Best golf courses in Scottsdale

Set in the Sonoran Desert and on land owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, We-Ko-Pa. offers two fantastic courses – Chollaand Saguaro. Unlike other Arizona golf courses, there are no homes, condos or townhomes lining these fairways…It is just you and the elements, with giant saguaros in the foreground framed by magnificent mountains in the distance.

North Scottsdale’s crown jewel and arguably the best public 36-hole facility in the area, with the Pinnacle Course top of recent Golf Monthly ‘Best Public Course in Arizona’ rankings, and the Monument Course just three behind. Recent course renovations by original designer and British Open Champion Tom Weiskopf have enhanced the experience further.

The Stadium Courseat TPC Scottsdale naturally gets all the attention for hosting the Waste Management Phoenix Open, thanks to the famous Par-3 16th known as ‘The Coliseum’. Everyone loves to play where the Pros play, however right across the street is the underrated Champions Course, which is less expensive and very walkable.

Another great 36-hole facility, with both courses designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and situated on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Adjacent to each other on flat land, and therefore very walkable, the O'odham (formerly North) course has a links feel whilst the Piipaash (formerly South) course is shorter but with more water and trees.

As its name would suggest, this unique resort sits in the Sonoran Desert foothills nestling among massive granite boulder formations. Quite a surreal setting for golf, with both Jay Morrish, designed championship courses offering spectacular views. The North, known for its challenging back-9 and is the older of the two, and The South has holes that go right up into the boulder formations.

Both courses are amongst the top-rated public courses in Arizona with the Tom Fazio-designed Raptor Course having hosted the PGA Tour Frys.com Open from 2007-2009. The Talon Course features in Golf Magazine’s prestigious list of the “Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.” for daily fee courses.

Ranked number one in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area by both Golf Digest and Golfweekly in their ‘Best Public Course’ list, and easily one of Arizona's best, this Rees Jones masterpiece fully deserves all of its accolades. With tees ranging from 5,800 to 7,200-yards, generous landing areas and slick, multi-tiered bent grass greens, Quintero is a great test for all golfers.

Constructed in 1995, SunRidge Canyon is one of the best value, premier daily-fee golf club offerings available in the area. Designer Keith Foster adopted the ‘less is more’ approach and fully utilized the canvas that Mother Nature provided. Consequently, level lies in fairways will be few and straight, flat putts won’t be found. Enjoy the thrilling string of finishing holes, dubbed the “Wicked Six”, that are among the best golf experiences in Arizona.

Within the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation, amid uninhibited 360-degree views of Arizona’s desert expanse, the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes course is ranked in the Top-5 ‘Best Courses to Play in Arizona’ by Golf Monthly. A Fred Couples and Schmidt-Curley designed course with distinct links feel, that has hosted numerous US Open qualifiers, and regional amateur and PGA events.