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Special Advertising Section: Great Golf in the Grand Canyon State
BEHIND THE GATES Arizona's Private Clubs have Re-Defined Private Club Living It’s been a pretty cut-and-dried formula, really. You buy a nice spot of land. Hire a well-known golf course designer. Put a gate…or better yet…a guard at the entry. Build a clubhouse, and sell some home sites. Before you know it, you’ve got yourself a successful golf community. While perhaps overly simplified, that’s been the general game-plan for this type of development in the Southwest for decades. But in recent years, a handful of upstarts have responded to the changing lifestyles of their clientele by turning this formula on its head. No longer content to just offer great golf and the perception of exclusivity, the best new private clubs in Arizona have refined their offerings to add real value and enjoyment to their members’ lives. In doing so, they’ve made have redefined the concept of an Arizona private club. Here are the ones that stand out from the crowd: Golf Club Scottsdale Scottsdale / 480-502-1800 Golf Club Scottsdale is particularly unique when you consider what it is not. It is not a community. It is not a country club. It does not offer tennis courts or swimming pools or fitness classes. Golf Club Scottsdale is a golf club. Pure and simple. And, it is a damn fine one at that. Every element of this club is wholly dedicated to the simple pleasures that arise from playing the game of golf. Key to that point, the golf course is fantastic. The course that Jay Morrish and Dick Bailey designed is a true gem carved from the dramatic, and at times, breathtaking landscape of north Scottsdale. It plays along the base and through the foothills of a solitary desert mountain peak. This unique topography makes for a spectacular thrill ride that is packed to the gills with great shot-making opportunities, risk/reward scenarios and game strategy. Yet despite all this, you’ll never encounter a single hole that could be considered unfair or out of place. And, while most of the members are solid sticks, the course is a joy for average players, as well. All of this is accented by a beautiful and luxuriously appointed new clubhouse designed in the manner of a traditional Southwestern hacienda. And, the experience is made even more sublime with the recent addition of celebrated chef Eddie Matney who heads the club’s culinary department. The Rim Club Payson / 800-311-5370 While most think of Arizona solely as a vast landscape of towering saguaros, craggy desert mountains and vibrant purple sunsets, there are huge swaths of the state that more closely resemble the pine and alpine studded forests of the Rocky Mountains. One such location is the quaint former logging town of Payson, Arizona, home of The Rim Club, one of Arizona’s most celebrated private clubs. Just 90 minutes northeast of Scottsdale, The Rim Club sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet and abuts the Mogollon Rim – a huge jutting edifice that separates the desert and chaparral regions from the alpine high country. At this elevation and with commanding views in all directions, The Rim Club offers a nearly perfect year-round climate. Its 555 acres sit entirely within the largest continuous Ponderosa pine forest in the United States and are virtually surrounded by the Tonto National Forest. Only 205 custom home sites are available to ensure The Rim Club residents of an intimate, exclusive lifestyle punctuated by exceptional member service. In fact, the available services range from personal shopping and housekeeping to in-home gourmet cooking lessons, as well as secretarial and concierge assistance. However, the real star of the show at The Rim Club is its magnificent golf course, created by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Rated No. 1 residential golf course in the Southwest three years in a row in Golfweek magazine’s list of “America’s Best Residential Golf Courses,” and No. 1 in Arizona, The Rim Golf Club’s par-71 championship course features massive boulder outcroppings, scenic mountain vistas, and tremendous elevation changes. The course can be played from 5,200 to 7,200 yards and presents players exceptional variety and options. Superstition Mountain 877-983-3300 Hard-pressed against the base of one of the most beautiful and fabled landmarks in the entire American Southwest is Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Created by The Lyle Anderson Companies, this elegant 890-acre community, just 30 minutes east of Phoenix’ Sky Harbor International Airport, incorporates all the core ingredients of a modern, world-class private club. At the heart of Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club are its two heralded Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, named Prospector and Hidden Gold. These courses are well-known among discerning players for their consistently immaculate conditioning, superior playability and unmatched natural beauty. As a testament to the golf experience they provide, the Prospector and Lost Gold courses have played host to major tournaments, including the LPGA Safeway Invitational every year since 2004, as well as the 2002 Countrywide Tradition, and the 2002 Senior Slam. In addition to true championship-caliber golf, Superstition Mountain also presents members with thoughtfully planned village-style neighborhoods featuring award-winning homes, a magnificent 50,000-square-foot clubhouse built to rival the finest palaces of Europe, exceptional dining, a state-of-the-art private Sports Club, a concierge service for members, and inviting hiking trails that lead into the