Arizona Golf Course and Resort Reviews From Our Experts

7555 E. Eagle Crest Dr.
Mesa, AZ 85207 | View Map

Semiprivate/Public
Holes: 18
Course: Par 71
Rating/Slope: Black 72.5/145, Blue 70.8/135, White 68.7/129, Red 69.9/128
Range of Yardages: 5,100-6,914
General Manager: D.J. Sedivy
Cart & green fees: Fall: $79-$99; Winter: $119-$139; Spring: $99-$119; Summer: $49-$69
Course designer: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
Shoe policy: soft spikes only

Las Sendas Golf Club presents a formidable layout etched into the Usery Mountains east of Mesa, where carpets of turf roll and tumble through a master-planned golf community. Now under international management, upgrades to the course and facilities have preserved the world-class golf experience.

Robert Trent Jones Jr built this course in 1995, and many consider it his best work in Arizona. Generous landing areas allow every guest to put a ball in play off the tee. From there the game begins. With the sensible route from tee to green always in clear view, the more heroic options taunt the low-handicap gambler looking for shortcuts.

Las Sendas gets down to business on the 1st tee. The long dogleg par 4 makes a sharp right along the expansive lake. Most should negotiate the advised course strategy and steer clear of the massive signature fairway bunkers and mounding.

Las Sendas is challenging but not relentless. The front side works around Boulder Mountain, the dominating natural feature of the community. Holes 4, 5, and 6 play to elevated greens tucked into the boulder-ridden mountainside, lending the quintessential look and feel of desert golf.

Favorites on the back nine include Number 11, a 135-yard par 3 that plays uphill to the blind green set into Boulder Mountain. Number 12, a 440-yard par 4, plays delicately uphill and down on a narrow fairway to an open green sloped front to back. Number 18 is a prodigious double-dogleg downhill par 5. With ample room to stay dry, water threatens off the tee and a large lake challenges the green from the riskier shot across the water.

The club offers golf memberships for local and out of state visitors, and extends resident rates to Las Sendas homeowners. Three new restaurants in the renovated clubhouse—Viewpoint Patio, Rusty Putter Grille, and Bogey's Steakhouse—offer a place to reflect on one of Arizona's most challenging courses.

David Hubbard

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6262 S. Mountain Blvd.
Chandler, AZ 85249 | View Map

Public
Holes: 18
Course: Par 71
Rating/Slope: 71.7/124
Range of Yardages: 5,001-7,001
Director of Golf: Greg Avant
Cart & green fees: Summer: $48, Season: $108, Shoulder: $80
Course designer: Darryl Wilson/CMX Group
Shoe policy: alternative or spikeless

This golf club in the community of Solera offers memberships for both play and practice, and invites outside play. A day of golf at Lone Tree presents a return to the simple pleasures the game affords—intriguing challenges on a beautiful and well-maintained golf course, and camaraderie among friends.

The course plays 5,001-7,001 yards, which offers enjoyment for all levels of golfers. Fairways play through isolated corridors with water on five holes, best exemplified by the island green on the par 3 Number 12. The lakes on the ninth fairway and adjacent to the eighteenth green set up risk-reward options that require careful study and commitment before pulling the trigger.

David Hubbard

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11111 N. 7th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85020 | View Map

Resort
Holes: 18
Course: Par 72
Rating/Slope: 70/130
Range of Yardages: 4,557-6,535
Director of Golf: Jeff Raymond
Cart & green fees: $50-139
Course designer: Bill Johnson
Shoe policy: soft spikes

Set in the North Mountain Preserve, Lookout Mountain Golf Club is the centerpiece of the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, a Spanish Mediterranean oasis spread over the mountainside overlooking Greater Phoenix. Built in 1987 with the PGA Seniors Tour, resort guests and Phoenix residents in mind, Bill Johnston and Forrest Richardson fashioned a layout that both introduced the Sonoran Desert and offered resort-style respite from its harsher elements.

This Golf Digest four-star golf course begins in resort comfort and quickly transitions from palms and gardens to the indigenous saguaros and desert scarp. The challenges mount as the holes wind through mountainous terrain, culminating at No. 10, where hang-time drives must carry to the fairway nearly 200 feet below. Lookout Mountain tests both grit and skill, not unlike the wildest amusement park ride that starts out gentle and builds to the thrill of a double loop, but kind enough to return the player to a traditional finish on even fairways.

