Best Golf Courses in Scottsdale Arizona

Photo by Keith Tanner on Unsplash

Scottsdale, Arizona is one of America's premier golf destinations — a desert landscape that produces some of the most visually dramatic and challenging courses in the game. With 300+ days of sunshine per year, exceptional course conditioning, and a concentration of world-class facilities unmatched in the Southwest, it's become a bucket-list destination for golfers from around the country. Here are the best courses Scottsdale has to offer.

TPC Scottsdale — Stadium Course

Home of the WM Phoenix Open — the most attended tournament on the PGA Tour — TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course is the most famous course in Arizona. The 16th hole, a short par-3 surrounded by stadium seating during tournament week, is one of the most energetic holes in professional golf. Playing the same course during the week before or after tournament week creates an atmosphere unlike anywhere else. Green fees run $200–$400 depending on season; the Champions Course next door offers a more affordable alternative at $100–$150.

Troon North — Monument and Pinnacle Courses

Troon North is widely considered the finest golf facility in Scottsdale. Its two courses — Monument and Pinnacle — both designed by Tom Weiskopf, wind through the high Sonoran Desert with dramatic elevation changes, saguaro cactus, and mountain backdrops that create a genuinely stunning visual experience. The Monument course (named for a prominent rock formation) is the more celebrated of the two, with forced carries over desert washes and precise approach shot demands that reward course management. Both courses are impeccably maintained.

Whisper Rock Golf Club

One of the most exclusive private clubs in the Southwest, Whisper Rock is accessible only through member guest invitations — but if you have a connection, it belongs at the top of your Arizona golf list. The upper and lower courses each play through pristine Sonoran Desert with the McDowell Mountains as backdrop, and the conditioning and service levels are world-class. If private club access isn't an option, the courses below deliver comparable quality at public rates.

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club — Saguaro and Cholla Courses

Operated by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, We-Ko-Pa (a Yavapai word meaning "four peaks") is the most beautiful public golf complex in the Phoenix metro area. Both the Saguaro and Cholla courses play through unmarred high desert terrain with Four Peaks Mountain as a constant backdrop. The design philosophy respects the natural desert landscape — fairways cut through native vegetation with natural desert waste areas that come into constant play. Green fees of $150–$250 make it exceptional value for the quality delivered.

When to Visit Scottsdale for Golf

The ideal golf season in Scottsdale is October through April — temperatures ranging from the 60s to low 80s with virtually no rain. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 110°F and midday golf becomes genuinely unsafe. If a summer visit is your only option, play in the early morning (courses open at 5:30–6:00 AM during summer) and be off the course before 10 AM. Green fees drop dramatically in summer, sometimes to $50–$80 at courses that charge $250 in spring.

Scottsdale golf rewards advance planning. Book your tee times three to four months ahead for spring visits, and consider multi-course golf packages offered by the major resorts — Troon, Four Seasons, The Phoenician — which bundle accommodation with preferential tee times at their affiliated courses.