Golf in Scottsdale is unlike anywhere else. Sonoran Desert landscapes, acclaimed course designs and year-round sunshine merge to create not only some of the best playing conditions in the country, but some of the most beautiful golf courses. Whether you seek challenging play or simply a scenic round of golf – or both! – you’ll find the perfect course. Here, your guide to Scottsdale’s best scenic golf holes.
Boulders Club
Few golf resorts can match the extraordinary setting of The Boulders thanks to the natural formations that give the North and South courses their distinctive look. Players on each enjoy unmatched desert immersion, from native flora to wildlife sightings, but David Benham, Director of Golf Operations, says the South Course, particularly Hole 5, is the most scenic. “This hole is characterized by a dramatic rock outcropping that shelters the green,” Benham explains. “It plays right up to the dazzling spectacle called the Boulder Pile, a massive group of rocks dotted with saguaros that look like toothpicks in comparison. The par-5 hole is challenging as the fairway narrows towards the green – there is no margin for error as any slice, hook or overshot will land in the desert rough.”
Grayhawk Golf Club
The McDowell Mountains in all their grandeur frame the greens at Grayhawk, and come late afternoon, glow in shades of purple and pink. Both of Grayhawk’s courses – Talon and Raptor – bestow views of the McDowells, but it’s Hole 11 on Talon that sets up the best vantage point. Hole 11 also offers friendly challenges and unique play. The island tee box includes a swinging bridge that leads to the back portion, and from there a deep box canyon unfurls to the front bunker and a two-tiered green. Hole 17, also on Talon, is nicknamed “Devil’s Drink” due to the pond of reclaimed water encircling the green, an exciting feature that pushes even the most practiced golfers to take extra care to hit the target on land.
TPC Scottsdale
Beauty and playability shine at TPC Scottsdale, where lush, undulating fairways wind along naturally rugged desert terrain in the shadow of the McDowell Mountains. TPC’s 18-hole Stadium Course is best known for hosting the annual WM Phoenix Open. But don’t let the magnificent views or the fact that you’re walking in the footsteps of the game’s greatest players distract you from the challenging play – particularly on the closing stretch from holes 14 through 18, which serves up a full menu of challenges in all shapes and sizes. Not to be outdone, TPC’s 18-hole Champions Course boasts exciting but more forgiving play that balances strategy with design along natural cactus-studded ravines and through picturesque desert foothills.
Troon North Golf Club
For players seeking pure desert golf, there’s Troon North. Its perch at a higher elevation north of Scottsdale gifts its two 18-hole courses, Pinnacle and Monument, with an iconic one-of-a-kind landscape: enormous granite boulders, otherworldly rock formations and panoramic valley views, all nestled at the base of Pinnacle Peak. Both courses were designed by the legendary Tom Weiskopf and feature his signature risk-reward holes, but Monument is the prettiest, says Mike Friend, PGA, Director of Sales at Troon North. “My favorites are Holes 13 through 16,” says Friend, describing Hole 16 as a par 3 with breathtaking views and a big elevation drop. “If you want Sonoran Desert golf, it doesn’t get better than this,” he adds.
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
At We-Ko-Pa, nothing – nary a house, office building or road – obstructs the sightlines of the wild desert that surrounds the club’s two award-winning courses, Cholla and Saguaro. On the Scott Miller-designed Cholla Course, golfers play through arroyos, beside saguaros and over craggy ridges, complete with expansive views of the Superstition Mountains, Red Mountain and the Four Peaks. This means you’re getting some of the most scenic golf in Scottsdale, but it also requires a level of strategy, particularly on Hole 8. The long par 5 has a narrow green with a wash on the left and pristine desert on the right – beautiful, but tricky.
McCormick Ranch Golf Club
Fairways lined with mature shade trees and generous water features create a shady oasis at McCormick Ranch Golf Club, earning it a spot on our list of scenic tracks. Located just minutes from Scottsdale’s top resorts, this longtime local favorite offers two traditional 18-hole courses, Palm and Pine, and is known for immaculate course conditions and breathtaking views of nearby Camelback Mountain. Highlights include the signature Palm Course hole 9, a par-4 with an optional drive onto an island fairway followed by a shot onto a peninsula green, and the Pine Course’s hole 13, a challenging par-3 with a crowned green – be sure to aim for the middle!