Late last year, as part of the Pointe Hilton environmental transformation aimed at water conservation, Richardson returned to remove three lakes and restore the layout to its original intent of a pure desert-style golf experience. Now at holes 15, 16 and 18, robust, visually appealing sand bunkers, native desert transition areas, extended greens and lowered tee boxes give players a straightforward view of the strategy and risk-reward options.

Several Lookout Mountain membership packages invite local golfers to experience the changes to the refreshed layout and experience its challenges on a regular basis. The value-packed Arizona Residents Club (ARC) offers membership privileges that befit avid golfers who play frequently. The $69 package includes one complimentary introductory round, reduced member and guest fees, USGA handicap service and the Tapatio Cliffs Rewards Program that awards points toward free golf in the peak season.

David Hubbard

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Resort
Holes: 18
Course: Par 70
Rating/Slope: Blue 66.7/128, White 64/119, White (Ladies) 68/126, Red 64.1/112
Range of Yardages: 4,464-6,016
Head Pro: Carolyn McMullen
General Manager: Dale Samar
Cart & green fees: $25-$139
Course designer: Bill Johnston
Shoe policy: alternative cleats required

Tucked in desert hills and ravines, this is the Southwest the world imagines. Original structures carried over from the property's role as a 1940s dude ranch add rustic nuance.

The course plays over an imaginative routing along Cave Creek Wash and through the Sonoran Desert. Shady cottonwoods counter the stands of saguaros, and fairways thick with sod provide safe passage through the rocks and crags. The overall challenge lies not in length, but placement and direction on tight hillside fairways. Rancho Mañana is an experience that truly represents golf in the Arizona desert.

David Hubbard

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6910 E. Williamsfield Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85212 | View Map

Public
Holes: 18
Course: Par 72
Rating/Slope: Black 72.5/123, Black/Gold 70.9/119, Gold 69.7/116, Silver 67.2/112, Jade 64.1/104
Range of Yardages: 6,916-5,231
Director of Golf: Erik Broka
Cart & green fees: Winter: $40-$70; Shoulder: $25-$45; Summer: $15-$35
Course designer: USAF Engineers
Shoe policy: alternative cleats required

Adjacent to Williams Gateway Airport in east Mesa, Toka Sticks Golf Club welcomes guests to a traditional experience on an affordable and enjoyable layout accessed south of Loop 202 at Power and Williams Field roads.

The Gila River Indian Community owns this venerable daily-fee facility, which takes its name from an ancient tribal game akin to field hockey. The original course dates back 60 years to the nine-hole layout the Army Corps of Engineers built for personnel stationed at Williams Air Force Base. The back nine, completed in the late 1970s, doubled the fun.

Fully grassed tee to green, the parkland course plays to 6,700 yards on level fairways guarded by stands of mature eucalyptus, mesquite, and palo verde trees that convey a relaxed atmosphere.

Though subtle, the challenges from this layout merit the attention of every player. Trees and overhanging branches define the strategy on most holes, namely the mesquite that guards the second green from the middle of the fairway. Trees stand at the corner of several dogleg fairways, guarding the approach to small, slightly elevated greens.

The course enjoys a reputation for its smooth and fast putting surfaces. The greens are open in front and allow chip-and-run approaches, while the distinct tiers on several greens demand a precise shot to the correct level. Water is in play on four holes—three in a row on the back nine. Sand bunkers are few and far between.

The course plays to par 72. The longest of five par 5s plays to 569 yards from the blue tees. The five par 3s range from 170 to 210 yards.

A hangout for junior golfers and beginners, Toka Sticks Golf Club offers the gamut of instruction by PGA teaching professionals from private lessons to clinics and camps. The practice facility includes two full-length holes. Several different memberships are available.