neighboring Tonto National Forest. The Gallery at Dove Mountain Marana / 888-437-4800 For true championship-caliber golf in a stunning desert mountain setting, it would be nearly impossible to surpass The Gallery at Dove Mountain. The Gallery, minutes north of Tucson, presents two distinctly different, yet equally thrilling golf courses, as well as a host of perfectly selected amenities and a beautifully designed community. The Gallery’s South Course, designed by John Fought, is home to the World Golf Championships – Accenture World Match Play Championship. It blends European links-style golf challenges with a fabulous desert setting to create a truly one-of-a-kind playing experience. By contrast, the North Course, designed by Fought and Tom Lehman, provides a dramatically different style of play. Winding its way through two picturesque desert canyons, each hole is enveloped by its surroundings and presents the player with a high-stakes game of risk/reward that is rarely rivaled in golf. Surrounding the golf venues, Dove Mountain presents a beautifully relaxed, exclusive living environment that matches exceptional recreational amenities, such as a state-of-the-art sports facility, world-class dining and an extensive trail system with serene neighborhoods and luxurious homes. Stone Canyon Oro Valley / 877-733-6630 Framed between the awe-inspiring Catalina and Tortolita mountain ranges, Oro Valley north of Tucson is a stunningly beautiful golf environment. It is not surprising then that this boulder-strewn landscape is home to picturesque private golf club in the entire state. Aptly named Stone Canyon Golf Club is a master work of nature enhanced by the talented hand of golf course architect Jay Morrish. The course Morrish has created threads its way through massive boulders, dramatic rock formations and a forest of ancient saguaro cacti. Adding to the beauty are stunning mountain vistas, plunging waterfalls and colorful fields of wildflowers that perfectly frame the golf holes. Using the gentle natural contours of the canyon floor in conjunction with manmade obstacles, Stone Canyon provides a challenging but fair golf experience with consistently perfect playing conditions. Away from the golf course, the 1,400-acre community is equally beautiful and inviting. Residential options range from exceptional custom home sites and finished custom homes to luxurious Tuscan-style designer homes and elegant bungalows. The lifestyle is further enhanced through a variety of amenities that will be served through a magnificent 30,000 square-foot clubhouse currently under development. When completed the clubhouse will provide both fine and casual dining, a health and fitness center, tennis club, lap pools, resort-style swimming facilities and a wonderful network of desert trails for hiking, biking and exploring. Encanterra, a Trilogy Golf and Country Club Queen Creek / 480-279-3992 When Encanterra, a Trilogy Golf and Country Club opens south and east of Phoenix in early 2008, it will be the first private club of its type to open in the Valley of the Sun in a generation or more. Unlike many of the modern private golf clubs in Arizona which emphasize the challenges of desert golf, Encanterra’s stunning Tom Lehman-designed course presents a golf experience that is more in line with those found a classic old-line country clubs. To begin with, this private, 18-hole track features a traditional core-golf routing that allows enables the course folds into itself, keeping its interaction with the residential aspects of the community to a minimum and creating a superior playing environment where nothing is sacrificed in Encanterra’s pursuit to provide its members with the finest golf experience possible. Additionally, the course will use more than 260 acres of turfgrass with fairways peppered by mature shade trees and out-of-play areas filled with flowering plants. The course also will incorporate many flowing streams and shimmering ponds to add beauty and challenge. From a player’s perspective, Encanterra is a course that will challenge you, but that you’ll never find it to be unfair. In fact, the more you play it, the more you’ll fall in love with its engaging character and dramatic risk-reward opportunities. And, the staff takes special pride in serving the interests of discerning players, offering regular weekly games and world-class competitive golf events for members and their guests. Encanterra also provides a wonderful resort-style lifestyle with restaurants, pools, fitness facilities and spa, Encanterra energizes these amenities with a dynamic spirit of exploring your passions, connecting with friends and family and enhancing your personal wellness. 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. Troon North Scottsdale With two of the most highly honored golf courses in the world, one would think Troon North would be content to leave well enough alone. But, that’s not the case. After a comprehensive two-year renovation project overseen by Tom Weiskopf, the club is set to unveil its internationally acclaimed courses, Pinnacle and Monument, boasting new looks and enhanced playing experiences. Under Weiskopf’s direction, the two courses were blended together and the sequence the holes are played has been dramatically altered. The result of this work is enhanced walk ability and increased playability without sacrificing any of the thrill and drama that made Pinnacle and Monument standouts known around the world. Eagle Mountain Fountain Hills / 866-863-1234 Located within the mountain range that separates Scottsdale from Fountain Hills, Eagle Mountain Golf Club’s excellent golf course pitches and rolls with the dramatic