It’s unfortunate, but true: far too many courses are designed with the stronger player in mind. Sure, the marketing materials may boast of “multiple sets of tees to suit players of all abilities,” but in many cases these forward tees are little more than an afterthought. As a result, senior players encounter courses with irrelevant fairway bunkering and awkward playing angles. Par becomes distorted: some par-4s become reachable off the tee, while others are reachable only in three shots. And compensations in overall course length do nothing to ameliorate seven-foot-deep bunkers or firm, elevated greens—features which can make a course almost unplayable for some seniors.

The golf courses at Robson Communities (robson.com, 800-732-9949) in Arizona and Texas bring the best of desert golf to the senior golfer. Robson has tapped some of Arizona’s most acclaimed course architects including Dick Bailey (Whitehawk Ranch and The Golf Club Scottsdale, with Jay Morrish), Gary Panks (Grayhawk’s Talon Course and the Sedona Golf Resort) and Ken Kavanaugh (The Homestead at Murphy Creek and The Oregon Golf Club, with Peter Jacobsen), to create a collection of courses with seniors in mind. You’ll find all of the beauty, shot values and drama of the great desert courses, but you’ll be able to enjoy (and be challenged by) the playing lines envisioned by the designers.

There are three Robson Communities located near Tucson (a fourth is coming soon), and one located just west of Phoenix. A sixth community is located just south of historic Denton, Texas. In addition to golf, all feature a variety of amenities for (very) active retirees.