David Hubbard

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TPC Scottsdale
17020 N. Hayden Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85255 | View Map

Public
Holes: 36
Course: Par 71/71
Rating/Slope: Stadium 74.6/138, Champions 73.7/140
Range of Yardages: 5,455-7,216
Head Pro: Greg Wolf
Director of Golf: Bill Grove
Cart & green fees: Stadium $75-$299, Champions $60-$139.50
Course designer: Tom Weiskopf & Jay Moorish (Stadium), Randy Heckenkemper (Champions)
Shoe policy: soft spikes required

Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale and Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort makes an award-winning combination. The sum is an experience as serene as a Southwestern sunset or as spirited as the galleries that convene for the PGA Tour.

The stage is always set to deliver the sophisticated warmth equated with the Fairmont brand and a day of golf on a venue built to test the professional ranks. TPC Scottsdale hosts the venerable Waste Management Phoenix Open on the Stadium course, while the senior stars duel for their spot on the Champions Tour in the final Q-School qualifier on the aptly named Champions course.

Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed TPC Scottsdale in 1987 to expressly test the mettle of tour pros. The Stadium Course affords guests the thrill of experiencing firsthand why the winner of Phoenix Open invariably emerges on the final four holes, which includes the infamous hole 16 par-3. Complete with its own golf shop and patio grill, the Champions course offers a fairly level cruise through natural terrain and lush desert.

Fresh from a $55 million makeover, the 649-room Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has received its AAA Five Diamond rating every year since 1990. Along with iconic golf experiences, the Princess delivers on its promise to turn resort moments into memories that build from a meticulous blend of Southwest art and culture, the Sonoran landscape and refined urban amenities.

David Hubbard

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Public
Holes: 18
Course: Par 71
Rating/Slope: Tournament 70.9/118, Back 69.0/116, Middle 67.7/112, Forward 68.5/113
Range of Yardages: 5,297-6,846
Cart & green fees: Weekdays from $27 Weekends from $36 (November through May)
Course designer: Red Lawrence

Formerly Estrella Mountain Golf Course, Tres Rios Golf Course at Estrella Mountain Park is in trusted hands and coming back, which is great news for local golfers. In its nearly 50 years, this public Maricopa County municipal facility in Goodyear has ridden the highs and survived the lows, with the occasional renovation to preserve the intent of the original nine-hole layout devised by eminent golf course architect Red Lawrence in 1962.

Touchstone Golf Management has committed to a full slate of upgrades to thoroughly rejuvenate and maintain the much appreciated traditional flavor. Crews have trimmed trees, reconditioned playing surfaces, and cleaned up the rough and transition areas to highlight the comforts and challenges.

The 18-hole parkland course lies along the Gila River within the sprawling Estrella Mountain Regional Park in the southwest corner of the Valley, away from urban development. Tucked cozily into the desert foothills, this oasis insulates golfers from the desert environment, lending an opportunity to soak up Arizona's warmth and sunshine in the sanctity and shade of stately eucalyptus trees.

With the improvements that include expanded restaurant services, a day of golf at Estrella Mountain still remains one of the most affordable options in the Greater Phoenix area.

Each nine opens strong and finishes on a subtle rise to elevated greens. Still the layout plays across relatively flat terrain with challenges coming from lakes and strategically situated trees. The mesquite tree dead center in the first fairway will always guard the green and taunt the gambler on this par 5. Golfers may curse and wish for its demise as they shoot over, under, or around it, but if this natural obstacle ever disappeared they would pine for their old adversary. The same goes for the water on a couple of par 3s.

David Hubbard

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Public
Holes: 18
Course: Par 72
Rating/Slope: Championship 70.3/125, Middle 68.2/116, Ladies 70.6/115
Range of Yardages: Championship 6,744, Middle 6,236, Ladies 5,639
General Manager: Scott Jacques
Cart & green fees: $15-$59
Course designer: Brian Whitcomb
Shoe policy: metal spikes prohibited

Locals bring their friends to this familiar spread with new touches that make playing and entertaining even more inviting. No reason to get out of Dodge for a day of golf.

Here the game is as much about camaraderie as the shootout. Friends and associates may challenge one another on the golf course and battle furiously, but take it inside to settle the score over food and drink at Mulligans. In addition to the enhanced menu, this neighborhood bar and grill offers an unimpeded view of sports and news on a dozen new HDTV flat screens.

