PHOENIX & CENTRAL ARIZONA GORGEOUS GREENS BY TERESA BITLER Dramatic Sonoran Desert landscapes and year-round sunshine make Phoenix one of the best places in the country to tee off. While you have nearly 200 golf courses to choose from in the metropolitan area, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to play these top courses. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top golf courses, Troon North Golf Club features 36 holes of desert golf designed by Tom Weiskopf. Both courses wind along the base of Pinnacle Peak and offer views of saguaros and giant granite boulders. Owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Talking Stick Golf Club challenges golfers at all levels with its two courses: the longer O’odham Course requiring strategic ball placement and the open fairway, tree-lined Piipaash Course. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club at Fort McDowell stands out for its uninterrupted views of the Sonoran Desert. Tee up on the Scott Miller-designed Cholla Course where accuracy is key to a low score. Or, stretch your legs on the Saguaro Course, one of the few walkable courses in Phoenix. In Maricopa, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club ’s course ranks among the state’s best and stretches 320 acres — nearly twice the land of a standard course. Don’t let the wide fairways deceive you, though. Rolling hills and frequent sand traps will test your skills. From its elevated tees, Lookout Mountain Golf Club delivers panoramic views of Lookout Mountain, Piestewa Peak and the greater Phoenix area. But the 14-story drop from tee to green on the tenth hole is its claim to fame. Adjoining Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort offers stay-and-play packages. Lookout Mountain Golf Club, Phoenix 46 VISITARIZONA.COM VISIT PHOENIX
Arizona Official State Travel Guide Arizona 2023-24: Page 46
