Destination: Scottsdale

Twenty-six municipalities make up Arizona's Valley of the Sun, anchored by the state capital of Phoenix, but no others do top-shelf golf quite like Scottsdale.

East of Phoenix and Paradise Valley, Scottsdale is one of the largest cities in the Valley with nearly 250,000 residents. Golf has played a large part in its rapid expansion since the 1980s. The city has developed into a popular home for touring pros, thanks to its warm winter climate, phenomenal golf vacation options and close proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Annually, visitors and residents play 12 million rounds on Scottsdale's golf courses. Beyond the city borders, the options turn limitless, with more than 200 golf courses from which to choose. Scottsdale serves as home to several private golf clubs but also some of the nation's best public and resort courses, including many of the top multi-course facilities in Arizona - like the TPC Scottsdale, Talking Stick Golf Club and Troon North Golf Club.

Golf in Scottsdale comes at a premium, especially in the peak season of mid-January to April. The winter temperatures are mild, and the courses are lush and green as Bermuda fairways and rough are usually over-seeded with a cool-weather, rye grass.

The golf courses change a great deal by the season, both by price and condition, so make certain to examine a rundown of the golf seasons in Scottsdale before playing.

North of Scottsdale around the small towns of Carefree and Cave Creek, you'll find an escape from the sprawling valley and chic nightlife, replaced by beautiful mountains and boulder scenery. The acclaimed Pinnacle Course and Monument Course at Troon North, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, sit 20 miles north of downtown Scottsdale. Further north in Carefree, the 36-hole, 1,300-acre Boulders Resort, a Waldorf Astoria property, is set beneath 12-million-year-old rock formations. From here, you're a short drive from the McDowell Mountain Range, also home to a regional park, as well as urban greenbelts.

Getting to Scottsdale

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), west of Scottsdale, is a 20-minute drive from downtown and central Scottsdale. Flights connect to most large U.S. cities, more than a dozen Mexican destinations and London Heathrow. Scottsdale Airport (SDL), a smaller facility, sits nine miles north of the central business district.