Western Skies Golf Club does not differ much from the player-friendly layout Brian Whitcomb designed and built in 1992. However, gradual enhancements over the years—particularly to the bunkers—along with the natural growth of the trees and shrubbery have made the challenge a little stiffer for anyone chasing a low number. The lengthy par 3s are as formidable as ever.

Recent upgrades to the look and feel of this traditional golf course in a desert setting have ultimately enhanced its playability. The sharpened definition between turf and desert lends a crisper appearance to the fairways. Pruning the natural vegetation has made play from the desert rough more manageable. A resituated and more efficient irrigation system has greatly improved overall turf conditions.

The renovated driving range and practice facility now features night lighting and an expanded hitting deck, plus a more complete short-game complex. With the range backed up to the restaurant entrance, play, practice, and relaxation at Western Skies have become one seamless golf activity.

David Hubbard

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Semiprivate/Resort
Holes: 45
Course: Par 72 (Cañada), 71 (Conquistador), 35 (Pusch Ridge)
Rating/Slope: Cañada: championship: 71.9/130, regular 66.9/118, forward 70.6/123; Conquistador: championship 72.7/126, regular 67.0/119, forward 69.0/121; Pusch Ridge: 65.6/110
Range of Yardages: Cañada: 5,093-6,626; Conquistador: 4,821-6,781; Pusch Ridge: 2,322-2,788
Head Pro: Matt Hudson
Director of Golf: Bill Chrysler
Membership: contact Michelle Keilen, 544-1910
Cart & green fees: phone for information
Course designer: Jeff Hardin, Greg Nash
Shoe policy: alternative cleats

In the Oro Valley area north of Tucson, the venerable Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort sits high on the western slope of the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2,000 feet below a mighty landmark, Pusch Ridge, in what has to be the quintessential setting for a luxurious Southwest getaway.

The nine-hole Pusch Ridge Course winds, dips, and climbs through a 175-foot vertical drop in the foothills. This daring 2,788-yard layout, set immediately adjacent to the resort, challenges all takers for a quick nine, and more often than not catches the most skilled players off guard.

Six of the nine holes play steeply either uphill or down, and the ones in between show a little movement as well. The 1st hole is a short par-5 dogleg left that requires little more than a fairway wood to start. And then comes the occasional water, such as on Number 5, where a pond nearly encircles the green from the front right.

After a few holes it becomes clear why the course record 32 is a mere 3 under par. There's been talk of building another nine. But more than a few players in Tucson claim that two turns around the current Pusch Ridge nine make one of their favorite 18-hole tracks in the city.

Seven minutes west of the hotel via hotel shuttle, the Cañada and Conquistador Courses anchor the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Country Club and remain a strong pair on the Tucson golf scene. Designed and built by Arizona-based architects Jeff Hardin and Greg Nash, the two layouts favor a traditional design style, considering their urban desert setting, where the inspiring Sonoran terrain still taunts. Both courses play through varying terrain, where fairways rise and fall through the shallow ravines unique to the area, with only a minimal number of water features on each layout.

Named after Cañada del Oro, the nearby river whose tributaries have cut a number of washes and arroyos through the property, Cañada has a more desertstyle design. Hundreds of mesquite trees line the fairways and protect greens on approach. And while the amply turfed fairways are wide and forgiving, arroyos and outcroppings manage to impede from the edges on more than a few holes. Half of Cañada's 18 holes begin from elevated tees with tactical vantage points and play to elevated greens, which afford spectacular views of the surroundings.

The Conquistador Course clearly lends a more traditional feel but still has picturesque touches of desert flora. Golfers still must contend with rolling terrain and the occasional side hill lie. The gently elevated greens have openings in the front, while the generous mounding to the sides and back put added pressure on pitch shots fired at the pin.

Resort guests may reserve tee times in advance. Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort operates on a semiprivate basis, and daily-fee play is available on a limited basis at all three courses.

