THE ONES YOU CAN'T MISS
Arizona’s Must-Play Daily-Fee Golf Courses
At last count, there were 338 golf courses in the state of Arizona. These include stunning desert designs sculpted into otherworldly landscapes, dramatic mountain tracks draped across the state’s picturesque high country with a smattering of classically styled courses thrown in for good measure.
Many of them have been highly touted by the national media as well as assorted golf architecture geeks, bag-tag collectors and dudes burning through corporate expense accounts. And while this lofty praise is warranted, the sheer number of quality courses the state offers makes drafting a short list of must-play Arizona courses a truly daunting task for golf travelers.
For a head start on compiling your list, read on…
Essential Scottsdale
We-Ko-Pa
Fort McDowell / 480-836-9000
For sheer beauty,
it is hard to beat We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. Located on the border between
Scottsdale and Fort McDowell, part of the Yavapai Nation,
We-Ko-Pa offers two standout golf courses. The first, named Cholla, debuted
among the “Top 10 New Golf Courses in the World,” according to Sports
Illustrated when it opened in 2001, and it has been a fixture on Golf Magazine’s
list of the “Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.” ever since.
In 2006, We-Ko-Pa
opened its Saguaro Course, which immediately was named to Golf Digest’s list of
the “Best New Public Courses” for that year and is considered among the best in
the state by Golfweek. In addition to the outstanding playing experience these
courses provide, they are renowned for their incredible beauty. These are
stand-alone golf properties with no accompanying development. Views from the
courses stretch from horizon to horizon and they are completely enveloped by the
beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
Grayhawk
Scottsdale / 480-443-8868
One of the
standard bearers for Scottsdale’s unique brand of high-end daily-fee
golf is Grayhawk Golf Club. Grayhawk features two nationally acclaimed 18-hole
golf courses and a well-deserved reputation as the golf venue in Scottsdale for you to see
and be seen. Not only is the club a favorite with 2006 Masters Champ Phil
Mickelson, for whom the club’s grillroom is named, but it also is home to an
instruction school headed by Gary McCord and Peter Kostis as well.
Much of
Grayhawk’s stellar reputation has been built upon its history of hosting
top-flight golf events, including the first three Andersen Consulting World
Championships of Golf, the Williams World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods, and
the 2007 Fry’s Electronics Open, a full-field PGA Tour event that was part of
the Fall Finish.
