Destination: Arizona
Perhaps the biggest misconception is that Arizona is nothing more than a large desert. And while the Sonoran Desert with its majestic saguaros certainly dominates the landscape, the Grand Canyon State offers so much more, including mountains, rivers, big-time sports, skiing and great golf.
For golf there are three main regions - Phoenix/Scottsdale, Tucson and Northern Arizona. The Phoenix/Scottsdale region has more than 200 golf courses, arguably making it the golf capital of the United States. With Phoenix now the fifth-largest city in the United States (and climbing) and Scottsdale one of the country's top tourist and retirement destinations, the area has something for everyone.
The Phoenix area (as well as Tucson) is the spring training home to nearly a dozen Major League Baseball teams, and the city is also the regular-season home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and NBA's Phoenix Suns.
The area is also rich in Native American heritage, as evidenced by its restaurants, resorts and even golf courses, some of which are owned and operated by local tribes.
With the PGA Tour's Waste Management Open being played at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, the area is loaded with great venues, which are heavily overseeded in the fall to produce pristine playing conditions. Setting the standard in the area is Troon North, which features a pair of Tom Weiskopf designs that were recently improved through rerouting and a few other cosmetic improvements. Venues such as We-Ko-Pa and Grayhawk are usually at the top of everyone's desert golf course lists as well. The Phoenix area is also home to the always-affordable, Pete Dye-designed Karsten Course on Arizona State University campus in Tempe, and the classic William Bell-designed Papago Golf Course, which recently underwent a complete facelift, bringing better views of the wonderful Papago Buttes next to the course.
In Peoria, less than 30 minutes northwest of Phoenix, lies Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia, the only golf course in Arizona to receive a coveted five-star rating from Golf Digest.
Further south in the Tucson area, you get a little different experience. The name Tucson is derived from the a Native American word for "spring at the foot of black mountain," which is just southwest of downtown. Tucson is also home to Arizona's "other" national park. Saguaro National Park, one of the country's newest, is second only to the Grand Canyon in number of annual visitors. The city is also known as great bicycling and spa location.
In nearby Marana, the WGC Accenture Match play is conducted at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, which has 27 holes of Jack Nicklaus signature golf. But Tucson golf has always had a good golf reputation. Its municipal system is considered one of the best in the country, and venues such as Tucson National (former home of the Tucson Open), The Golf Club at Vistoso, The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, The Westin La Paloma Resort, and Tubac Golf Resort and Spa are but of few examples of the area's outstanding golf offerings.
Northern Arizona, of course, is a totally different world than Tucson and Phoenix. During the late fall through spring, it is skiing, not golf that dominates the landscape. But when the snow starts to melt, golf courses from Prescott to Flagstaff provide an affordable and cooler alternative to the rest of the state.
Sedona Golf Resort, for example, is a terrific Gary Panks design with views of the surrounding red rocks that will make you forget what you shot. And as you make your way toward Flagstaff, the desert seems to disappear and the Rockies take over, giving you more of a tree-lined Alpine feel. Courses such as the Hale Irwin-designed Prescott Lakes Golf Club and the 36 holes at Antelope Hills near Prescott provide the perfect environmental contrast to Phoenix and Tucson.
Scottsdale, Arizona is one of the largest cities in the Valley of the Sun with nearly 250,000 residents, and golf has played a large part in its rapid expansion over the past three decades. Annually, visitors and residents play 12 million rounds on 51 Scottsdale courses. The city includes some of the nation's best public and resort courses and many of the top multi-course facilities in Arizona.
... full article »
Dates: January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
Tee-up this year at the Pointe Hilton Resorts with our Stay and Play package, it includes a one night stay, Hilton Breakfast for two, and one round of golf at Lookout Mountain Golf Club. Rates from $189/Night/Person.
Price range: $189
For more information, please call
1-888-463-4931
or
click here.
Area Tee Times
-
Playing Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev., is like watching a suspenseful thriller. Your emotions will rage, your palms will sweat and you'll look at your scorecard in horror. And when your round is over, your body will crave the adrenaline rush all over again, Jason Scott Deegan writes.