David Hubbard

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Semiprivate/Resort
Holes: 36
Course: Par Catalina 73 (72 for PGA Tour) Sonoran 70
Rating/Slope: Catalina: blue 75.4/136, white 72.2/131, red 73.1/131, yellow 71.5/127; Sonoran: blue 71/131, white 68.4/125, red 67.5/119, yellow 64.5/106
Range of Yardages: 4,678-7,262
Tournament Director: Charlie Lujan
Head Pro: Matt Hudson
Director of Golf: Pat Miller
General Manager: Danny Goldmann
Membership: $32,000 initiation, $475 monthly dues
Cart & green fees: Summer: $70 (hotel and outside guests); Winter: $185 (outside guest), $165 (hotel guest)
Course designer: Robert Bruce Harris, Bruce Devlin (Catalina), Tom Lehman (Sonoran)
Shoe policy: alternative cleats required

The Omni Tucson National Resort has enjoyed a winning relationship with some of golf's great names over the past four decades. As the host course for the Chrysler Classic of Tucson starting in 1965, Tucson National has witnessed championship performances from many of the game's stars, including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, and Phil Mickelson.

Now Tucson National has added another big name to its resumé, but in a different role. Tom Lehman has designed a new desert-style course to complement the resort's traditional parkland Catalina championship course. The Sonoran Course made its debut in December 2005.

For more than a decade, Tucson National has offered 27 holes. The old Green Nine has been joined by an additional nine holes on an undeveloped parcel along the eastern edge of the property.

Lehman, who has more than 15 course designs or redesigns under his belt, has accomplished his objectives with the new layout. He is utilizing and protecting natural washes and native vegetation, while creating a seamless appearance between the two parcels by fashioning a layout that will require golfers to hit a variety of shots. The challenge comes from strategic fairway bunkering and greens that present a variety of approach shots.

Lehman turned the old 500-yard, downhill par-5 Number 3 hole on the Green Nine into two holes, a 175-yard par 3 and a "risk/reward" short par 4. "It made two good golf holes out of one bad hole," Lehman says. He also tweaked the championship course, moving and straightening out the par-5 Number 8 hole and relocating and lengthening the par-3 Number 7 hole. "The new Number 7 is 230 yards," Lehman says. "The course needed one lengthy par 3."

"With Tom Lehman's signature, the new Sonoran Course has become a muchin-demand destination for golfers," says Danny Goldmann, general manager.

Tucson National also boasted one of the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour. The 18th hole on the Catalina Course, a lengthy par 4 between two lakes, has decided many Tucson Opens. Years ago Palmer and Chuck Courtney came to Number 18 tied for the tournament lead in the final round. Both found water off the tee. Palmer made a double bogey and still won by a stroke.

Tucson National Resort was awarded 4.5 stars from Golf Digest 2008-09 for "Best Places to Play." The Four-star, Four-Diamond resort is undergoing a major multi-year transformation. Visitors to the resort will find a new golf shop, membership facilities, new restaurants, including an upscale chic steakhouse, and new mountain view guest rooms. From Legends Bar & Grill, one can watch others do battle with the famed 18th hole.

Jack Rickard

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Public
Holes: 18
Course: Par 71
Rating/Slope: 70.4/132
Range of Yardages: 6,486
Head Pro: Donn Hess
Cart & green fees: seasonal, see website
Course designer: Gilmore Graves Architectural Firm
Shoe policy: soft spikes or tennis shoes

Quarry Pines Golf Club offers a unique Arizona golfing experience—a countryclub atmosphere at a public daily-fee course, where Western hospitality combines with superior service.

Quarry Pines is not a long course, but it is challenging, requiring golfers to use every club in their bag. Dramatic elevation changes, stunning mountain views, 1,000 Mondell pine trees, mesquite trees, and desert grasses add to the natural appeal.

Golfers have a chance to make a splash on the 3rd and 4th holes. Tee shots on Number 3 have to carry past the lake, while approach shots on Number 4 play back across the water. After completing the front nine, golfers make their way to the back nine quarry experience.

Standing on the tee box of the 10th hole, players view the landing area on this short par 4 situated well below them. After driving back up to ground level to reach the Number 11 tee box, golfers will be stunned by the beauty of this 180-yard par 3. Picturesque Sombrero Peak provides a beautiful backdrop.

Players briefly exit the quarry with a drive through the pines, which brings them back up for the 570-yard, par-5 Number 12. Narrow and straight, the hole places a premium on accuracy. Number 13 is a 365-yard par 4 playing along the top rim of the quarry.

