Of all the questions I get on social media, the one I answer the most is that of Arizona golf. Bachelor parties, buddies trips out west and Waste Management escapades all tend to focus their time in the Grand Canyon State on playing the courses you’re supposed to play, but what exactly are those courses? Here is a helpful guide to get you going (and I want to point out, no course paid or committed free golf for including them here … it’s just all my opinion on the courses in my area).
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro – Long before the boom of designer knowledge took hold of golf, the Saguaro course at We-Ko-Pa was one of the true gems of desert golf (This is where I’ll admit that Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were the masterminds behind the design, which makes sense when you look at their global resume).
I think of all the courses to play in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, this is my number one MUST PLAY. It’s beautiful, it isn’t clustered with homes lining each fairway and it’s fairly playable for a desert course because the course has combed the rocks and desert 5-8 yards off each fairway to make it easier to find golf balls.
Quintero – Easily the best views of any desert course that I’ve played (especially the public ones) with the wildest downhill par-3s that you’ll play in the state. It’s the course I’ll take people to go play if they’ve never seen a desert-style golf course before because I feel this is the one that makes the biggest impact.
Two fair warnings; the golf course is not easy. It’s a tough track that demands tee shots find the fairway, so make sure to bring a good amount of golf balls in the bag and prepare to play some sort of lazy lateral for balls that find the cacti.
Second, it’s a bit of a hike from a Scottsdale hotel, so if you want to do Quintero, just prepare for a 30-40 minute drive each way (it being in the middle of nowhere is part of why it’s so beautiful, IMO. Nothing to take away from the views!).
Whirlwind (both courses) – Just two solid, “you get what you pay for” type of desert golf courses a little south of town. Both are great (I’m not sure one would rank higher than the other if you polled 30 golfers), both are fun, both aren’t overly demanding and there is a casino within five minutes of the last putt dropping. Tough to beat that lineup!
Southern Dunes – Another gem that isn’t exactly right down the street from the Old Town W, Southern Dunes was a course that opened as a private club (originally named Royal Dunes) and has transitioned over the last decade+ into a fabulous 18-hole championship golf course that has qualifiers, big collegiate events, and even Q-School from time to time.
If you decide to hit up Southern Dunes, stop at the Firehouse Subs down in Maricopa after for a quick bite (father-in-law plug here!).
Camelback Ambiente – The bonus about getting a round in at Camelback; Ambiente is one of the most unique “desert” golf courses in the valley. It isn’t desert-lined, it’s more a wind-swept “wait, am I in Wisconsin?” look, yet still giving you views and demanding holes that’ll test every part of your game. I don’t knock the other course on property, Padre (I actually think it’s a perfect spot for high-handicappers just trying to have a good time), but Ambiente is where it’s at here.
The added bonus? It might be the most conveniently located course in the Valley, sitting five minutes or so from Old Town Scottsdale, a quick Uber ride if you’re hoping to have a few cocktails.
Papago – I will say this about Papago; when you combine the design, the location, the price and the new clubhouse it might just be the best experience/value in all of Phoenix. I absolutely love playing Papago because it’s challenging for the low-handicapper (you have to move the ball off the tee a lot) and is playable for the high-handicapper (you aren’t going to lose more than a couple of golf balls at Papago even if you’re spraying it all over the property).
Mountain Shadows (Par-3 Course) – I always give this course out to people that are asking about a trip because it is the perfect spot to play 18 holes after a flight or 18 holes before a flight when departing. It’s a gem of a design set just north of Camelback Mountain and is a quick two hours or so to get around considering it’s all par-3s.
As for the others, this isn’t a knock on golf courses that didn’t make the list. I always enjoy a round at Troon North and think the Boulders is lovely, it’s just that if I was coming to Scottsdale, this would be the list I’d pick off of to play. If you ever have any questions on more advanced stuff than just this, e-mail me at shane@shanebacongolf.com and I’ll respond as quick as I can!