Scottsdale & Phoenix, Arizona
Luxury at very reasonable prices
The place
Unbeatable weather, superlative courses, and lavish but accessible accommodations make Scottsdale and Phoenix great destinations. Its desert-style courses combine a strong contrast between the green of the fairways and greens; and the yellow to orange tones of the roughs and waste areas. Find a wide variety of world-class quality courses, see the world's busiest tournament, tour the factories of Ping or PXG, and even fly over the Grand Canyon on a helicopter. This destination caters many irresistible attractions for golf lovers.
On the first weekend of February, TPC Scottsdale hosts the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open, also known as “The Greatest Show on Grass”. This is the largest golf event ever, with a Guinness World record of over 720,000 spectators during the week and 200,000 on a single day. In its famous 16th hole, a stadium is built during the championship and tickets are sold specially for this area that has a capacity of 22,000 attendants. This is the loudest hole in the world, known for celebrating and booing every shot. If you are visiting Scottsdale during that week, plan 10 months your golf trip in advance in order to secure accommodation and tee times.
Golf
TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
This is a “must” PGA Tour course on every golfers bucket list. Generous tees, pristine fairways, challenging greens that require extreme precision and great course conditions. Host to the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the largest crowd. The course is most famous for its par-3 16th hole that transforms into “The Coliseum” during the tournaments and provides fans with one of the most exciting settings in professional sports. The club also has another course called Tournament, which also has an excellent layout, features and less difficulty.
Troon North (Monument)
The Club has 2 courses: Pinnacle and Monument. The Monument is the most famous ultimate desert golf experience in the shadows of Pinnacle Peak with a visual sensation of the desert landscape. This is a high quality course, with greens that are more difficult than they appear and a nice tribute to St. Andrews in the final hole. Pinnacle on the other hand, is a parkland-style championship golf course has that has beautiful tree-lined fairways, and is typically less crowded.
SunRidge Canyon
With a magnificent layout nestled between canyon walls and the foothills of McDowell Mountains, this course fosters some of the the most picturesque and dramatic stretches of natural land in the Sonoran Desert. Featuring scenic elevation changes, natural beauty that is simply inspiring and the signature “Wicked 6” stretch that confront golfers with a devilish half-dozen holes. Made up of two par 5s, two par 4s and two par 3s characterised for a significant uphill climb and a breeze that blows down the canyon into the golfer’s face. The Pro Tip: choose the appropriate tees at the beginning of the round and bring the wicked six under control at the end.
Other recommended golf courses
Grayhawk (2 courses), We-Ko-Pa (2 courses), Desert Mountain. Scottsdale National, which is a unique private facility that belongs to Bob Parsons (owner of Godaddy and PXG).
Other things to do
Take a guided tour through the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, fly over the Grand Canyon on a helicopter, place your bets in one of the casinos at the Las Vegas strip, visit Rodeo Drive, Venice Beach and Hollywood in the LA area or if you are travelling during the winter months head over to Colorado or Utah and combine golf and snow in consecutive weeks.
Thinking about playing more golf: combine Scottsdale with Palm Springs, Las Vegas and/or Los Angeles and play some of the best courses in the USA. We also recommend visiting the legendary PING factory and the modern PXG factory.
Planning
Where to stay
Royal Golf Travel offers a variety of accommodation options, from houses to large mansions with: multiple suites, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, barbecue area and other luxurious amenities. There are also multiple 5 * and 4 * hotels or apartment complexes with amenities.
Time to book
If you are travelling between March and May or between September and November, 6 months in advance will be enough in order to book desired tee times. If are looking to attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open, planning should start 9 months in advance in order to book desired accommodations and tee times.
When to travel
Arizona has 8 very good months when it is best to travel and another 4 that are worth avoiding. In July and August, although the courses are in great condition the heat is overwhelming. In December and January temperatures can be very low and the days are short. We recommend going between the months of February and the beginning of June, or the end of September to November which is when the courses have new winter grass.
How to get there
Scottsdale has a small airport that mostly receives private jets. Consider flying to Phoenix and driving 35 minutes to this destination. Other popular airports close by are Las Vegas, Palm Springs or Los Angeles.
Testimonials
A souvenir of our unforgettable trip to Arizona
Benito R
Spectacular courses that have a mixture of furious green and desert
Norby E
The courses were a wonderful surprise, and they were in great shape
Gonza A
Golf in Scottsdale is superlative
Alberto N
We found Cabrera’s gold putter in PING’s factory
Gonzalo L
Amazing destination to combine golf and tourism