Why It's Everywhere Here
Golf is practically part of the Arizona lifestyle, and it comes down to a few simple things: sunshine, terrain, and timing. The Valley sees over 300 sunny days a year, and while much of the country is shoveling snow, Arizona winters sit in the 65 to 75 degree range, which is exactly when the rest of the golf world is shut down. That single fact turns the state into a year-round golf destination and draws snowbirds, retirees, and traveling golfers from October through April.
The desert landscape also gives course designers a canvas nobody else has. Rugged mountain backdrops, saguaro-lined fairways, and dramatic elevation changes make Arizona courses feel completely different from the parkland-style courses common in the rest of the country. Cities like Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Fountain Hills have built an entire tourism and resort economy around it, with world-class designers like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, and Pete Dye leaving their mark across the Valley.
Add in the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, one of the most attended events on the PGA Tour every February, and golf stays in the local spotlight all year. Between the climate, the scenery, and the culture built around it, it is easy to see why there are golf courses in nearly every Valley community.
Where to Play
A few of the standout courses around the Valley and beyond, ranging from championship resort courses to accessible municipal play.
Home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, famous for its stadium-style 16th hole and one of the most energetic atmospheres in golf.
Two Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed courses set against the Sonoran Desert and the McDowell Mountains.
Two highly ranked desert courses on Yavapai Nation land, known for wide-open, natural desert terrain and no homes in sight.
Home to the Raptor and Talon courses, a longtime host of college and professional golf events.
A top-rated municipal course at the base of the Papago Buttes, offering championship-level golf at a public-course price.
Built in 1935, Arizona's third-oldest course sits right in the heart of the historic Encanto-Palmcroft district, with palm-lined fairways and downtown skyline views.
Two courses built directly into a dramatic boulder-strewn desert landscape north of Scottsdale.
A historic West Valley resort with three courses, including the Gold Course, a longtime staple of Arizona golf.
A links-style desert course with dramatic dunes and elevation change, consistently ranked among the state's best public courses.