A president's playpen: Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa draws stars with luxury, location and golf

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Bill Clinton smiles back at Dick Bates every morning when the general manger of the Arizona Biltmore Country Club takes a seat behind his desk. Pictures of the grinning Clinton - golfing the Arizona Biltmore, of course - hang in a display on the wall.

Bates doesn't sound too impressed with the president whose smile fills his office though.

"You mean Slick Willie," Bates chuckles when asked about the photos. "You could tell he was into being a celebrity. He wanted everyone to notice him and be impressed by him. He's definitely all politician."

Bates shrugs. He's not pushing any political agenda. This is no loud right-wing warrior. It's just when you work at the Biltmore, you tend to meet presidents and even more famous people (Oprah anyone?) Every U.S. president for the last 40 years has played golf at the Biltmore and stayed at the plush Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa that's a very short walk across the street from the country club.

Bates remembers the time "the first President Bush," as he calls him, walked into his office after a round during his presidency and ended up spending 30 minutes shooting the breeze about all things golf. As George Bush's harried staffers kept trying to tell him he had to go.

"He just wanted to talk to someone about golf," Bates said. "George Bush the first, now that was a real down-to-earth guy. You'd never know he was president by the way he talked to people. He didn't act like a big shot."

You might be surprised by who does and doesn't front big time at the Biltmore. Yankees AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, he of the $300 million contract (again)?

"A-Rod couldn't be a nicer guy," Bates said. "He never wanted any special treatment. He never came out with a bunch of people with him either. Just a regular guy."

By now you're probably wondering what draws so many famous people to Biltmore golf? Are the two Biltmore courses among the highest-rated courses in the Phoenix-Scottsdale resort corridor?

No. Not even close, really.

Biltmore's Adobe Course is a classic old school course dating back to 1928, one of the oldest courses in all of Arizona, sprung from the mind of chewing gum tycoon William Wrigley Jr. Thanks to a 2004 renovation restoration, it's very green with bunkers that really pop out.

Adobe is also as flat as Florida and as wide open as Angelina Jolie's bedroom door. This is the extremely rare Arizona course where you don't have to worry about losing golf balls, and that can be refreshing.

Adobe can be more forgiving than a Catholic priest on Christmas. I watched an ex-college football star in his 50s shoot a 75 as easy as can be.

Its sister Links Course, which Bates freely admits is the preferred course, can confound with the tricks and twists in its design, on the other hand. This is the Howard Hughes of golf courses, eccentric in all its swerves around corners, unexpected ups and downs and turns past multi-million dollar homes.

You'll see radio legend Paul Harvey's home (on No. 2) and a legit Frank Lloyd Wright designed home (on No. 18) while playing Links Course. You'll see more of Phoenix's skyline than you do from most revolving rooftop restaurants from the high, high back tee on the par-3 15th. And you'll see tees that you cannot believe they stuck there and holes that you cannot believe fit in there.

"They're certainly two of the more unique courses in Arizona," regular Grand Canyon State golfer Harry Norris said.