topography of the property. As it weaves its way among craggy mountain peaks and through shady desert arroyos loaded with Mesquites, Palo Verdes and Saguaro Cacti, it takes players from one picture-perfect golf hole to the next. The views from the golf course are stunning with the entire southeastern Valley of the Sun on display. Golf course architect Scott Miller designed Eagle Mountain to include equal parts aesthetic charm and strategic intrigue, and this is one course you’ll never tire of playing. Lookout Mountain Golf Club at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Phoenix / 800-947-9784 Although it is not in Scottsdale, Lookout Mountain Golf Club’s spectacular course easily rivals the best that Arizona’s golf capital offers. Playing along the border of the beautiful Phoenix Mountain Preserve and served by two world-class resorts, The Pointe Hiltons at Tapatio Cliffs and Squaw Peak, the golf course combines an excellent traditionally styled front nine with a spectacular target-style back nine that serves up hole after hole of thrilling, dramatic desert golf. TPC Scottsdale Scottsdale / 480-585-4334 Easily one of the most recognizable golf courses in the state, The TPC Scottsdale is the home of the FBR Open, the world’s best attended golf event. Each year, more than 500,000 golf fans flock to the TPC Scottsdale to witness the spectacle and pageantry of this one-of-a-kind PGA Tour event. The other 51 weeks of the year though, The TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium course is a wonderful test of golf that gives regular amateurs a chance to walk in the footsteps of past champions like Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Tom Lehman. Plus this year, TPC Scottsdale has unveiled the new Champions Course which promises an exceptional golf experience at a tremendous value. Regional Favorites Lodge at Ventana Canyon Tucson / 800-828-5701 The Lodge at Venatna Canyon offers up the quintessential Sonoran Desert luxury experience – one that incorporates stunning natural beauty with luxurious, intimate surroundings, exceptional service and world-class golf. Set at the foot of Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains amidst a 600-acre preserve, The Lodge at Ventana Canyon has just 50 inviting guest suites, but it provides everything you could ever want from a desert golf destination. Heading the list of attractions are the two world-renowned Tom Fazio-designed golf courses. The Mountain Course is a spectacular desert target-style layout with sweeping views and dramatic elevation changes. The Canyon Course winds its way through beautiful Espero Canyon creating a tremendous golf experience unmatched in the Southwest. The exceptional quality of the golf is accented by a world-class tennis program, a spacious swimming facility, fitness center, a spa with room service and dining facilities with eclectic menus designed to meet every taste. Sedona Golf Resort Sedona / 877-733-6630 Perhaps no other golf course on earth provides a better combination of jaw-dropping beauty and exceptional challenge than the acclaimed Sedona Golf Resort. Located in the heart of one of the most dramatically beautiful regions on earth, the thrilling 6,646-yard, par-71 course is widely considered among the world’s most unforgettable golf experiences. Each hole is a unique adventure governed by its own set of circumstances as it winds around the famed red rocks of Sedona. And, at every turn, the beauty seems all the more striking. Designed by architect Gary Panks, Sedona Golf Resort presents a thrilling layout that flows through a cedar-strewn valley between two imposing mesas. The substantial shifts in terrain make for some rollicking challenges and offer many truly breathtaking vantage points. The challenge is unparalleled, and the excitement is only matched by the unprecedented scenery of the Red Rock cliffs and glorious rock formations. Rancho de los Caballeros Wickenburg / 800-684-5030 Located just a bit outside Phoenix in the charming western town of Wickenburg, Rancho de los Caballeros is a working guest ranch that just so happens to be home to one of the finest classic golf experiences you’ll find anywhere in Arizona. Originally designed by the esteemed Robert Trent Jones Sr., Los Caballeros’ golf course was a Silver Medal recipient from Golf Magazine and is considered among the top five courses in the state by Golf Digest. The course plays to just over 7,000 yards and winds its way through a classic desert setting with thrilling challenges and exceptional shot-making opportunities. Guests looking for an authentic Arizona experience that goes beyond a wonderful round of golf will want to check out Los Caballeros’ luxurious resort with its excellent spa, beautiful guest rooms, world-class dining and tremendous variety of western-style outdoor adventure. Longbow Mesa / 480-807-5400 Named by GolfWeek magazine as “One of the Top 20 Courses in Arizona,” Longbow features a par-71, 7,003-yard desert golf layout that demands accuracy, strength and skill to score. Located in the Southeastern portion of the Valley of the Sun, less than 30 minutes the resort centers of Phoenix and Scottsdale, Longbow is one of the best golf values in the entire state of Arizona, and the thrilling challenge of the course is made even better by Longbow’s classic core-golf layout (meaning no homes or roads intrude into the course) and the short distances between green and tee make Longbow an excellent choice for those who prefer walking. Finally, the playing experience is further enhanced by the commanding views of the Superstition Mountains, Usery Mountains and nearby Red Mountain that encircle the property.

