Best golf resorts in Arizona

A stay and play golf resort is ideal for those looking to take a golf trip to some of the best destinations in the US. Having accommodation, amenities, restaurants, and golf on-site is hard to beat when it comes to choosing a golf vacation.

When it comes to popularity, Arizona has been a golfing mecca for many years with a variety of desert layouts, scenic views, and easy accessibility. Many of the golf pros, like Jon Rham, Phil Mickelson, and Joel Dahmen, even live in Arizona when they aren’t on the road, so it is easy to see why it is such a popular destination.

To help you find your next golf adventure, our travel experts have picked out the best golf resorts in Arizona for you.

• We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort & Golf Club

• Boulders Resort & Spa

• Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa

• The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

Located approximately 18 miles northeast of Scottsdale in the Fountain Hills area is where you will find the 4-star We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort. The property boasts over 240 rooms in a variety of styles including deluxe guestrooms with pool or mountain views, and suites with living rooms and balconies. Each room comes standard with luxurious linens, flat screen TVs, refrigerators, and coffeemakers for a comfortable stay.

During your visit to the We-Ko-Pa Resort, you will have plenty of options for entertainment, restaurants, and relaxation. The resort is home to a full service, 24-hour casino with slots, table games, bingo, and a sportsbook. For dining, you will find a selection of restaurants and bars ranging from buffet to fine dining and everything in between!

For those looking for relaxation, the on-site Amethyst Spa is open daily and offers a wide range of treatments and therapies. You can also kick back by the outdoor pool or rent a private cabana for the ultimate leisure.

Right down the road is the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, home of 36 holes of pure desert golf. The Cholla and Saguaro courses (named after the cacti that can be found in the area) are some of the best golf courses in the Scottsdale area. Both courses are void of homes or buildings creating a serene golfing experience between you and nature.

Opened in 2001, the Cholla Course is the longer of the two at 7,200 yards but provides multiple tee box options for golfers of all abilities. The course offers a true test of your golf game due to its layout so accuracy and strategy will be important in scoring well.

The Saguaro Course was opened in 2006 and is a Coore and Crenshaw design sculpted into the desert landscape. At just under 7,000 yards, this enjoyable course provides elevation changes, wider fairways, and a more pleasant round of golf.

If you are looking for a five-star experience in Arizona, then look no further than the Boulders Resort & Spa. Situated 25 miles north of Scottsdale in Carefree, this luxurious property is set on 1300 acres of desert landscape with dramatic architecture and 12-million-year-old boulder formations.

This fantastic venue has over 200 accommodation options to choose from including classic casitas, suites, and for more privacy, two- and three-bedroom villas. All rooms are designed in modern southwestern décor with wood-burning fireplaces, patios/balconies, wood beam ceilings, and stone showers.

During your trip, make sure to play one or both immaculate Jay Morrish-designed golf courses at the Boulders Club. The North and the South courses offer unique layouts among the rocky terrain with stunning views of the Arizona desert. The North Course is 6,950 yards from the tips and presents a championship challenge with stunning views of Black Mountain.

The South Course is a par 71 playing just over 6,900 yards from the back tees and provides a similar experience to the North Course but is often described as more scenic. Some of the holes on the South Course play right along the boulder formations that are prevalent in this part of Arizona making it a unique round of golf. Also on-site at the Boulders Club are numerous tennis and pickleball courts as well as a pool to take a quick dip after golf.

For those looking to kick back and relax on their trip, The Spa at the Boulders is the place to be. The spa campus has over 33,000 sq ft of facilities including treatment rooms, a café, reflecting pond, and more with a gorgeous backdrop of the rock formations for a tranquil experience. This expansive property offers several different dining options during your stay with five restaurants and bars to choose from including fine dining, authentic Mexican, and others.

For a stay & play golf package located closer to the city, the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa is your best option as it is only 5 miles north of Scottsdale. This large resort has nearly 500 rooms to stay in with an option to upgrade to one of their suites or casitas offering extra space to stretch out. All accommodations include balconies and terraces, king or two queen plush beds, large screen TVs, and refrigerators for a comfortable vacation.