Then it's on to Quarry Pines' most picturesque hole—Number 14. From the elevated tee box, a drop of more than 75 feet leads to an island landing area. Players are again led through the pines for the 16th hole, a 560-yard par 5. Golfers may play their tee shot to the fairway or try carrying the quarry and a large bunker on the left side. From the fairway, golfers play uphill to the long, narrow green with the quarry running along the entire left side of the hole.

Quarry Pines Golf Club offers a mix of stunning views with 18 enjoyable holes, and a one-of-a-kind Arizona golfing experience.

Glenn Swain

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Resort
Holes: 27
Course: 72 (Saguaro & Tortolita)
Rating/Slope: 77.1/147
Range of Yardages: Tour: 7,849, Blue: 7,320, Copper: 6,811, Yellow: 6,334, Green: 5,283
Director of Golf: Jeff McCormick
Membership: call for information
Cart & green fees: $179 in season (Jan-April)
Course designer: Jack Nicklaus
Shoe policy: soft spikes only

A perfect storm rages on in the Tortolita Mountains that is blowing golf vacationers away. While most any track in this Sonoran reserve would attract attention, the expectations soar even higher in this rarified atmosphere where The Ritz-Carlton meets Jack Nicklaus. Add the aura of 64 top-ranked World Golf professionals finding their way into the desert to play to the last man standing, and the climate turns electric. What golfer doesn't dream of braving these elements?

Thirty minutes north of Tucson, this is the secluded resort that hosts the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, staged in February on the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature centerpiece. The three nines—Saguaro, Tortolita and Wild Burro—opened in 2009. Future plans for the addition of a fourth nine have been completed. Playing in 18-hole configurations from any of five sets of tees to maximum yardages of nearly 4,000 yards for each nine, guests can find their game or take on as much as they dare.

Set in desert elevations from 2,300 to 3,000 feet, surrounded by tall saguaros, this is quintessential desert-style golf replete with desert expanses and dry arroyos. Nicklaus challenges the storm chaser to muster the imagination and creativity required to keep the ball in play and light it up with low numbers. There is no room for complacency from any position, but to be fair he has shown generosity in the fairway landing areas.

Daunting white sand bunkers, grassy recovery areas, and the desert encroaching around the large greens, as well as dramatic undulations on the putting surfaces, mark the short game challenge. Nicklaus adheres to the strategic approach. Hit the preferred shot and be rewarded with an easier shot on the next. Dare to flirt with danger and trouble in the form of natural desert terrain, cacti, and strategic bunkering, and earn the satisfaction of playing in from position A.

The Tortolita and Saguaro nines set the stage for the Accenture Match Play Championship, though Nicklaus claims the Wild Burro nine as his favorite. In the championship configuration, the 219-yard par-3 12th plays from the highest elevation on the course and poses one of the stiffer challenges. A meandering bunker skirts the right side, while a devious pot bunker guards the green that slopes off front left and back right.

The gentle dogleg 583-yard par-5 13th offers some respite. With astute course management the bunkering is more directional than menacing. The only water on the course is in play on the par-3 Saguaro third.

Meanwhile, back at the 50,000 squarefoot clubhouse complex, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain has created a gathering place in natural lead stone and travertine brick that melds perfectly with its indigenous surroundings. In addition to services for golf and dining synonymous with the brand, the amenities include hiking and tennis, with plans for a formal swim and fitness center for the membership. The 253-room Ritz-Carlton resort hotel and spa encompasses 850 acres within the Dove Mountain community, drawing discerning golf vacationers, as well as inviting longer stays and Arizona desert living in the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Residences.

David Hubbard

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Semiprivate
Holes: 18
Course: Par 72
Rating/Slope: 71.9/131
Range of Yardages: 2,574-3,397
Head Pro: Kim Griggs
Cart & green fees: $69 in season
Course designer: Greg Nash
Shoe policy: soft spikes only, no sandals

The Views Golf Club, a Greg Nash-designed desert gem, is now open to the public. Sensitively and ingeniously crafted in 1985 to take full advantage of the twists and turns of Chalk Creek, The Views offers a challenging and intriguing round of golf. Built on 90 acres of rolling desert terrain, it features a beautiful mix of cacti, flowering plants, mature trees, and absolutely spectacular views of the Tortolita and Santa Catalina Mountains.

