Arizona is a gifted golf state, with desert courses of all kinds to suit any budget or taste. Especially in the region of Phoenix and Scottsdale, there are miles and miles of fairways to welcome residents, visitors and seasonal snowbirds alike.
Tops among the public-access offerings is We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro Course, designed by famed architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. One of two courses at the facility operated by a casino next door, the Saguaro Course ranks No. 1 in Arizona on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for each state.
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Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with the list of top public-access courses among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.
Also popular are the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top private courses in each state, and that list is likewise included below.
Golfweek's Best public-access courses in Arizona
1. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)
Fort McDowell (m)
Book your round at We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro Course
2. Wickenburg Ranch
Wickenburg (m)
3. Quintero
Peoria (m)
4. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course
5. Golf Club at Dove Mountain (Saguaro/Tortolita)
Marana (m)
6. Ventana Canyon (Mountain)
Tucson (m)
7. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
Maricopa (m)
Book your round at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
8. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla)
Fort McDowell (m)
Book your round at We-Ko-Pa’s Cholla Course
9. Troon North (Monument)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Troon North’s Monument Course
10. Troon North (Pinnacle)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Troon North’s Pinnacle Course
11. Grayhawk (Raptor)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Grayhawk’s Raptor Course
12. Grayhawk (Talon)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Grayhawk’s Talon Course
13. Sewailo
Tucson (m)
14. Boulders Resort (South)
Carefree (m)
Book your round at Boulders Resort’s South Course
15. Tucson National (Catalina)
Tucson (m)
16. La Paloma (Ridge/Canyon)
Tucson (m)
17. Boulders Resort (North)
Carefree (m)
Book your round at Boulders Resort’s North Course
18. Gold Canyon Golf Resort (Dinosaur Mountain)
Gold Canyon (m)
19. Las Sendas
Mesa (m)
20. Papago
Phoenix (m)
21. Verrado (Founders)
Buckeye (m)
22. Legacy
Phoenix (m)
23. Whirlwind (Cattail)
Chandler (m)
24. TPC Scottsdale (Champions)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course
25. SunRidge Canyon
Fountain Hills (m)
Book your round at SunRidge Canyon
26. Starr Pass
Tucson (m)
27. Sedona Golf Resort
Sedona (m)
28. Camelback (Ambiente)
Scottsdale (m)
29. Wildfire at Desert Ridge (Faldo Championship)
Phoenix (m)
30. Los Caballeros
Wickenburg (m)
Golfweek's Best private courses in Arizona
1. Estancia
Scottsdale (T19m)
2. Desert Forest
Carefree (T47m)
3. Scottsdale National (The Other Course)
Scottsdale (m)
4. The Rim
Payson (m)
5. Forest Highlands (Canyon)
Flagstaff (m)
6. Whisper Rock (Upper)
Scottsdale (m)
7. Whisper Rock (Lower)
Scottsdale (m)
T8. Desert Highlands
Scottsdale (m)
T8. Stone Canyon
Oro Valley (m)
10. Silverleaf
Scottsdale (m)
11. Troon CC
Scottsdale (m)
T12. Mirabel
Scottsdale (m)
T12. Pine Canyon
Flagstaff (m)
14. Forest Highlands (Meadow)
Flagstaff (m)
15. Torreon (Cabin)
Show Low (m)
16. Desert Mountain (Cochise)
Scottsdale (m)
17. Flagstaff Ranch
Flagstaff (m)
18. Paradise Valley CC*
Paradise Valley (c)
19. Desert Mountain (Chiricahua)*
Scottsdale (m)
20. The Gallery (North)
Marana (m)
(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960
(c): Classic course, built before 1960
Note: If a course has a number in the parenthesis, that indicates the course’s ranking on either the prestigious Golfweek’s Best Top 200 Modern or Classic course lists.
How we rank courses
The hundreds of members of the Golfweek’s Best ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings.
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