For those looking to get in a round of golf, the on-site Gainey Ranch Golf Club is the place to play. Gainey Ranch is a 27-hole venue with three loops of 9-holes and is reserved for club members and guests of the Hyatt Regency Resort.

The three Benz & Poellet-designed courses are the Lakes Course, Dunes Course, and Arroyo Course, each offering a different challenge due to their unique layouts. The Lakes Course, as you can imagine, has water that comes into play on eight of the nine holes and has wide fairways, large greens, and lush greenery which contrasts the desert surroundings.

The Dunes Course is the shortest of the three layouts with narrow fairways, challenging deep bunkers, and large green complexes. The Arroyo Course is named after the deep gully which winds its way through the nine holes adding an extra challenge to the course. Like the Dunes Course, you will be faced with narrow fairways and deep bunkers with the finishing hole providing the toughest test with water all down the left and an approach shot to a peninsular green surrounded by bunkers.

If relaxation is what you are after, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. Experience the amazing Spa Avania on-site with 19 treatment rooms, luxurious mineral pool, sauna, steam room and much more!

The resort also has a water playground equipped with 10 swimming pools, a 30-foot waterslide, 20 fountains, and 45 waterfalls set amongst tall palm trees. There are dining options a plenty on the expansive property ranging from Japanese cuisine to cocktail bars and don’t miss out on the daily live music at the indoor/outdoor Center Stage Bar.

Located 5 miles directly north of Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort is where you can find The Westin Kierland Resort, a gorgeous four-star property with over 700 rooms, 27-holes of golf, a spa, and restaurants all on-site.

The luxury accommodations at The Westin Kierland range in style from your traditional hotel guest room to suites to casitas, all with stunning views of the mountains, the resort, or the pools. Each room is well-appointed with a Westin comfortable bed, flat-screen TV, mini-fridge, and free WiFi.

If you want to play some golf during your stay, the 27-hole Kierland Golf Club is located right on-site for a convenient stay and play option. Like Gainey Ranch, the Kierland Golf Club has three 9-hole golf courses each designed by Scott Miller, with their own unique layouts and challenges.

The Ironwood, Acacia, and Mesquite courses are rotated daily to make up the 18-hole course for the day and each course has five sets of tees to accommodate golfers of all skill levels.

The Ironwood Course is the longest of the three at just over 3,500 yards from the back tees and has generous fairways with small greens and most of the bunkering surrounding them. The desert terrain does come into play if you go wayward off the tee, but if you just miss the fairway, the longer grass will catch your ball.

The Acacia Course has narrower fairways than Ironwood with more bunkering surrounding the greens. The course is carved out of the natural terrain of the foothills making undulations and desert wasteland more prevalent, so accuracy is key to scoring well.

The Mesquite Course is the shortest of the three (only by 30 yards) and while the undulation is less severe, the course can still be a challenge. Wide fairways offer golfers plenty of room off the tee and the large greens aren’t too tricky or speedy which helps when putting. While the other two courses play alongside each other, this course borders part of the resort and the surrounding neighborhood.

Relaxation is easy to find when you stay at The Westin Kierland Resort with an on-site spa, fitness studio, and multiple pools to soak up the Arizona sun. The Agave Spa is a luxury retreat offering treatment rooms, a full-service salon, and the Aquamiel Pool for full body rejuvenation. If the spa isn’t your thing, take advantage of the resort’s water park which has a lazy river, 110-foot waterslide, main pool, and Flow Rider to help cool you off after a long day.

The dining scene at The Westin Kierland is dynamic, offering guests plenty of options including traditional menus, upscale cuisine, and more. Enjoy a poolside meal at J. Swilling’s Bar & Grill, classic American dishes at Waltz & Weisers Whiskey Bar and Cantina or stop by the Coffee Flats for a wide range of to-go snacks and drinks.