Starting with the elevated tee on the first hole, the player faces picturesque Pusch Ridge and a choice of clubs. Driver is not the automatic club selection on many holes. Split fairways, arroyos, sharp doglegs, and strategically placed bunkers and trees offer several risk-reward decisions off the tee. And then there's the approach shot to often well-protected, elevated and sloping greens. Be sure to pick up a copy of the golf course playing tips in the pro shop.

With five sets of tee boxes, The Views Golf Club presents a playable, fun, and fair test for golfers of all ages and skill levels. It also offers a full swing driving range and a complete short game practice area.

Bring your camera to capture the mountain views and all the desert wildlife: the blue heron by the water on Number 10; maybe catch a glimpse of the badger who lives on Number 2.

And when your round is done, plan on stopping at the locals' favorite, The Café, for excellent home-style cooking. Choose between indoor and patio seating, both with panoramic views of the mountains. It's the perfect ending to a fabulous golfing experience. Don't miss any of it.

Lee Shainen

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Public
Holes: 27
Course: 71/71/72
Rating/Slope: Otero Anza: gold 69.9/125, blue 68/116, white 65.2/111, forward 68.6/115; Anza Rancho: gold 71.5/127, blue 69.1/121, white 66.1/114, forward 69.5/121; Rancho Otero gold 71.6/130, blue 69.3/124, white 66.1/116, forward 69.7/115
Range of Yardages: 4,848-6,870
Head Pro: Bill Brooks
Director of Golf: Dennis Palmer
Cart & green fees: $39-$109
Course designer: Red Lawrence, Ken Kavanaugh
Shoe policy: alternative cleats required

For those who have not visited Tubac Golf Resort & Spa lately, this tranquil retreat nestled between the Santa Rita and Tumacacori Mountains has never looked better. The sunsets still fall like balls of fire from the sky, creating orange and purple majesty not seen anywhere else on Earth.

But changes have taken place at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa. Among the innovation and vision crafted by Ken Kavanaugh are nine holes seamlessly connected to the original 18 designed in 1960 by Arizona's legendary architect Red Lawrence.

The resort boasts hacienda-style guest rooms for the pleasure of those who choose to stay and play. Other amenities include boutiques as well as a 4,500-square-foot hacienda-style spa. Guests will also find the restaurants better than ever, as Stables has added a patio under the stars, and the new Dos Silos features savory Mexican fare.

It's all about blending the past with the future, says Mike Allred, president and CFO of Tubac Management, the developer that purchased the historic property in late 2002. "Tucson has some phenomenal resorts, but they don't have the exact feel, the setting, or the culture that makes Tubac Golf Resort & Spa so special."

Tubac Golf Resort & Spa dates back to 1789, when it was a cattle ranch on the first Spanish land grant in the Southwest. The property spans the ages in every way, from its 200-year-old Otero House and ranch buildings (of which many still exist), to its modern-day revisions.

Even before the expansion, the golf course stood as one of Arizona's classics, with beautiful bentgrass greens hopscotched among stately cottonwoods and mesquite groves. Lawrence, known as "the Desert Fox," carved 12 holes on the west side of the river and six on the east bank. Among the more memorable encounters are the par-3 Number 8 (Otero), which requires a long iron over a lily-filled pond and through trees that look like goal posts; the testy par-5 Number 4 (Rancho), known as the Tin Cup hole; and the 140-yard Number 9 (Anza), where an island green is a "dead-solid perfect" ringer for the famous 17th hole at the TPC of Sawgrass.

Of that terrific trio, the Tin Cup hole probably gets the most acclaim, as it served as one of the movie sets for the golf flick starring Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, and Cheech Marin.

Director of Golf Dennis Palmer points out that the current 18 holes play only to 6,700 yards when stretched from the tips. But the newer nine are much more demanding.

"For instance, we have a three-hole stretch on the Rancho nine—Numbers 6, 7, and 8—that measures 465 yards, 254 yards, and 651 yards. We call this threehole stretch the Tubac Triangle.

"The comment I hear most from our guests is that the course is very fair and user friendly. You can hit your ball almost anywhere, and still find it on the grass."

Bill Huffman

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