Special Advertising Section:
Great Golf in the Grand Canyon State

BEHIND THE GATES

Arizona's Private Clubs have Re-Defined Private Club Living

It’s been a pretty cut-and-dried formula, really. You buy a nice spot of land. Hire a well-known golf course designer. Put a gate…or better yet…a guard at the entry. Build a clubhouse, and sell some home sites. Before you know it, you’ve got yourself a successful golf community. While perhaps overly simplified, that’s been the general game-plan for this type of development in the Southwest for decades.
But in recent years, a handful of upstarts have responded to the changing lifestyles of their clientele by turning this formula on its head. No longer content to just offer great golf and the perception of exclusivity, the best new private clubs in Arizona have refined their offerings to add real value and enjoyment to their members’ lives. In doing so, they’ve made have redefined the concept of an Arizona private club. Here are the ones that stand out from the crowd:

Golf Club Scottsdale
Scottsdale / 480-502-1800
Golf Club Scottsdale is particularly unique when you consider what it is not. It is not a community. It is not a country club. It does not offer tennis courts or swimming pools or fitness classes. Golf Club Scottsdale is a golf club. Pure and simple. And, it is a damn fine one at that.
Every element of this club is wholly dedicated to the simple pleasures that arise from playing the game of golf. Key to that point, the golf course is fantastic. The course that Jay Morrish and Dick Bailey designed is a true gem carved from the dramatic, and at times, breathtaking landscape of north Scottsdale. It plays along the base and through the foothills of a solitary desert mountain peak. This unique topography makes for a spectacular thrill ride that is packed to the gills with great shot-making opportunities, risk/reward scenarios and game strategy. Yet despite all this, you’ll never encounter a single hole that could be considered unfair or out of place. And, while most of the members are solid sticks, the course is a joy for average players, as well.
All of this is accented by a beautiful and luxuriously appointed new clubhouse designed in the manner of a traditional Southwestern hacienda. And, the experience is made even more sublime with the recent addition of celebrated chef Eddie Matney who heads the club’s culinary department.

