Scottsdale: Where golfers wear cowboy boots?

Scottsdale is one of the most sophisticated cities on the West Coast with its plethora of great restaurants, happening night clubs and of course, showstopping golf. In fact, Scottsdale’s so eager to be hip these days - often successfully, sometimes trying much to hard and failing comically - that it’s easy to forget its cowboy roots.

They did used to have cattle runs right on Scottsdale Road - the main street all the hipness now feeds off.

Spend a lot of time here though and you’ll still see traces of that cowboy vibe. You’ll play a round with a guy who makes his living getting horses ready for the millionaires from around the globe who jet in for the Arabian Horse Show every year. You’ll see someone take off their cowboy boots and put on golf shoes in the parking lot. Someone will convince you to attend a rodeo out at WestWorld in North Scottsdale.

If you’re a cowboy golfer, Scottsdale still isn’t that far from home.

And if you just want to pretend? Saba’s Western Wear is the place where trendies who want you to think they are cowboys shop. How do I know? I’ve had visitors from Philadelphia ask me to take them there. Said they read about it in the New York Times. You know, that true cowboy paper.

The real cowboys will not start laughing at you. Until you drop a grand on boots at Saba’s. Then … well, you’re a sure story for the trail.