The green fee is steep during peak season, but the customer service, course conditioning and stellar design (by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf) keep both layouts in the must-play category. Troon North celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015, with the Pinnacle and Monument Courses still setting a high standard all these years later. A temporary clubhouse (try the chili cheese dog) was erected last year, but it’s the views of the Four Peaks, Tonto National Forest, and Mazatzal Mountains that you will remember the most. The 7,229-yard layout was built to play firm and fast, and it can get breezy here 11 miles east of North Scottsdale. This 2006 Ken Kavanaugh design in northeast Scottsdale was known as Vista Verde until last year and Tegavah for a short period.
You may have already played Verde River Golf & Social Club, but under a different name (the course that is, not you). A new 12,000-square-foot clubhouse was unveiled in 2013 and has become a favorite spot for both visitors and locals. Phil Mickelson and some partners purchased McDowell Mountain Golf Club in north Scottsdale in 2011, making numerous improvements (such as wider fairways) that have been well received. Over at We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center in Fountain Hills, the Cholla and Saguaro courses are ranked second and third respectively on GOLF Magazine’s Best Public Courses in Arizona. You get five other chances at hole-in-one immortality here. The Sidewinder course is a mere appetizer to the main entree known as the Dinosaur Course, which comes with a rollercoaster rider of elevation changes, notably on the downhill par-3 fifth. That and the “Wicked Six” - the tough closing stretch of six holes which, except for two par-3s, play uphill in often windy conditions.The drama reaches a higher level at Gold Canyon, which has some of the most memorable landscape in the Valley. The up and down topography in Fountain Hills is what sets the recently enhanced SunRidge Canyon apart from other courses in the area. And try not to get distracted by the small planes taking off from nearby Falcon Field Airport - the fast greens require all of your focus. It’s a short drive from this Ken Kavanaugh design to their new minor league stadium that debuted last year. Don’t be surprised to see some Cubs hats around Longbow Golf Club in Mesa.
BEST TIME TO GOLF IN SCOTTSDALE PLUS
His work included contoured fairways that often funnel shots back toward the fairway, plus some elevated tees that provide memorable views of nearby Red Mountain. You can thank designer Scott Miller for that. Eagle Mountain Golf Club in Fountain Hills, which turns 20 this year, remains one of the more enjoyable places to play in the Valley. The Pete Dye-designed layout at ASU Karsten just 15 minutes east of Sky Harbor International Airport has long been home to the very successful Arizona State University Sun Devil golf teams.