Headed to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area for the annual giant party that is the WM Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour? Maybe you scored a ticket to watch the Eagles square off against the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 at State Farm Stadium in nearby Glendale? Perhaps you’re one of the truly lucky ones planning to attend both?
Then pack your golf clubs because the Valley of the Sun offers plenty of great public-access golf courses. For most of the year, we recommend you start with these top 10 in the area. Of course, only nine are really options for the week of the Super Bowl and WM Phoenix Open, as TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course is booked to host the pros, but you get the idea.
Golfweek’s Best ranks courses around the world, utilizing a pool of more than 800 course raters. The most popular rankings list in the program is the Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts in each state. To analyze the top 10 public-access courses around the Phoenix and Scottsdale area, we started with those rankings for all of Arizona. Then we included only those courses within a 90-minute drive of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which sits about halfway between TPC Scottsdale and State Farm Stadium.
But don’t consider these your only options. Check out even more great courses in Arizona on the state-by-state public-access list. But be ready to pay a premium for a tee time the week of the Super Bowl and PGA Tour event, as many courses in the valley utilize fluctuating on-demand pricing all year, and all the courses will see a spike in demand on what will be the busiest week of the year.
10. Grayhawk (Talon)
Ranking in state: No. 12 public-access in Arizona
Where: Scottsdale
The drive: 25 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designers: David Graham, Gary Panks
Opened: 1994
More: Golfweek’s Best public-access courses in Arizona
9. Grayhawk (Raptor)
Ranking in state: No. 11 public-access in Arizona
Where: Scottsdale
The drive: 25 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designer: Tom Fazio
Opened: 1995
More: Raptor Course a true test for NCAA Championships
8. Troon North (Pinnacle)
Ranking in state: No. 10 public-access in Arizona
Where: Scottsdale
The drive: 31 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designer: Tom Weiskopf
Opened: 1996
More: Golfweek’s Best Top 200 Residential Courses
7. Troon North (Monument)
Ranking in state: No. 9 public-access in Arizona
Where: Scottsdale
The drive: 31 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designers: Jay Morrish, Tom Weiskopf
Opened: 1990
More: Golfweek’s Best Top 200 Resort Courses
6. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla)
Ranking in state: No. 8 public-access in Arizona
Where: Fort McDowell
The drive: 24 miles northeast of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designer: Scott Miller
Opened: 2001
More: We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort reinvents itself
5. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
Ranking in state: No. 7 public-access in Arizona
Where: Maricopa (m)
The drive: 32 miles south of of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designers: Lee Schmidt, Brian Curley, Fred Couples
Opened: 2002
More: Golfweek’s Best Top 50 Casino Courses
4. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
Ranking in state: No. 4 public-access in Arizona
Where: Scottsdale (m)
The drive: 23 miles north of of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designers: Tom Weiskopf, Jay Morrish
Opened: 1986
More: Check the yardage book for TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course
3. Quintero
Ranking in state: No. 3 public-access in Arizona
Where: Peoria
The drive: 50 miles northwest of of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designer: Rees Jones
Opened: 2000
More: Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Courses You Can Play
2. Wickenburg Ranch (Big Wick)
Ranking in state: No. 2 public-access in Arizona
Where: Wickenburg
The drive: 72 miles northwest of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designers: Wendell Pickett, Bill Brownlee
Opened: 2015
More: Golfweek’s Best Top 200 Residential Courses
1. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)
Ranking in state: No. 1 on Golfweek’s Best list of public-access courses in Arizona
Where: Fort McDowell
The drive: 24 miles northeast of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Designers: Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw
Opened: 2006
More: Casino courses around Phoenix/Scottsdale expand amenities
