinctive architectural style. Prospector course, by Jack and Gary, has gently undulating greens and wide fairways. Lost Gold, community's second layout, was designed by Nicklaus with Jack II and is slated to open later this year. It is longer and hillier than Prospector, with more movement in the greens.

The club's non-equity, refundable Gold membership (full access to all club amenities with unlimited golf) is $25,000 for residents, $35,000 for non-residents. A second-tier Silver membership, available to residents only, is $18,000 and includes full access to amenities plus 50 rounds of golf per year.

Contact: Superstition Mountains, 8000 E. Club Village Dr., Superstition Mountains, Arizona 85219; (602) 983-3300.

III. Mountainbrook Village

REAL ESTATE. New "active adult" (55 and older) community in Gold Canyon is slated to have 1,600 homes when completed. Currently about 800 units have been sold.

Mountain Brook features three types of homes. Casita Series consists of 1,400- to 1,500-square-foot duplexes. These are one-story, two-bedroom, two-bath homes with two-car garage aimed at winter residents. Base price is $104,490 plus applicable lot premiums.

Heritage Series offers five floor plans ranging from 1,410 to 1,862 square feet. Price range is $115,000 to $135,000. Lot premiums range from $5,000 to $25,000.

Estate Series has 10 floor plans ranging up to 2,500 square feet. Prices range from $125,000 to $165,000. Premium homesites available.

GOLF. Mountain Brook Golf Club, opened last year, is an annual membership ($3,000 per couple) and daily-fee club with a user-friendly, 6,800-yard, par-71 course wrapped around two 27-acre lakes and native vegetation. New 51-acre short game learning center has attracted Kent Chase School of Golf, known for its emphasis on swing fundamentals and playing lessons.

Contact: MountainBrook Village, 7514 E. Yucca Blossom Drive, Gold Canyon, Arizona 85219; (800) 950-4832.