Best golf courses: Arizona

Golfing in Arizona: a land of plateaus, canyons and gushing rivers, Arizona offers a good selection of unique, interesting and highly enjoyable golf courses. The quality and number of courses is almost without parallel, with many resort courses offering much more than just golf. This is a real golfers' paradise, where courses are plentiful, generally well maintained and often very scenic. On the courses themselves, many fairways are crossed by "wash" areas, desert wasteland which allows surface water to run off the course. Desert rule generally applies, whereby desert areas may be played as water hazards.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Schmidt-Curley Design

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Brian Curley (Schmidt-Curley Design), with input from Fred Couples.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
(Closed in 2021)
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Doak, Tom

Visitors?

(Closed in 2021)

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Doak

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Richardson, Forrest

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Forrest Richardson

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Robert Trent Jones II (lead designer Bruce Charlton).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
(Closed in 2019)
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Dye, Pete & Perry

Visitors?

(Closed in 2019)

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Father/son team of Pete & Perry Dye

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Private course
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Morrish, Jay

Visitors?

Private course

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Jay Morrish

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Morrish, Jay

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Jay Morrish

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Schmidt-Curley Design

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Schmidt-Curley Design (Lee Schmidt & Brian Curley).

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Schmidt-Curley Design

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Schmidt-Curley Design (Lee Schmidt & Brian Curley).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Desert Mountain's six courses are all Jack Nicklaus designed Signature Courses

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

A Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Miller, Scott

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Scott Miller

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Nash & Hardin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Greg Nash & Jeff Hardin

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Las Vegas
Dye, Matt

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Las Vegas

Designer

Matt Dye

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Phillips, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Bill Phillips

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Fazio

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Nicklaus II, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Jack Nicklaus II

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Flagstaff
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Flagstaff

Designer

CANYON course: Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1986). MEADOW course: Tom Weiskopf (1999).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
By arrangement
Tucson
Fought & Lehman

Visitors?

By arrangement

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

John Fought & Tom Lehman (North course); John Fought (South course).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Kavanaugh, Ken

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Ken Kavanaugh

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Kavanaugh, Ken

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Ken Kavanaugh & Greg Nash

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Fazio

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Graham & Panks

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

David Graham & Gary Panks

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Miller, Scott

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Scott Miller

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Flagstaff
Phillips, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Flagstaff

Designer

Bill Phillips

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Rsrt guests only
Tucson
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Jack Nicklaus

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Las Vegas
Druzisky, David

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Las Vegas

Designer

David Druzisky

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Panks, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Gary Panks

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Rees Jones

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Kavanaugh, Ken

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Ken Kavanaugh

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Johnston, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Bill Johnston

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Nash & Hardin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Greg Nash & Jeff Hardin

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Heckenkemper, Randy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Randy Heckenkemper

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Flagstaff
Jones Sr & Jr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Flagstaff

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr and Jr

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Robinson, Ted

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Ted Robinson (Sr).

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Bell, William F.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

William Francis "Billy" Bell Jr.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Flint & Robinson

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Original 18-hole design (Oasis & Desert nines) by Homer Flint (1988); modifications and addition of the Canyon-nine by father/son team of Ted Robinson & Ted Robsinson Jr (1990s). Course reduced to 18 holes and renovated by Phil Smith (2017).

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Panks, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Gary Panks

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Rees Jones

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Bell, William F.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Original design by William Francis "Billy" Bell Jr (1961), whose father William Park "Billy" Bell designed the adjacent Randolph North course. Dell Urich course significantly redesigned in 1996.

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Bell, William P.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

William Park "Billy" Bell (1925).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Graham & Panks

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

David Graham & Gary Panks

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Restricted
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

Restricted

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Hills, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

"South" course: designed by Arthur Hills (1989).
"North" course: designed by Dave Bennett (1984); course subsequently closed (2013).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Flagstaff
Panks, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Flagstaff

Designer

Gary Panks

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Rsrt guests only
Flagstaff
Weiskopf, Tom

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Flagstaff

Designer

Tom Weiskopf

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Cupp & Palmer

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Original 18 holes (Rattler/Coyote nines) designed by Bob Cupp, with PGA Tour pro Craig Stadler (1986); course redesigned and Roadrunner nine-hole loop added by Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay (2003).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tucson
Morrish, Jay

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Jay Morrish

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Foster, Keith

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Keith Foster

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Jack Nicklaus & sons, Jack Jr. and Gary.

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Nash, Greg

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Greg Nash

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Crenshaw & Coore

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Crenshaw & Coore

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Heckenkemper, Randy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Original Desert Course designed by Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1987). Complete redesign by Randy Heckenkemper (2008) and relaunched as the Champions Course.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Panks, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Gary Panks

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
von Hagge & Devlin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Robert von Hagge & Bruce Devlin

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Lehman, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Tom Lehman

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Tom Fazio

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Tucson
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Tom Fazio

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Lehman & Fought

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Founders course: designed by Tom Lehman and John Fought (2004). Victory course designed by Tom Lehman (2016).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
(Closed in 2018)
Tucson
Weiskopf, Tom

Visitors?

(Closed in 2018)

Nearest city

Tucson

Designer

Tom Weiskopf

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Miller, Scott

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Scott Miller

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Coore & Crenshaw

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Panks, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Gary Panks

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Panks, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Gary Panks

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Restricted
Phoenix
Brownlee & Pickett

Visitors?

Restricted

Nearest city

Phoenix

Designer

Bill Brownlee & Wendell Pickett.

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Jones Sr & Lawrence

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr designed the Gold course (1964) and Patriot course (1961, originally called Blue course); both redesigned by Forrest Richardson in 2005. Robert "Red" Lawrence designed the Heritage course (originally known as the Red course).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Faldo & Schmidt-Curley

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

Nick Faldo with Schmidt-Curley Design (Lee Schmidt & Brian Curley).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Phoenix / Scottsdale
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

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Tournaments

The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.

Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.

Who's Who

Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.

Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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