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TPC Scottsdale
If you’re a golfer, you certainly know about Scottsdale, Arizona. After all, it’s the home of the Greatest Show on Grass, or as it’s listed on the PGA Tour schedule as, the WM Phoenix Open.
It can get pretty crazy there, but what’s not crazy is targeting the Scottsdale area for a golf vacation.
Simply put, this city right next to Phoenix is a golf mecca, with some of the best golf courses and resorts in the country, and a climate for much of the year that’s ideal. (Yes, we know it’s more than toasty during the summer, but you can find some great deals, then, too, and you might have the course to yourself since many of the snowbirds have left.)
There are so many reasons to go there, but we’ve narrowed it down to five. Take a look:
Incredible golf
If you like desert golf, Scottsdale offers the very best in the category, from Troon North to We-Ko-Pa to Grayhawk.
And there are actually some non-desert courses in the area that are pretty stellar, too. In fact, the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course isn’t a desert course. The site of the WM Phoenix Open is lush and pretty much wall-to-wall perfectly manicured grass. It’s really cool to play right before the tournament in December or January as they are putting up all the skyboxes, especially around the stadium hole 16th. TPC Scottsdale also offers another great layout, the often overlooked Champions Course, which is much cheaper to play and very enjoyable in its own right.
But the king of Scottsdale public golf is still Troon North, an exceptional 36-hole facility with two dazzling courses, the Monument and the Pinnacle. What makes them so unique is the topography with hills and greens complexes and bunkers that are both beautiful and sometimes confounding. The design by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish is pretty special, too. And both are terrific championship tests. There are some forced carries over arroyos, and you don’t want to spray your tee ball into the desert. The courses require accurate drives, crisp iron play, and a solid short game. N0w offering Toptracer on its driving range, Troon North with its unique clubhouse, great dining, and excellent customer service is a bucket-list experience. It’s expensive in season, but you can find some deals in the summer months.
Some will argue, however, that We-Ko-Pa with its Cholla and Saguaro courses, is right up there with Troon North. It’s all subjective, of course, so let’s admit an argument can be made for these Scott Miller- and Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore-respectively designed golf courses that are both beautiful and challenging. Each course is distinct and extremely memorable.
And there’s Grayhawk, too, a wonderful 36-hole facility that’s played host to PGA Tour events over the years. It’s classic desert golf.
And then there’s The Boulders, a 36-hole facility laid out among gigantic ancient rock formations (there are few of those at Troon North, too, but not quite as prominent and enormous.)
And one of our favorites is Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. While it isn’t in Scottsdale, it’s not far off in Maricopa, and well worth checking out. Like TPC Stadium, it’s not a desert course; this Brian Curley-Fred Couples design has a somewhat links-like with super interesting holes. Most recently, Southern Dunes opened its miniDunes short course at night, adding lights so you can play it into the evening.
And speaking of short courses, if you’re looking for an outstanding one, check out the Short Course at Mountain Shadows, located in nearby Paradise Valley. It’s 18 really good par-3 holes that you can play in just 2.5 hours or so.
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Grayhawk
Lots of terrific resort choices
Speaking of the TPC Scottsdale, a great home base for any trip to Scottsdale is the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort, which runs alongside the Stadium Course. There’s excellent dining, a large spa, multiple pools, of course, and rooms that overlook the golf course with great vistas of the surrounding mountains and landscape.
There are probably more than two dozen exceptional resorts in the area, and lots of really good hotels from which to choose, fitting a variety of budgets. The Boulders Resort & Spa — where you’ll find the two aforementioned golf courses — is known for its unique casitas, dining, and pampering. You could also base yourself closer to Troon North at The Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North. The suites there have private plunge pools. Or check out the luxurious Phoenician, which has its own terrific 18-hole course.
A favorite for families is certainly the Westin Kierland Resort, which has 27 fun golf holes designed by Scott Miller as well as plenty of other stuff to do. Among them is the Adventure Water Park, where there’s a 110-foot water slide, lazy river and Kierland FlowRider board-sport simulator (in case you ever wanted to try to get into surfing.)
This is just a small sample, of course. Other resorts include the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, Royal Palms Resort & Spa, Mountain Shadows, and Inn at Eagle Mountain, just to name a few.
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Troon North
Impressive dining scene
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but you won’t have any trouble finding a great meal, whether it’s at one of the resorts, a golf course, or out in the Scottsdale Quarter or Old Town Scottsdale.
For example, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants is La Hacienda at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. The fare includes incredible house-made mole enchiladas, fresh seafood, ribeye tacos, and lobster tacos.
Not far from the Princess is a fairly new restaurant called The Americano. The vibe is super cool, and the food is gourmet. It’s an Italian-inspired steakhouse that includes prime and American Wagyu beef, chef-made pasta, and delectable desserts. The cocktail menu is pretty inspiring, too.
Of course, you’ll definitely want to do a little exploring when it comes to food. You can do a “Foodie Walking Tour” in Old Town, where there’s something for everyone. And the Scottsdale Quarter has lots of great options. One, in particular, is Culinary Dropout, whose menu highlights include 36-hour pork ribs, Korean style ribeye cap and spicy vegan curry, and even Detroit style pizza.
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Boulders
You’re unlikely to get rained out
You can certainly get rain in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. There is a monsoon season, which generally runs in late summer. But nine times out of 10, it’s sunny skies and for the majority of the year, pleasant to tolerable temperatures. Even in the dog days of summer, if you get out early, it’s not too bad. Plus, the relative lack of humidity — it’s a dry heat, right? — makes it seem not quite as hot most of the time.
Granted, when it’s 110 F, there’s no sugarcoating that. The bonus, though, is that most green fees are dynamic, and during those months, the golf becomes very affordable, So if you ever wanted to play some of the best desert courses in the country, that’s one way to do it (just play early). Of course, the courses revert back to Bermudagrass then (some courses like Troon North have bentgrass greens year-round) , but you’ll still get the experience of some incredible layouts and beautiful topography.
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TPC Scottsdale Champions Course
Easy too get to, easy to navigate
Phoenix’s Sky Harbor airport is one of the busiest in the United States, and is a hub for American Airlines as well as a base for both Frontier and Southwest Airlines. That means there are lots of direct flights from all parts of the U.S. and North America. They are often very affordable, too. We took a recent flight from Houston to Phoenix for just $239 roundtrip on regular economy (not basic economy).
Also, when you get there, if you choose to rent a car, PHX now has a train that goes directly from baggage claim to the rental car center. No more waiting in long lines to board a shuttle bus to get there. If you belong to a frequent renter program — like Hertz Gold or National’s Emerald Club, for example — you don’t have to wait in a line at the rental car desk and can usually go directly to your car.
More and more though, you might want to ask yourself if it’s worth it to rent a car. On a recent trip, we used rideshare services, and it was definitely less than the cost of a rental car and quicker. Not only do you not have to go to the rental car center and drive yourself around, but you don’t have to return a car either, meaning it’s less hassle on your way out. And we never had to wait long for a ride.