Golfing In Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona

Golfing In Phoenix And Scottsdale Arizona

With more than 200 golf courses the Phoenix / Scottsdale / Mesa area is a golf lovers' paradise. The hidden in this desert oasis is a cornucopia of golfing choices. From dry desert to plush grassy courses featuring both flat and hilly terrain. Casual and serious players alike, will experience a new level of golf at one of many award winning courses.

Troon North

Troon North Golf Club stands as the hallmark of the desert golf experience, stretching through the natural ravines and foothills in the high Sonoran desert in the shadows of Pinnacle Peak. This facility has two dynamic eighteen hole courses: the Monument Course and the Pinnacle Course. The Monument course was designed by the team of legendary golfer, Tom Weiskopf and architect, Jay Morrish, and stretches to 7,028 yards. It has beauty, challenge, and is thoroughly enjoyable to play. The desert frequently comes into play, but the course is not a target course. On hole #14, your tee shot must carry over a dry desert wash and a stretch of desert. The second shot is somewhat tricky since the long, slender green is set at a diagonal, requiring an approach from the right side of the fairway. Golf Magazine ranked the Monument Course as 21st in the category of "Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S." for 2002. Weiskopf's Pinnacle Golf Course is a worthy companion to his previous masterpiece. Built around dramatic granite boulders and striking elevation changes, the Pinnacle features a more traditional desert layout with tighter landing areas and spectacular carries over desert washes. The signature hole, nicknamed "The Pinnacle," is #18, a 407-yard, par 4, featuring an outstanding view of Pinnacle Peak in the background. Water hazards come into play on holes #4 and #9. Golf Magazine ranked it 58th on its 2002 list of "Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S." Course information booklets are available in the pro shop.

TPC Stadium Golf Course

Tee off on this PGA Tour facility and home of the FBR Open (Formerly Phoenix Open), featuring tournament conditions all year long. History is made here every year, and you to can experience your own FBR-Phoenix Open day of golf. Try and duplicate Tiger Wood's hole-in-one from the 1997 Open, called "the shot heard around the world." There will also be group events and tournaments that can be customized to include previous Open setup and pin placements. An ESPN Golf School is onsite, and you can grab a snack or meal at the award winning Grill Restaurant.

Wildfire Golf Club

Wildfire Golf Club offers state-of-the-art facilities in the Arizona desert. Nick Faldo, winner of three Masters and three British opens, says, "this course is not like other Arizona layouts"; instead he wants his courses to have rhythm and flow, with more bark than bite. This philosophy is evident in the newest 18-hole course, the Faldo Course, located directly adjacent to the Palmer Course. The par 71 layout sits on a 174-acre site, and offers a slight variation from typical Sonoran Desert-theme courses. It features generous fairways, large bent grass greens, and tee boxes. The surrounding mountains and century-old saguaro cacti as well as 106 sand bunkers, reminiscent of the Australian sand belt courses, provide a spectacular setting for the golf course. "I enjoy designing golf courses that celebrate the sheer fun of golf, and Wildfire is exactly that." So says Arnold Palmer, who, along with his Palmer Course Design Company, envisioned and executed the spectacular layout for Wildfire Golf Club's Palmer Course at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. A desert-style course of championship length (7,170 yards), with generous fairways and large (average size 7,000 square feet) bent-grass greens, the Palmer Course features from four to six tee boxes on every hole, challenging all levels of golfing skill. The 415-yard par 4 6th is Palmer's signature hole, with the beautiful Camelback Mountain as the backdrop.

Grayhawk Golf Club

Open since 1994, Grayhawk's Talon course was designed by former PGA & U.S. Open Champion David Graham and architect Gary Panks. Talon provides players with breathtaking views of the nearby McDowell Mountains and the unspoiled beauty of the great Sonoran Desert. This course hosted the 1996 and 1997 Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf. Raptor, Grayhawk's second golf course, is a 7,108-yard par-71 course from the back tees, designed by award-winning golf course architect Tom Fazio.

Phoenician Golf Course

This desert resort course has three nine-hole courses that are played in three 18-hole combinations. This resort was named by GOLF Magazine to its 1998 list of "Silver Medal Resorts." The resort has three nine-hole courses that are played in three 18-hole combinations. The Canyon course is the newest addition, and it backs against the mountains, similar to the layout of the older Desert course. The Oasis course has more water than the other two courses, and has a tropical appearance. All three courses, redesigned by Homer Flint, provide scenic views of the desert and the mountains.

Phantom Horse Golf Club

Blending traditional links with some of the best desert target golf in the Southwest, Phantom Horse Golf Club is a golfers paradise. This course was awarded four stars by Golf Digest and received accolades for its peerless design - challenging fairways play to a par 71, and an island green compliments the 18th hole. The emerald fairways stream through South Mountain to create an oasis in the heart of the desert.

These are just a few of the many fabulous golf courses available year-round in The Valley of The Sun. Most courses are open from sun-up to sundown and have a strict dress code. Proper golf attire should be worn. Denim and cutoffs are not allowed.