One of the great golf destinations in North America — the Greater Phoenix/Scottsdale metro contains 200+ courses across the full range: TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course (home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, one of the largest attended events in golf); Troon North Monument Course in North Scottsdale; Whisper Rock; We-Ko-Pa; and municipal courses at Papago Golf Club for value options. Perfect playing conditions from October through April.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
The Greater Phoenix metropolitan area contains more than 200 golf courses — a concentration made possible by the desert climate, the flat valley floor that provides perfect drainage, and the population of winter visitors from cold northern climates who come specifically for the golf. The quality ranges from accessible municipal courses (Papago Golf Club, just minutes from downtown and ranked the best municipal course in America by Golf Digest) through resort courses (the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, the Phoenician Golf Course) to destination-level championship tracks that host professional events. TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course is the home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open — the best-attended golf tournament in PGA Tour history ('The Greatest Show in Golf'), held each February with an atmosphere more like a concert than a golf tournament. Troon North's Monument and Pinnacle courses are considered among the best desert golf experiences in the world. The optimal playing season is October through April; May through September is possible at dawn but the heat is extreme by 9am.
What Stands Out
- 200+ courses in the metro — the greatest concentration of quality golf in North America
- TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course: home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open — 'The Greatest Show in Golf'
- Papago Golf Club: Golf Digest's rated best municipal course in America — affordable and exceptional
- Optimal season: October–April · Dawn tee times possible in summer but heat is extreme by 9am
- Arizona Biltmore, Troon North, Wigwam — the full range of resort golf in one metropolitan area