The Rim Club
Payson / 800-311-5370
While most think of Arizona solely as a vast landscape of towering saguaros, craggy desert mountains and vibrant purple sunsets, there are huge swaths of the state that more closely resemble the pine and alpine studded forests of the Rocky Mountains. One such location is the quaint former logging town of Payson, Arizona, home of The Rim Club, one of Arizona’s most celebrated private clubs.
    Just 90 minutes northeast of Scottsdale, The Rim Club sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet and abuts the Mogollon Rim – a huge jutting edifice that separates the desert and chaparral regions from the alpine high country. Arizona Canyon Golf Guide: The Rim Club image
    At this elevation and with commanding views in all directions, The Rim Club offers a nearly perfect year-round climate. Its 555 acres sit entirely within the largest continuous Ponderosa pine forest in the United States and are virtually surrounded by the Tonto National Forest. Only 205 custom home sites are available to ensure The Rim Club residents of an intimate, exclusive lifestyle punctuated by exceptional member service. In fact, the available services range from personal shopping and housekeeping to in-home gourmet cooking lessons, as well as secretarial and concierge assistance.
    However, the real star of the show at The Rim Club is its magnificent golf course, created by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Rated No. 1 residential golf course in the Southwest three years in a row in Golfweek magazine’s list of “America’s Best Residential Golf Courses,” and No. 1 in Arizona, The Rim Golf Club’s par-71 championship course features massive boulder outcroppings, scenic mountain vistas, and tremendous elevation changes. The course can be played from 5,200 to 7,200 yards and presents players exceptional variety and options.

Superstition Mountain
877-983-3300
Hard-pressed against the base of one of the most beautiful and fabled landmarks in the entire American Southwest is Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Created by The Lyle Anderson Companies, this elegant 890-acre community, just 30 minutes east of Phoenix’ Sky Harbor International Airport, incorporates all the core ingredients of a modern, world-class private club.
At the heart of Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club are its two heralded Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, named Prospector and Hidden Gold. These courses are well-known among discerning players for their Arizona Canyon Golf Guide: Superstition Mountain image consistently immaculate conditioning, superior playability and unmatched natural beauty. As a testament to the golf experience they provide, the Prospector and Lost Gold courses have played host to major tournaments, including the LPGA Safeway Invitational every year since 2004, as well as the 2002 Countrywide Tradition, and the 2002 Senior Slam.
In addition to true championship-caliber golf, Superstition Mountain also presents members with thoughtfully planned village-style neighborhoods featuring award-winning homes, a magnificent 50,000-square-foot clubhouse built to rival the finest palaces of Europe, exceptional dining, a state-of-the-art private Sports Club, a concierge service for members, and inviting hiking trails that lead into the neighboring Tonto National Forest.

The Gallery at Dove Mountain
Marana / 888-437-4800
For true championship-caliber golf in a stunning desert mountain setting, it would be nearly impossible to surpass The Gallery at Dove Mountain. The Gallery, minutes north of Tucson, presents two distinctly different, yet equally thrilling golf courses, as well as a host of perfectly selected amenities and a beautifully designed community.
    The Gallery’s South Course, designed by John Fought, is home to the World Golf Championships – Accenture World Match Play Championship. It blends European links-style golf challenges with a fabulous desert setting to create a truly one-of-a-kind playing experience.
    By contrast, the North Course, designed by Fought and Tom Lehman, provides a dramatically different style of play. Winding its way through two picturesque desert canyons, each hole is enveloped by its surroundings and presents the player with a high-stakes game of risk/reward that is rarely rivaled in golf.
     Surrounding the golf venues, Dove Mountain presents a beautifully relaxed, exclusive living environment that matches exceptional recreational amenities, such as a state-of-the-art sports facility, world-class dining and an extensive trail system with serene neighborhoods and luxurious homes.

