Mountain panoramas, cactus-studded terrain, diverse golf experiences, and don’t-forget-the-sunblock winter days make Phoenix a one-of-a-kind draw
In the dry heat of Phoenix, Ariz., turn the wheel of your rental car in any direction and within five minutes you’re going to arrive at a superb golf course. Admittedly, Phoenix and its surrounding Valley of the Sun communities sprawl like few other major cities, but with more than 200 courses in the vicinity, you can’t miss.
7 Courses
66 Miles
$314—$1,230
Located just two miles from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport is Papago, a venerable 49-year-old muni from architect William F. Bell of Torrey Pines fame. Christened in 2018 as the new home for the Arizona State University golf teams, Papago features 7,333 yards of parkland design framed by desert accents, including several holes that unfold in front of the massive Papago Buttes rock outcrop. Before or after golf, the vibe and offerings at Lou’s Bar & Grill in the clubhouse made it an instant locals’ favorite upon opening three years ago.
From Papago, it’s a freeway ride east on the 202 to State Route 87 (aka the Beeline Highway) to We-Ko-Pa Golf Club on the Fort McDowell Reservation. With two aptly named core-desert layouts—Cholla by Scott Miller and Saguaro from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw—it’s absolutely worth the 24-mile journey. Cholla offers extra drama and sports three split-fairway holes, while the more walkable Saguaro features wider fairways and more imaginative contouring. Both Tribally owned layouts are bordered by thorny desert plants and backdropped by their namesake mountains. In 2020 a 167,000-square-foot casino opened at the adjacent resort hotel, but the surest bet is Ember, the upscale restaurant next to the gaming floor, which has wowed the local dining critics, including me.
For the biggest-ticket trophy courses, Scottsdale is the destination. Go west on Shea Blvd., make a couple of turns, and 19 miles later arrive at Grayhawk Golf Club. Elaborate shaping, deep bunkers, and McDowell Mountain views define both Talon, designed by David Graham and Gary Panks in 1994, and Raptor, a 1995 Tom Fazio creation. Raptor played host to the 2021 NCAA Championships and will again in 2022. Don’t miss a post-round libation at memorabilia-filled Phil’s Grill, named for Phil Mickelson, who still represents Grayhawk on tour after 27 years.
Three miles south via Hayden Road from Grayhawk sits the legendary TPC Scottsdale. Granted, there are less pricey, more scenic courses in the area, but c’mon, you have to tee it up at the Stadium, the legendary home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Create a scrapbook of memories on the back nine, notably at the 16th, where Tiger made his raise-the-roof, dodge-the-beer-cans ace in 1997, which is sandwiched between two great risk/reward holes.
Eleven miles to the south, conclude your desert adventure in less than three hours at the Short Course at Mountain Shadows, a par-54, Forrest Richardson redesign that boasts a delightful assortment of homage and original green complexes, plus staggering vistas of Camelback and Mummy Mountains. On your seven-mile drive south back to the airport, you inevitably start daydreaming about a return visit, if only to play Troon North, the Boulders, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, Longbow, Quintero, and Gold Canyon’s Dinosaur Mountain. After 40 additional trips, you’ll finally be able to say you played Phoenix.
