In Arizona, die-hard golfers never really take a break, no matter the season or how intense the monsoon rains become. (Three words: indoor driving range.) Yes, people here take their game very seriously indeed, which explains the dizzying number of world-class courses and private clubs. Here’s your haute guide to five of the most beautiful, prestigious, and challenging courses right here in the Valley.
Silverleaf Golf Club
Nestled into the foothills of the McDowell Mountain Range, with views across the northern parts of Scottsdale and Phoenix, Silverleaf is one of the most visually stunning courses in the metro area. Designed by former professional golfer Tom Weiskopf, the private, par-72 championship course winds through more than 7,300 yards of elevated landscape and around the gorgeous homes of the DC Ranch area. And as many of the residents are also members of the club, you can guarantee the course is challenging enough to remain interesting, game after game.
Silverleaf Golf Club is located at 19890 N. 101st Way in Scottsdale
TPC Scottsdale
As home of the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open (formerly known as the FBR Open), the TPC Scottsdale course is certainly something special. Named one of the top 10 public golf courses in the country by Golf Digest, the par-71 Stadium Course was designed specifically to host the famed tournament each year, and for this reason is maintained in pristine condition year-round. The course may be public, but its standards of service are as just as high as those of many private ones in the area.
TPC Scottsdale is located at 17020 N. Hayden Road in Scottsdale
Eagle Mountain Golf Club
The Eagle Mountain Golf Club’s course may be on the short side when it comes to counting yards (just fewer than 6,800), but its challenge comes more in the shape of the terrain. A great example of a course that was designed in harmony with what the Sonoran landscape already provided, the Eagle Mountain course takes players through natural box canyons, peaks, and valleys. When out-of-towners imagine themselves teeing off in Arizona, this is the postcard image they’re likely picturing.
Eagle Mountain Golf Club is located at 14915 E. Eagle Mountain Parkway in Fountain Hills
Wildfire Golf Club
The JW Marriott Desert Ridge resort’s Wildfire Golf Club can offer not one, but two, 18-hole championship courses to guests and players. Of the two, the Faldo course, designed by Nick Faldo, is newer and shorter, and also considered to be more playable for casual golfers. But for those who love a challenge, the Palmer Signature course, designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer, is where you’ll want to book your tee time. With its tight design and number of turns, players on this course are forced to maneuver from point to point by hitting more of their shots through the air, rather than over the ground.
Wildfire Golf Club is located at 5350 E. Marriott Drive in Phoenix
Arizona Grand Golf Course
When it comes to a Phoenician golf resort experience, there may be no better than the Arizona Grand Resort’s course. Situated on the far south side of the metro area, and weaving through the South Mountain Park natural desert preserve, this course is an escapist’s dream. Offering a unique combination of traditional links and somewhat unconventional landscape influences, this course features both serene expanses and unusual turns and slopes, making it enjoyable for longtime players and beginners alike.
Arizona Grand Golf Course is located at 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway in Phoenix
