History

Now, Francisco Grande - so named for its connection to the Giants and its hometown of Casa Grande, AZ - is poised to welcome a whole new generation of sports legends even as it identifies, trains and nurtures the legends of tomorrow. Though it remains an all-inclusive hotel and resort - with challenging golf, superb accommodations and outstanding cuisine - Francisco Grande is readying itself to become the new home and headquarters of Grande Sports World.

Francisco Grande dates back to 1959 when then-owner of the San Francisco Giants, Horace Stoneham, developed the property as the spring training site for his hugely-popular major league baseball team. Paul Fannin, Arizona's governor at the time, joined National League president Warren Giles and an enthusiastic overflow crowd at the dedication of the facility just prior to the first exhibition game in 1961. Optimism swirled like desert dust devils when Willie Mays hit a 375-foot home run off Gaylord Perry in the forth inning of the first-ever game at Francisco Grande.

While Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal were busy honing their Hall of Fame skills, the Resort became an exclusive and intimate desert hideaway for many of Hollywood's elite from its golden age - including legendary actor John Wayne - who frequently made Francisco Grande their home away from home.

There are several unique architectural facts concerning Francisco Grande. Its famous swimming pool is in the shape of a baseball bat, and the hot tub shaped like a baseball. The parking area in front of the hotel - where Willie Mays parked his pink Cadillac with its "Say Hey" plates - was originally designed in the shape of a baseball diamond; and the flower beds were constructed to resemble bats and balls. The overhang on the north side of the tower was built to resemble the brim of a baseball cap; and the stairwells on the south side built to resemble those in a stadium. From the Sunset Terrace you will notice the coach's observation tower, a round two-story structure which was used by coaches and members of the press to view the action of the players during practice. With your imagination you can see the four baseball diamonds with some of the sport's best know players (then and now) as they practices in their "field of dreams."

After the Giants were lured to Scottsdale, the California Angels used the facility from 1982 until 1984. The next two years saw the transformation of the baseball fields into football fields, which were then used as the training camp headquarters for the USFL's Arizona Wranglers and the Denver Gold. From 1984 to 2002, Francisco Grande operated as a destination golf resort. Visitor's golf skills were put to the test on one of Arizona's longest PGA Championship courses. The course plays 5,224 yards from the front tees and a staggering 7,545 yards from the championship tees. Guests were treated to exceptional service and fine dining in the Palo Verde dining room which helped Francisco Grande become known as "Arizona's Friendliest Resort." In 2003, the "Old Girl" was completely closed for a much needed make-over and repositioning. This $8.5 million dollar undertaking included a complete renovation of the main tower, all restaurant and banquet facilities; as well as a major facelift for the golf course and hotel grounds. This project was done in such a way as to not change the history or integrity of the original Francisco Grande. Our history is one of the most important parts of our culture and your guest experience. If you left your heart in San Francisco and want to go back and visit a little bit of your youth, you have come to the right place.