The Rancho/Otero combination plays through mature trees and cottonwood forests with lakes coming into play on a few holes. Tubac Golf Resort's Rancho nine is home to what is called the "Tubac Triangle," a notorious stretch of holes that consist of the longest par 3, par 4, and par 5 at the resort. more»
A desert golf course can combine beauty and challenge, while still being player friendly. Longbow Golf Club in Mesa succeeds in that combination to bring the golfer an enjoyable desert golf experience. Mountain views and the desert landscaping make this Ken Kavanaugh designed 18-hole championship golf course pleasurable. more»
Palmbrook Country Club features a traditional layout with wide fairways lined with trees and large, challenging greens. Mature pines and eucalyptus trees are scattered throughout the course providing some challenges, but it is not a forest. There are numerous soft sand bunkers and timely doglegs throughout the front nine more»
Pete Dye and Perry Dye designed the golf course at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club. He incorporated some of his trademark elements including deep bunkers and mounding reminiscent of traditional Scottish courses that are reinforced with railroad ties. more»
Nestled in the desert foothills of the Tortolita Mountain Range, the 27 holes at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain feature dramatic elevation changes and stunning views. The Wild Burro/Saguaro golf course combines Nicklaus' favorite nine, Wild Burro, with the front nine of the Accenture Match Play Championship. more»
Legacy Golf Club’s championship course features lush, green fairways, forgiving rough and strategically-placed hazards. Dramatic elevation changes provide extensive views of nearby Camelback Mountain, Squaw Peak and the Phoenix skyline. The resort itself features 328 suites with kitchens, a practice facility, pool, fitness center and tennis court. The facility also includes a fully stocked pro shop and a golf academy. more»
Located in the North Tucson area, SaddleBrook Ranch Golf Club borders the Santa Catalina Mountains. The course meanders through the high Sonoran desert, incorporating natural washes into the design and providing stunning mountain views from almost every hole. Abundant desert flora and fauna further enhance the rugged, gently rolling terrain. more»
Apache Creek Golf Club features small- to medium-sized greens and tight fairways to challenge skilled players. The golf course, which opened in 1994, is considered "turf style," with transitional areas, putting a premium on accuracy. more»
Located just southeast of Phoenix in the town of Florence, Poston Butte Golf Club offers some of the most affordable golf in the area. The course has desert attributes but the best part about its design is that it is more forgiving than some of the overgrown desert courses found in north Scottsdale. more»
Located in Mesa and near Arizona State University, Arizona Golf Resort features over 12,000 square feet of meeting space and a golf course opened in 1960. more»
Make the trip out to Arizona for a golf vacation, and the Phoenix area will attract you like a magnet with its legion of golf courses and resorts, all fighting over your golfing dollar. If you are overwhelmed by the choices the Valley of the Sun has to offer, head south on Interstate 10 past Tucson into spacious, affordable Southern Arizona.
Following I-10 southeast, you will come to the southern most part of Arizona and Cochise County on the Mexican border. Summer temperatures are up to 15 degrees cooler than in Phoenix. In the winter comes frosty mornings and 75 degree afternoons.
The small towns of Southern Arizona have a certain charm large cities in Arizona such as Phoenix, Tucson and Scottsdale lack. No where is this more evident than in Green Valley, just 25 minutes south of Tucson. This "retirement" town is home to a handful of challenging, affordable golf courses including Torres Blancas, San Ignacio, Canoa Hills and Canoa Ranch.
South of Green Valley are two of Southern Arizona's most talked about golf properties - the Tubac Golf Resort and Rio Rico. Tubac, home to a U.S. Open qualifier in the movie "Tin Cup," is a classic Red Lawrence-designed course that winds its way around the lush turf of the Santa Cruz River Valley. Rio Rico is a classic Robert Trent Jones Sr. layout with a $2.5 million renovation that has given the resort a modern, pristine look.
Knowing it is easier to sink an 80-foot putt than to convince the millions of golfers in Arizona to head deep into the south, central part of the state, Turquoise Valley built a 727-yard par-6 monster to attract curious, heavy hitters. The original course was built in 1908 and is a integral part of Naco history.
Most of Southern Arizona is still at a lofty elevation of 4,000 feet. This means golfers of any ability can watch their drives sail through the lighter air for an extra few yards.
Southern Arizona also attracts golfers and tourists due to its rich American history. This includes Naco, home of Buffalo Bill and the first bombing by a foreign country in the U.S. The mountains around Rio Rico also served as a refuge for American soldiers during the Apache Wars.
Southern Arizona is home to some of the state's most intriguing, scenic and affordable resort and daily-fee golf. The stories surrounding the golf courses are often as captivating as the layouts themselves. Serious golfers and weekenders alike owe it to themselves to explore this untapped region of the Grand Canyon State.
Southern Arizona Frequently Asked Questions
What sets Southern Arizona apart from the rest of Arizona golf?
The towns in southern Arizona are much smaller and sparse. Golf is not found as much as the rest of the state, but courses reward travelers who make the trek down to the southern parts with much lower greens fees. Comparable golf courses in Scottsdale are usually at least $20 more.
How do I get to Southern Arizona?
Southern Arizona is accessible from Phoenix via I-10. Take I-10 southeast past Tucson all the way to Cochise County.
How is the restaurant scene different?
Chain restaurants are much less a part of the dining landscape in Southern Arizona. Most popular places serve authentic Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, but there is no shortage of Italian and American food.
Are Southern Arizona golf courses as crowded as the rest of the state?