... full article »
-
The turn of the calendar in Arizona means three things to college football fans: The Fiesta Bowl, the Insight Bowl and great golf. Fans who flock to Arizona to see either of the bowl games should remember to pack their clubs, because there's no better time to hit the Valley's plethora of world-class golf courses than late December and early January, Scott Bordow writes.
... full article »
-
Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev., a tribute to modern course architecture, dances through a maze of canyons, ridges and cliffs of red rock 90 miles from the famous Las Vegas Strip. It might be the most picturesque inland course on the planet.
... full article »
-
Twenty-five years passed from the time Jack Nicklaus constructed La Paloma Country Club (1984) to the opening of Dove Mountain (2009), two of the top courses in the Tucson, Ariz. area. His maturation as a course designer is evident in the evolution of his designs and further evidence of how the Tucson golf scene has grown up as well, Scott Bordow writes.
... full article »
-
Located 20 minutes southeast of Scottsdale, Ariz., Longbow Golf Club doesn't have the panache of some of the Valley's esteemed courses. For one thing, none of the 18 holes are visually spectacular. But what the part links-style, part desert course lacks in style, it makes up for in consistency. Longbow is a solid golf course that will entertain and challenge golfers. Its best attribute is its simplicity.
... full article »
-
The Phoenix-Scottsdale corridor is inundated with golf courses that have a degree of difficult off the charts. Every so often, however, there's a course that doesn't bring out the fear factor. Such is the case with Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club in Cave Creek. Now this a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design is no pitch-and-putt course. But it's a course that even hackers can play and enjoy.
... full article »
-
The Mesquite, Nev. area, which is home to the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, has an impressive collection of all-inclusive resorts that serve close to a dozen golf courses in the area. Each resort offers comfortable rooms and suites, gaming, entertainment and golf packages, and they're all located within minutes of golf, even if the courses aren't on the property.
... full article »
-
Golf runs the show in Mesquite. The cluster of resorts and adjoining courses assures it. But even away from the lush fairways, plenty exists to occupy travelers and locals alike. The opportunity is here to do it all, Bill Bowman writes.
... full article »
-
If Raven Golf Club at Verrado was located in north Scottsdale, it would be among the most talked-about layouts in Arizona. As it is, the par-72, 7,258-yard track is so popular -- despite its location -- that it gets plenty of play. For those not willing to make the trip to Buckeye, you don't know what you're missing, Scott Bordow writes.
... full article »
-
Is there a better way to ring in a new year than with a great golf getaway? You can play some of the best golf courses in the Southwest if you make your destination Mesquite, Nevada. Need an itinerary? Bill Bowman has one for you.
... full article »
-
Welcome to Mesquite, Nevada: Your next great golf getaway
-
Tubac Golf Resort and Spa south of Tucson: A desert escape
-
The Palmer Course at Oasis Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev. is one of The King's masterpieces
-
Heat up your golf game at the Golf Channel Amateur Tour's Duel in the Desert in Mesquite, Nevada
-
Smaller can be better at Omni Tucson National Resort
-
Conestoga Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev.: The wild, wild West's newest masterpiece
-
Poston Butte G.C. in Florence, Ariz. well worth the drive down from Phoenix/Scottsdale
-
From golfers to hippies, Sedona, Arizona has something for everyone
-
Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.: Coore/Crenshaw hit it big with 36 great holes
-
Picturesque Sedona Golf Resort boasts fun golf, spectactular northern Arizona mountain vistas
-
Now public, challenging Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club is worth the drive from Phoenix
-
Arizona desert golf for all: Play the courses of Tucson on three budgets
-
Legend Trail Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona: Desert golf and much more
-
Positive changes abound at scenic Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.
-
The Boulders Resort in Carefree: Arizona tranquility 12 million years in the making
-
Starr Pass Tucson Golf Club offers an elite desert and mountain experience designed for the pros
-
After the crowds leave, golf remains fun at the TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course
-
Dive bars and the Wild West meet upscale, desert golf in Cave Creek north of Scottsdale, Ariz.
-
Ah, the spa, the golf and everything else at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort near Tucson
-
Golf vacation planning: How to pack for a trip to Scottsdale, Ariz.
