Golfers flock to Arizona for its beautiful courses in places like Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, and Tucson, and some pro golfers choose to live there.
Arizona has one of the best concentrations of golf courses in the world – and the best climate for enjoying them. Many places in the state enjoy over 300 days of sunshine a year, and even if the sun isn’t shining the climate is warm and dry for much of the year. The greatest concentration of top courses is in and around the neighboring cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale, but there are also championship courses in other towns and cities including Tucson and Sedona.
Golf in Sedona
Golf opportunities in Sedona include the course at the Sedona Golf Resort, a par 71 course set among the staggering Red Rocks country. It has been voted among the five best public courses in Arizona. Also among the red rocks of Sedona is the Oakcreek Country Club, a par 72 course, and the par 72 championship course at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock. For more on these courses, and other suggestions, see our page on Best Golf Courses in Sedona.
Golfing Around Tucson
In Southern Arizona, Tucson has the best collection of courses, mainly at the luxury resorts in the city’s foothills. Further out, in Marana, north of Tucson, the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain has 36 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus, and said to be one of his best-built courses. The El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort has three courses with 45 holes in the Santa Catalina Mountains, while the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort and Spa also has three evocatively-named courses: the Coyote, the Rattler and the Roadrunner. The Rattler has a challenging par 5 hole that features a split fairway.
Golf in Phoenix
In Phoenix and Scottsdale the choice of courses is bewildering. One of the oldest is the Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, west of Phoenix. It has three courses: the Red, the Blue, and the Gold. The Gold is a par 72 of 7,430 yards (6,794 metres) and is acknowledged as one of the best in Arizona. The Legacy Golf Club is at the base of South Mountain in Phoenix, and yet only a 10-minute drive from Sky Harbor International Airport. It’s on what was once a private ranch and is well worth seeing as it has a rich history and scenic fairways set among the mountains.
Scottsdale Golf
One of the best of the resorts for golf is The Phoenician Golf Club in Scottsdale. It has three 9-hole championship courses that can be played in various combinations to give several different challenges. It’s been voted America’s leading golf resort and has the only sand-island green in Arizona. If you want to relax after the golf you can choose from nine different swimming pools.
Of the many courses in Scottsdale, The Boulders definitely has the most striking setting. There are two courses in this Sonoran desert location, with backdrops of huge 12 million-year-old boulders in places – and saguaro cacti along the fairways. And yes, there is a chance you’ll encounter rattlesnakes here – just one of those hazards which makes playing golf in Arizona more fun.