Stone Canyon
Oro Valley / 877-733-6630
Framed between the awe-inspiring Catalina and Tortolita mountain ranges, Oro Valley north of Tucson is a stunningly beautiful golf environment. It is not surprising then that this boulder-strewn landscape is home to picturesque private golf club in the entire state.
Aptly named Stone Canyon Golf Club is a master work of nature enhanced by the talented hand of golf course architect Jay Morrish. The course Morrish has created threads its way through massive boulders, dramatic rock formations and a forest of ancient saguaro cacti. Adding to the beauty are Arizona Canyon Golf Guide: Stone Canyon image stunning mountain vistas, plunging waterfalls and colorful fields of wildflowers that perfectly frame the golf holes. Using the gentle natural contours of the canyon floor in conjunction with manmade obstacles, Stone Canyon provides a challenging but fair golf experience with consistently perfect playing conditions.
Away from the golf course, the 1,400-acre community is equally beautiful and inviting. Residential options range from exceptional custom home sites and finished custom homes to luxurious Tuscan-style designer homes and elegant bungalows. The lifestyle is further enhanced through a variety of amenities that will be served through a magnificent 30,000 square-foot clubhouse currently under development. When completed the clubhouse will provide both fine and casual dining, a health and fitness center, tennis club, lap pools, resort-style swimming facilities and a wonderful network of desert trails for hiking, biking and exploring.

Encanterra, a Trilogy Golf and Country Club
Queen Creek / 480-279-3992
When Encanterra, a Trilogy Golf and Country Club opens south and east of Phoenix in early 2008, it will be the first private club of its type to open in the Valley of the Sun in a generation or more. Unlike many of the modern private golf clubs in Arizona which emphasize the challenges of desert golf, Encanterra’s stunning Tom Lehman-designed course presents a golf experience that is more in line with those found a classic old-line country clubs.
    To begin with, this private, 18-hole track features a traditional core-golf routing that allows enables the course folds into itself, keeping its interaction with the residential aspects of the community to a minimum and creating a superior playing environment where nothing is sacrificed in Encanterra’s pursuit to provide its members with the finest golf experience possible. Additionally, the course will use more than 260 acres of turfgrass with fairways peppered by mature shade trees and out-of-play areas filled with flowering plants. The course also will incorporate many flowing streams and shimmering ponds to add beauty and challenge.
    From a player’s perspective, Encanterra is a course that will challenge you, but that you’ll never find it to be unfair. In fact, the more you play it, the more you’ll fall in love with its engaging character and dramatic risk-reward opportunities. And, the staff takes special pride in serving the interests of discerning players, offering regular weekly games and world-class competitive golf events for members and their guests.
    Encanterra also provides a wonderful resort-style lifestyle with restaurants, pools, fitness facilities and spa, Encanterra energizes these amenities with a dynamic spirit of exploring your passions, connecting with friends and family and enhancing your personal wellness.

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.

Troon North
Scottsdale
With two of the most highly honored golf courses in the world, one would think Troon North would be content to leave well enough alone. But, that’s not the case. After a comprehensive two-year renovation project overseen by Tom Weiskopf, the club is set to unveil its internationally acclaimed courses, Pinnacle and Monument, boasting new looks and enhanced playing experiences. Under Weiskopf’s direction, the two courses were blended together and the sequence the holes are played has been dramatically altered. The result of this work is enhanced walk ability and increased playability without sacrificing any of the thrill and drama that made Pinnacle and Monument standouts known around the world.

Eagle Mountain
Fountain Hills / 866-863-1234
Located within the mountain range that separates Scottsdale from Fountain Hills, Eagle Mountain Golf Club’s excellent golf course pitches and rolls with the dramatic topography of the property. As it weaves its way among craggy mountain peaks and through shady desert arroyos loaded with Mesquites, Palo Verdes and Saguaro Cacti, it takes players from one picture-perfect golf hole to the next. The views from the golf course are stunning with the entire southeastern Valley of the Sun on display. Golf course architect Scott Miller designed Eagle Mountain to include equal parts aesthetic charm and strategic intrigue, and this is one course you’ll never tire of playing.

Lookout Mountain Golf Club at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
Phoenix / 800-947-9784
Although it is not in Scottsdale, Lookout Mountain Golf Club’s spectacular course easily rivals the best that Arizona’s golf capital offers. Playing along the border of the beautiful Phoenix Mountain Preserve and served by two world-class resorts, The Pointe Hiltons at Tapatio Cliffs and Squaw Peak, the golf course combines an excellent traditionally styled front nine with a spectacular target-style back nine that serves up hole after hole of thrilling, dramatic desert golf.