-
Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale: It's (almost) all about the golf
-
Diversity of Phoenix/Scottsdale resorts brings "desert golf" to life
-
The Phoenician resort: Swanky epicenter of Phoenix/Scottsdale golf
-
Pinnacle Course at Troon North: The pinnacle of desert golf in Phoenix/Scottsdale
-
Tricky greens aside, Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona is fun
-
Hotel and spa at Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain near Tucson on schedule for fall opening
-
The Boulders South Course: An experience that transcends golf
-
Golfers will find the new Xona Resort Suites in Scottsdale more up par
-
Step up to the tee at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club's Saguaro Course
-
Facelift brings back glory of old Papago Golf Course with modern flair
-
The Baskin-Robbins of Phoenix meeting space? Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak tries to come close with mega room options
-
At posh Scottsdale resorts, increasing business meeting space is the major mission
-
Forget tickets: How about Super Bowl week tee times? Secrets to golfing in Phoenix and Scottsdale during the NFL's grand party
-
Gondolas in the desert: Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch is full of surprises
-
New and improved FireSky Resort a solid Scottsdale golf vacation accomodation option
-
Phil Mickelson, golf, Fry's Electronics Open, Grayhawk Golf Club, Fall Series, Scottsdale, PGA Tour
-
Red rocks, funky art, scenic golf: Sedona is one cool Arizona golf destination
-
Review: Loews Ventana Canyon a Tucson golf resort disappointment
-
Antiques roadshow? Relaxed Glendale, Ariz. provides unexpected golf shopping
-
Great desert golf in Tucson, Arizona
-
Not just for John Travolta: More golfers find private jets an option
-
Chris Baldwin: Drop the attitude about kids golfing on your course
-
Scottsdale as Snottsdale? Arizona golfers cool with luxury pampering by any name
-
Painted Sky at Desert Mountain in north Scottsdale, Ariz.
-
Southern Dunes golf club in Maricopa: Where the men are in Arizona
-
Arizona's Top 10 golf courses
-
The Raven at South Mountain: Enjoyable for all
-
Seven Canyons: Under 7,000 yards? Heaven not that critical
-
What it's Really Like to Own Your Own Track
-
Dan Quayle still comes out swinging
-
War's impact felt at Phoenix-area golf courses
-
Tucson's Reputation Belies its Golf Offerings
-
The Most Popular Places to Play in Phoenix
-
Brave the Heat, Reap the Benefits: Sunbelt Golf Destinations Offer Low Summer Rates
-
Summer Prices Sizzle Under the Sun
-
The Stone Canyon Club: Ancient Ones' Hunting Grounds Now Hosts Modern Games
-
Loews Ventana Canyon: Slick Fazio Greens Menace Scores On Sonoran Beauties
-
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Yavapai's Stunning Target Course Bound For Honors
-
TPC of Scottsdale: Play Where the Pros Play
-
Sanctuary Golf Course at Westworld: Better Keep it Straight
-
America's Top 100 Instructors: Leaving the Traditional Approach Behind
-
Costa Rica: A Quiet Piece of Paradise
-
Troon North Golf Club: Monument, Pinnacle Set Sonoran Target Standards
-
Braves and Diamondbacks No Strangers to the Links
-
West Coast Reacts to "Attack on America"
-
Secret Golf Meccas: Value Lives in Laughlin
-
Things to Consider Before Purchasing Your Home on the Links
-
Kierland Golf Club: Traditional Layout Features Golf For All Skills
-
The Boulders Resort: Magical, Mystical Landscape Transcends Into Scenic Golf
-
Las Sendas Golf Club: Footpaths with Valley Views
-
The Raven at Sabino Springs: Saguaro-Huggers Nightmare Becomes Desert Golfers Rapture
-
From the Clubhouse: On The Road To Desert Golf
-
The Pointe Golf Club at Lookout Mountain Surpasses Expectations for this Reader
-
Secret golf meccas: Mesquite, Nevada and St. George, Utah
-
Ocotillo Golf Club: A Nice Escape from the Desert
-
The Phoenician: A Vacation to More Places than One
-
Make the Most of Your 72 Hours in the Old Pueblo