It's a bit of a trek to get to Southern Arizona. But those who make it past Tucson and into Cochise County will be pleasantly surprised to see many golf courses in the area can be played without a tee time even during peak season. Play Southern Arizona golf in the summer and you may be the only person on the course, even at some of its best tracks.
Can I find golf resorts in Southern Arizona too?
Southern Arizona isn't viewed as a world-class golf getaway, meaning few golf resorts exist. Very few multi-course facilities inhabit the southern part of the state. Many one-course resorts are worthy of a stay, including Tubac Golf Resort and Rio Rico.
How hot does it get?
The highest temperature ever recorded was 127 degrees in Parker in 1905. More recently, Phoenix reached 122 degrees in 1992 and 121 degrees in 1995. But many areas of Southern Arizona are actually cooler than the Phoenix area because they're at higher elevations.
How much rain does Arizona get?
Precipitation varies according to elevation. In the deserts of the Southwest corner of the state, less than 5 inches fall annually. Most precipitation occurs during winter storms in December through March and summer thunderstorms from mid-July to mid-September. Summer storms provide up to 70 percent of the precipitation in the deserts.
Savvy Arizona golfers are quick to remind anyone who asks that the Valley of the Sun is like the Old Pueblo on steroids when it comes to fairways available for public consumption. But since the early 1990s, Tucson has made a respectable run in the realm of high-end resort and daily-fee golf. What's more, Tucson is not nearly as inundated with players as Phoenix or Scottsdale, and the Old Pueblo's lack of serious traffic issues will enable you to get from one course to another in a much more expedient fashion than in grid-locked Phoenix. ... full article »
Outside of Arizona, Prescott largely remains a mystery, its charming old-time downtown streets and its ancient Victorian homes almost as undiscovered by tourists now as Arizona was in general back before the gold rush boom of the mid 19th century. Not surprisingly, it's a few club-toting, birdie-seekers who are starting to change that. Prescott is emerging as a golf destination, a quality, lower-priced alternative to the crowded meccas of Phoenix and Scottsdale. ... full article »
Northern Arizona will never be mistaken for the Valley of the Sun when it comes to golf, and therein lies the beauty. At elevations ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level, the northern part of the state presents golfers with a completely different set of challenges, landscapes, and (for the budget minded) price points. ... full article »
There's no other way to say it: Scottsdale -- and in particular north Scottsdale -- is a golfing Mecca. Nearly 200 public golf courses have been built in the Valley, and it seems like 198 of them are in six-mile square radius in north Scottsdale. ... full article »
In Phoenix, golfers can play fantastic golf courses and without having to shell out nearly as much money as they would to play one of north Scottsdale's finest. In fact, rates at some of Phoenix's best courses can be had for as low as $50 in the winter and $20 in the hot summer months. Top plays include Raven Golf Club, The Phoenician, the Adobe Course at the Arizona Biltmore, and the Arizona Grand. ... full article »
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A list of the best dude ranches that offer golf has to include Los Caballeros Golf Club in Wickenburg, Ariz. Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin carved the course out of the rugged Arizona land in 1979. The challenge comes in elevated, fast greens and many bumps and humps in the fairways with a sprinkling of bunkers and lakes. ... full article »
The playable Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club -- one of two "Top 100" public courses at the facility in Fort McDowell, Ariz. -- will close later this year for an off-season renovation. Now is a good time to play this Scott Miller-designed gem. ... full article »
The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Patriot Course at The Wigwam resort in Litchfield Park is just 6,000 yards, but it is by no means a pushover. It loses much of its yardage on some short par 3s and a couple of short par 4s and the front and back nine are quite different. There are doglegs, trees, some large bunker complexes and plenty of water to challenge players throughout their rounds. ... full article »
The Adobe Course at semi-private Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix is a traditional parkland design with a smattering of trees, a few water hazards and bunkers. The traditional push-up greens remain, and many of the holes are parallel, making it difficult to lose a ball. ... full article »
Omni Tucson National's two golf courses feature completely different looks and feels. The Catalina Course is a traditional-style layout with gentle contours and tree-lined fairways. While Tom Lehman's Sonoran Course features a desert design. ... full article »
Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa lands on just about every list of top courses in Arizona; and while the course is quirky, unique and challenging it's more about the location. Las Sendas sits in the Usery Mountains with gorgeous views of vistas, with Red Mountain the star of the show. ... full article »
More than 150 years after the town's founding, there just might another gem in Wickenburg, Ariz.: It's been a long time coming, but Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club is finally ready for the public. ... full article »
The Lodge at Ventana Canyon in Tucson, flanked by a pair of gorgeous championship Tom Fazio golf courses, is now owned and operated by the well heeled members of the golf club itself. With only 50 rooms, the destination feels homey and personal and is a top stay-and-play option in Arizona. ... full article »
Each spring some 15 Major League Baseball teams come to Arizona for a month of Cactus League action. If you're going to be in Arizona checking out your favorite MLB team, make sure to have your golf clubs handy. There are numerous golf courses worth hitting that are close to the spring training homes of your favorite baseball team. Mike Bailey has more. ... full article »
If you're looking for a good time and hoping for a good score out on the golf course, head to Tempe and play either Rolling Hills Golf Course or Ken McDonald Golf Course. Both are ideal for golfers who prefer tennis shoes to soft spikes, card more double bogeys than birdies, and would never spend $200 on a round of golf. Neither will ever show up on any top-10 lists, but if you want to get some exercise and leave with some money in the wallet, they're a great bargain. ... full article »
by Ray Stevenson ( more )