The Best Arizona Golf Courses You Can Play

When it comes to golf destinations, Arizona is tough to beat. With nearly 400 golf courses throughout the state, Arizona is one of the most golf-rich states and undeniably the best golf state in the desert southwest. We scoured the entire state to find the 10 courses in Arizona that you can play.

If you’re visiting the Phoenix-Scottsdale area, you simply have to play Grayhawk Golf Club. There is, perhaps, no better public golf experience in the area than taking on the Raptor and Talon courses, both championship layouts that test every aspect of your game.

Grayhawk is quintessential Arizona golf. The Raptor course is a Tom Fazio design and has hosted the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Golf Championships. Once upon a time it also was featured on the PGA Tour as host of the Frys.com Open.

The Talon course is slightly easier, but we’ll stop far short of calling it a cakewalk. Architect David Graham gives you plenty of target challenges to go along with beautiful desert views. Do yourself a favor and top your day at Grayhawk off with a sitdown at Phil’s Grill, the bar and restaurant devoted to Phil Mickelson.

Chances are if you play the famous Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, the decibel level will be infinitely lower than it is during Super Bowl weekend. The par-3 16th hole is one of the greatest spectacles in all of golf during the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open, with a raucous sea of inebriated fans creating what has been dubbed "the loudest hole in golf." As one of Arizona’s most famous public courses, why wouldn't you try your hand on a course that challenges the best in the world each year? Depending on the time of year you play, you could even play the Stadium Course with some of the surrounding grandstands in place.

The insanity of the 16th hole overshadows how difficult the course, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, actually is. Several holes punish even the best players, and for amateurs, this is one of the most difficult TPC courses out there. The Champion Course is the other layout on property and should be on your radar if you’re looking to fill another day with amazing golf.

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation owns one of the best golf courses you can play in Arizona, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. Fort McDowell is only 20 miles from Scottsdale, but it feels like one of the most remote areas you’ll venture to. The surrounding mountains and untouched land is a sight to be seen. The two courses on the property aren’t too shabby, either.

The Cholla Course is the more difficult of the two layouts, designed by Scott Miller. The other course is a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design called the Saguaro Course. Both tracks are cut into the desert and have beautiful 360-degree views of the surrounding natural terrain. If you’re looking to play a few hands of blackjack on your golf trip, look into the stay-and-play packages at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort.

If you fancy yourself a course condition connoisseur, then you simply have to check out Wickenburg Ranch Golf Club. Few desert courses have such lush fairways, tee boxes, and pristine green complexes.

The town of Wickenburg is about an hour northwest of Phoenix, so it’s an easy drive if you’re staying in the area. Big Wick was designed by Bill Brownlee and Wendell Pickett and hits you with incredible views of Prescott National Forest and vistas that are both dramatic and distracting. We love the fact that this course has six par-3s and five par 5s, which makes it a captivating match play course because there are plenty of scoring opportunities if you keep your ball in the fairways. Otherwise, make sure you pack a rock club.

Tucson is simply one of the best cities in Arizona. Aside from attractions and outstanding places to eat, if you play your schedule right, you can indulge in some spring training baseball and golf trip in one trip. Our favorite Tucson golf course is the Golf Club at Dove Mountain. This resort offers three distinct nine-hole layouts that epitomize desert golf.

The Saguaro/Tortolita combination makes up the front and back nines of what was the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The Jack Nicklaus design has plenty of stadium-style grassy areas where you can envision spectators watching your stellar play. Despite the fact that one of the biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour frequented to Saguaro and Tortolita nines, Nicklaus himself claims the Wild Burro is his favorite nine on the property.

We swing back around to Tucson to highlight Ventana Canyon Club and Lodge, where you’ll find a pair of championship courses designed by the great Tom Fazio.

The gem of the two is the Mountain Course, which presses against the Santa Catalina Mountains. The club offers a membership, public access and stay-and-play options if you’re looking for a five-star experience. The elevation changes around the Mountain Course range from subtle to extreme. The shortest hole is the most photographed which is the par-3 third, a 107-yard flip wedge to a green surrounded by rocks and pointy green plants that will indeed cause pain and suffering.

Out-of-towners might struggle a bit with yardage given the drop-offs and considering the ball flies further in the desert. This is truly an enjoyable course and it fits the definition of desert golf.

If you can’t tell that we like the Tucson area, you haven’t been paying attention. One of our favorite tracks is Sewailo Golf Course, home to the University of Arizona men’s and women’s golf teams. It’s consistently ranked among the best in Arizona and one of the best casino courses in the entire U.S. The Casino Del Sol Resort is one of the best attractions because you can walk from your room right out to the course.

The course is owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and was designed by Notah Begay III. The landscape is beautiful with arroyos and streams meandering throughout. It’s a challenge for all players, depending on which of the five sets of tee you choose to play.

Laughlin Ranch Golf Club is only a few miles from being eligible for our best courses of Las Vegas or California list. The course is near the Mohave National Preserve and is closer to Las Vegas than it is any major Arizona city.

The course, dining, and overall experience are first class in every possible way. After you spend a day at Laughlin Ranch, you’ll see why this semi-private property competes with some of the best fully private clubs in the desert. The green complexes are astounding and present some of the most difficult up and downs you’ll have in your lifetime. David Druzisky designed Laughlin Ranch and gave it some appropriate hole names like Hell’s Half Acre and Laughlin Thrill. It’s a hike if you’re staying in the main areas of Arizona, but if you find yourself in this unique tri-state region, it’s a definite must-play.