AZ Golf Guides

GREATER PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE & CENTRAL AZ

TPC Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE AZ GOLF

Set in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by the majestic McDowell Mountains, the PGA TOUR’s TPC Scottsdale offers an unbeatable combination: Two spectacular championship layouts, a myriad of world-class amenities, and the unique opportunity for daily-fee golfers to test their skills on the same playing field where the world’s best golfers compete.

Named one of the Top 10 Public Golf Courses in Arizona by Golf Digest and among the Top 50 Golf and Resort Destinations in the World by Condé Nast Traveler, TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course was designed by the prolific design team of Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf in 1987, to serve as the new home of the FBR Open. For the 51 weeks of the year the tournament is not in play, golfers can experience “a day in the life” of a PGA TOUR professional by testing their mettle on the same immaculately manicured, superbly maintained layout, replete with forced carries, 72 deep and strategically placed bunkers, twisting greens, and other diverse and challenging design elements.

While meandering over several hundred acres of native desert, the Stadium Course features only 110 acres of irrigated land. Lush green parcels of manicured turf are woven throughout a rugged tapestry of arroyos, cacti, and other natural features. The front nine offers many defining moments, with the first significant challenge getting past the fairway bunkers on the long, par-5 Number 3 and crossing over the creek to the elevated green. The par-3 Number 12 is similarly daunting, as is the 13th hole, where a natural desert island divides the fairway. The finishing stretch features a quartet of high risk/reward beauties including the scenic par-5 Number 15 with a stunning island green, the renowned short 332-yard, par-4 Number 17, and the dramatic 438-yard, par-4 Number 18 with a lake along the left and sand on the right.

Equally challenging and picturesque is the Champions Course, scheduled to open in November 2007. The former Desert Course is being completely rebuilt under the direction of golf course architect Randy Heckenkemper, who served as part of Tom Weiskopf’s original design team 20 years ago. Overall, the course will be lengthened to approximately 7,100 yards (from 6,423 yards), with the 17th hole increasing from a par 4 to a par 5, returning the course to championship level with a par of 71.

A true desert-style layout, the Champions Course features five par 3s and a diverse variety of par 4s ranging from the 5th hole, playing 480 yards from the back tees to a split fairway, to the 15th, a short 310 yards if golfers choose to go directly for the green. The course finishes par 3, par 5, and par 4, creating a dramatic ending to this exciting layout, offering a magnificent challenge for golfers of all skill levels.

Certified as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Systems for their exceptional environmental stewardship, both courses offer an array of amenities. The Stadium Course’s expansive, elegantly appointed traditional clubhouse features fine dining—The Grill, ranked the Number 1 steak and seafood eatery in Arizona by Condé Nast Traveler. A full-service golf shop, named among America’s 100 Best Golf Shops by Golf Shop Operations, rounds out the mix.