There’s a simple formula for golf course green fees in and around Scottsdale: the higher temperatures go, the more green fees go down. And vice versa, of course, especially when the WM Phoenix Open comes to TPC Scottsdale each February, right in the middle of winter’s peak-season months. And with many courses using dynamic pricing, green fees can often vary by the day, if not by the hour. Below you’ll find some of the best affordable public golf courses available in Scottsdale.
SIZZLING SUMMER DEALS
If you can stand the heat – best to snag an early morning tee time, stay well hydrated, apply lots of sunscreen, and wear a big old hat – substantial golf course savings over peak season pricing abound in summer. Like at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Fort McDowell, just east of Scottsdale, where green fees plummet from a peak season cost of $309 to $109 between mid-June and late August. Or Grayhawk Golf Club (above), where the Raptor Course can be as low as $102 in August, compared to more than $350 during prime time. In recent summers, Grayhawk also offered a popular deal called Crazy 8s: eight rounds for $399! Keep an eye out for that one.
JOIN THE CLUB
Most courses have their own mailing list you can join to get the latest and greatest discount offers. Others offer a “membership” of sorts that help you can save some money, too. Like Troon – this Scottsdale-based course management company offers the Troon Access program. It offers 15 percent off all tee times on Troon-managed golf courses (Troon North Golf Club shown above) in Arizona and throughout the U.S., with up to 50 percent off tee times within a 78-hour booking window. The Troon-managed Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Ariz., offers a Copa Card, a long-term discount program for those that want to play the course a lot. It provides discounts on every round you play, with other auxiliary benefits for the Arroyo Grille, golf shop, #miniDunes under the lights, and practice area options. The more you play, the more you save. Arcis Golf, a Texas-based company that manages eight courses in Arizona, offers a membership program that includes discounted rates for yourself and your guests, rounds that include breakfast or lunch, daily range privileges, and clinics, among other benefits.
SHORT COURSE, BIG VALUE
Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe may be short on distance, especially at night under the lights when every hole is a par-3, but it can come up big on savings. Especially for kids age 17 and under – they get 50 percent off the regular rate September through May, and 75 percent off June through August – and for veterans, who with a valid form of military ID can get 50 percent off.
9 AND DINE
Don’t have time on a weekend to play all 18 holes? That’s no problem at McDowell Mountain Golf Club. You can play the back nine and eat breakfast before or after your tee time at Rossa Kitchen & Patio in the clubhouse from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday morning now through May for $92.
TWICE AS NICE
Here’s a deal: play more and pay less. Some area courses with 36 holes offer discounted green fees for playing both of their courses on the same day, or even in the same week. Like Grayhawk Golf Club, where you can spread your two rounds out among a five-day period. Or at We-Ko-Pa (above), where the price for booking two rounds at once is approximately 10 percent less than a single round. On Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the year, Troon North Golf Club offers a 20 percent discount on the second round if you play again the same day.
SHOULDER THE LOAD
Planning a trip to Scottsdale between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, or from April to early June? Welcome to shoulder season. Green fees during those periods do increase over summer rates, but are still lower than during peak season, like at The Boulders Golf Club, where rates from late August to early October are as low as $159 before rising to $329 during the winter and spring months. One tip: courses in greater Scottsdale go through overseeding each Fall to change grass types and often close for two to three weeks, so plan accordingly.
