A new restaurant, Talavera, and lounge, Onyx, were part of a $15 million enhancement that also included updating of the spacious rooms, which come with fireplaces, 42-inch flat-screen TVs and overstuffed coziness. The suites have telescopes and custom constellation charts for stargazing, while all rooms have private balconies that offer terrific views of the distant city and nearby Pinnacle Peak, which has a comfortably pitched hiking trail easily accessible from the property.

The two outstanding Troon North layouts, which also have been refurbished, are a short shuttle ride away; the hotel doesn’t own the courses, but guests receive priority access. Tom Weiskopf, the architect of the original Pinnacle and co-designer of Monument,
reconfigured the two 18s by blending the holes from each course and changing the sequence to improve playability and reduce distances between holes. He also rebuilt the greens and removed or added bunkers.

The “new” Pinnacle and Monument courses remain classic desert layouts with velvet ribbons of fairway bordered and bisected by strikingly rugged terrain with the iconic saguaro cacti standing sentry. The tee times are generously spaced, so you never feel hemmed in. If you’re lucky, you might even see a bobcat stalking a rabbit.

Nights and days in Scottsdale
The downtown area, a two-mile swath currently undergoing a $3.4 billion revitalization, is located on the south end of town. Who knew Scottsdale had a waterfront? OK, it’s a gussied-up irrigation ditch, but it’s home to a great restaurant and bar scene, with establishments like Pink Taco and Olive & Ivy. As befits its outlaw heritage, the city still has an independent streak. Notably absent from the high-end retail section are any national chains, a welcome relief from the homogenization of American shopping. There is also a thriving downtown art scene, the highlight of which is the Thursday night ArtWalk, a 35-year-old tradition of slipping (in and out of galleries) and sipping (fine wine).
 
One word of caution: Appoint a designated driver, since Arizona has some of the strictest DUI laws in the country.

Since the 1980s, water restrictions have limited new courses to 90 acres of irrigated turf; architects often have used much less to design exacting, target-style layouts. But the landing areas at We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro course are very generous. The course is meant to be played as much along the ground as through the air. A perfect example is the downhill 255-yard 15th, which looks intimidating from the tee. But a well-judged tee shot landing short and right will carom off a slope and roll onto the green for a chance at birdie.

With wonderful views of the Four Peaks Wilderness Area, the setting couldn’t be more natural or serene. While the holes roll with the undulating topography, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw built a walkable layout, with chipping areas that continue seamlessly onto the next tee. Coore and Crenshaw have done more work in Scottsdale than anywhere else, also having designed 36 holes at Talking Stick Golf Club, another strategic test that’s also located on a Native American reservation.

For a more parkland-like experience, try Kierland Golf Club at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in the heart of Scottsdale. Scott Miller, who also designed We-Ko-Pa’s Cholla course, built a lush 27-hole facility, which was renovated in 2002 when the hotel opened. The club is full of extra amenities, like an air-conditioned canopy on the range. And in lieu of climate-controlled carts, guests can rent Segways that make getting around the course a lot more fun—and faster. If shaving a few strokes off your game is a priority, Kierland offers two top instructors, Mike and Sandy LaBauve, a husband-wife tandem who come with some serious lineage: Sandy is the daughter of legendary teacher Jack Lumpkin.

The family-friendly resort is a stylishly modern hotel with an elaborate water park, kids club and teen lounge. But there’s plenty for adults, too, like the 15,000-square-foot spa that specializes in native and Far East treatments and Kierland Commons, a trendy, pedestrian-friendly, 38-acre shopping and dining area just a short walk away.

Clearly, Scottsdale has a lot to offer these days to golfers and non-golfers alike. Winfield Scott would hardly recognize it.