Senior Contributor
No longer a stagecoach stop in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix has come a long way from its origins dating back to the 1880’s when cattle and cowboys were the norm.
Although Florida is regarded as the official “sunshine state”, the phrase befits Arizona as well, as the sun shines 330 days of the year. Despite scorching heat during the summer months, daytime temperatures are perfect between November and April. Sunny and warm during the day, cool and comfortable in the evening. Not surprisingly, you’re likely to run into plenty of sun-starved Canadians on the golf course this time of year.
There is no better destination for a golf/sports enthusiastthan Phoenix, Arizona. With approximately 4.5 million residents, Phoenix is the 5th largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to over 200 golf courses. The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks call this diamond in the desert home, making Phoenix one of the best spectator sports venues in the U.S.
The Phoenix Skyline
What makes this area so special is that it is one of the few places on earth that offers a unique and authentic desert golf experience. You want to play golf in the desert – you come here.
So, where should you play? With a multitude of golf courses to choose from, it would take the average golfer several years to play them all. For this reason, I decided to share several of my favourite desert designs to help the next Phoenix-bound foursome plan their next golf getaway.
My first recommendation is the Troon North Golf Club. Two extraordinary courses comprise the Troon North experience – Monument and Pinnacle. Both epitomize desert golf, but it is the 7,028-yard Monument Course that gets the nod as Troon North’s crown jewel. Designed by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf in 1991, the golf course meticulously weaves its way through rocky desert terrain. When you look around you can’t help but feel distracted by the rocks and gigantic boulders that line the contrasting green fairways. Desert flora, bushes, and towering saguaro cacti complete the landscape providing an abundance of Nikon moments and an unsurpassed golf experience.
Troon North, Monument Course
Next on my list is the Grayhawk Golf Club. There are two exceptional golf courses at Grayhawk – Talon and Raptor. I’ve played both and considered the 6,973-yard Talon Course to be the more forgiving of the two. Designed by former U.S. Open and PGA Champion David Graham and architect Gary Panks, the course has received many accolades over the years having hosted the final rounds of the Anderson Consulting World Championship of Golf in 1995.
Simply put, the 7,221-yard Raptor Course is a really difficult golf course – and golf course architect Tom Fazio wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Precise approaches to pedestal greens seemed to be the norm on most holes. Don’t be upset (or surprised) if you don’t play to your handicap after tallying up your score on the 18th green. Regardless of how you played, this is a golf course you’ll want to tackle again.
The Raptor Course at Grayhawk
No golf trip to the Phoenix area would be complete without experiencing the most famous 18 holes in the area, TPC Scottsdale. It is the 7,216-yard, Stadium Course that commands the most attention and where golf’s gladiators congregate every year to compete in what is now referred to as the “Greatest Show on Grass”. Designed by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf, TPC Scottsdale raised the bar of desert golf and is still regarded as one of the Top 10 public golf courses in Arizona by Golf Digest. The last five holes are the most enjoyable, especially the famous par 3, 16th hole, and the short, par 4, 17th hole. Just imagine yourself on the 16th tee with 100,000+ fans eagerly waiting to scream in your backswing. Land on the green and you’re the most popular guy on earth; miss the green and you’re nothing more than a weekend hack. That’s what makes the Stadium Course so special – you get to experience what it’s like to be a tour player for a day, including one of our own, Nick Taylor, who won the PGA TOUR’s WM Phoenix Open tournament there in a playoff in 2024.
TPC Scottsdale – Stadium
And last but not least is the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, the best of the bunch and my favourite golf destination in the area. Meaning “Four Peaks”, the origin of the club’s name comes from the Indigenous Yavapai Nation after the prominent and sacred mountain range visible to the east. Both the Saguaro and Cholla golf courses exemplify desert golf to perfection as there is nothing else out here but 100-year-old saguaros and Mother Nature herself. The 7,225-yard Cholla Course was the first to open (2001) and is the brainchild of golf course architect Scott Miller. Five years later the design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw went to work and created the 6,966-yard Saguaro Course, the second desert masterpiece at We-Ko-Pa.
Stay and Play packages are available as both courses are within five minutes from the fabulous, We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, one of the finest 5-star accommodations in the Greater Phoenix area.
The Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa
The Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa
While far from being an exhaustive list, this itinerary provides a sampling of the best desert courses you should play on your next golf trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Enjoy them all – at least once in your lifetime – as it is here that you will encounter a golf experience unlike any other.
Fast Facts:
Great Places to Stay:
There are many hotels to choose from in the Phoenix area, none finer than the We-Ko-Pa Casino and Resort. To book your stay-and-play package visit www.wekopacasinoresort.com
The We-Ko-Pa Casino & Resort
Golf Course Information:
Grayhawk Golf Club – (480) 502-1800, www.grayhawkgolf.com
Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale – (480) 585-4334, www.tpc.com/scottsdale
Troon North – (480) 585-7700, www.troonnorthgolf.com
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – (480) 836-9000, www.wekopa.com
General Information:
Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau – 1-800-782-1117, www.experiencescottsdale.com
Visit Phoenix – 1-877-CALL PHX, www.visitphoenix.com