TPC Scottsdale
Scottsdale / 480-585-4334
Easily one of the most recognizable golf courses in the state, The TPC Scottsdale is the home of the FBR Open, the world’s best attended golf event. Each year, more than 500,000 golf fans flock to the TPC Scottsdale to witness the spectacle and pageantry of this one-of-a-kind PGA Tour event. The other 51 weeks of the year though, The TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium course is a wonderful test of golf that gives regular amateurs a chance to walk in the footsteps of past champions like Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Tom Lehman. Plus this year, TPC Scottsdale has unveiled the new Champions Course which promises an exceptional golf experience at a tremendous value. Regional Favorites

Lodge at Ventana Canyon
Tucson / 800-828-5701
The Lodge at Venatna Canyon offers up the quintessential Sonoran Desert luxury experience – one that incorporates stunning natural beauty with luxurious, intimate surroundings, exceptional service and world-class golf. Set at the foot of Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains amidst a 600-acre preserve, The Lodge at Ventana Canyon has just 50 inviting guest suites, but it provides everything you could ever want from a desert golf destination. Heading the list of attractions are the two world-renowned Tom Fazio-designed golf courses. The Mountain Course is a spectacular desert target-style layout with sweeping views and dramatic elevation changes. The Canyon Course winds its way through beautiful Espero Canyon creating a tremendous golf experience unmatched in the Southwest. The exceptional quality of the golf is accented by a world-class tennis program, a spacious swimming facility, fitness center, a spa with room service and dining facilities with eclectic menus designed to meet every taste.

Sedona Golf Resort
Sedona / 877-733-6630
Perhaps no other golf course on earth provides a better combination of jaw-dropping beauty and exceptional challenge than the acclaimed Sedona Golf Resort. Located in the heart of one of the most dramatically beautiful regions on earth, the thrilling 6,646-yard, par-71 course is widely considered among the world’s most unforgettable golf experiences. Each hole is a unique adventure governed by its own set of circumstances as it winds around the famed red rocks of Sedona. And, at every turn, the beauty seems all the more striking. Designed by architect Gary Panks, Sedona Golf Resort presents a thrilling layout that flows through a cedar-strewn valley between two imposing mesas. The substantial shifts in terrain make for some rollicking challenges and offer many truly breathtaking vantage points. The challenge is unparalleled, and the excitement is only matched by the unprecedented scenery of the Red Rock cliffs and glorious rock formations.

Rancho de los Caballeros
Wickenburg / 800-684-5030
Located just a bit outside Phoenix in the charming western town of Wickenburg, Rancho de los Caballeros is a working guest ranch that just so happens to be home to one of the finest classic golf experiences you’ll find anywhere in Arizona. Originally designed by the esteemed Robert Trent Jones Sr., Los Caballeros’ golf course was a Silver Medal recipient from Golf Magazine and is considered among the top five courses in the state by Golf Digest. The course plays to just over 7,000 yards and winds its way through a classic desert setting with thrilling challenges and exceptional shot-making opportunities. Guests looking for an authentic Arizona experience that goes beyond a wonderful round of golf will want to check out Los Caballeros’ luxurious resort with its excellent spa, beautiful guest rooms, world-class dining and tremendous variety of western-style outdoor adventure.

Longbow
Mesa / 480-807-5400
Named by GolfWeek magazine as “One of the Top 20 Courses in Arizona,” Longbow features a par-71, 7,003-yard desert golf layout that demands accuracy, strength and skill to score. Located in the Southeastern portion of the Valley of the Sun, less than 30 minutes the resort centers of Phoenix and Scottsdale, Longbow is one of the best golf values in the entire state of Arizona, and the thrilling challenge of the course is made even better by Longbow’s classic core-golf layout (meaning no homes or roads intrude into the course) and the short distances between green and tee make Longbow an excellent choice for those who prefer walking. Finally, the playing experience is further enhanced by the commanding views of the Superstition Mountains, Usery Mountains and nearby Red Mountain that encircle the property.