The 10 Best Golf Courses in Arizona You Can Play (2026)

The best golf courses in Arizona that the public can play are We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Fort McDowell, Quintero Golf Club in Peoria and Troon North in Scottsdale. For value, Papago Golf Club is a City of Phoenix municipal course that hosted the 1971 U.S. Amateur Public Links.

The list at a glance

| # | Course | Location | Access | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Saguaro and Cholla) | Fort McDowell | Public | Walkable, natural desert golf | | 2 | Quintero Golf Club | Peoria | Public (daily fee) | A scenic former private club | | 3 | Troon North Golf Club (Monument and Pinnacle) | Scottsdale | Public | Classic Scottsdale desert golf | | 4 | TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course) | Scottsdale | Public | Playing a PGA Tour venue | | 5 | Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club | Maricopa | Public | Sand-belt-style strategy | | 6 | The Golf Club at Dove Mountain | Marana (Tucson area) | Resort guests and members only | A Nicklaus stay-and-play trip | | 7 | Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor) | Scottsdale | Public | A Fazio course with tour history | | 8 | The Boulders (North and South) | Carefree | Resort (public tee times) | Golf among giant boulders | | 9 | Sewailo Golf Club | Tucson | Public | A modern Tucson course | | 10 | Papago Golf Club | Phoenix | Municipal | Value near the airport |

How we chose

Every course here takes public tee times except Dove Mountain, which is limited to resort guests and members. We weighed rankings from Golfweek, Golf Digest and GOLF, design pedigree and experience, and checked facts against course websites in October 2026. Private clubs are listed separately at the end.

1. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Saguaro and Cholla)

Location: Fort McDowell, AZ · Access: Public · Holes: 36 (two 18s) · Designer: Saguaro by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (2006); Cholla by Scott Miller (2001) · Region: Phoenix-Scottsdale (east)

Saguaro is the only Arizona course on GOLF's Top 100 Courses You Can Play for 2024-25, at No. 61. The club reports that Golfweek ranked Saguaro No. 1 and Cholla No. 8 among Arizona's public-access courses for 2026. Two highly ranked courses on one property make it an easy base for a golf trip.

Coore and Crenshaw moved little earth, so Saguaro follows the natural desert ground. It was built for walking, with greens close to the next tees and push carts available.

Around the greens: Saguaro's natural contours keep working around the greens. Read the slope of the ground short of the green, not just the putting surface, before you pick a landing spot.

2. Quintero Golf Club

Location: Peoria, AZ · Access: Public (daily fee) · Designer: Rees Jones (2000) · Region: West Valley (Phoenix)

Quintero is a former private club that now takes outside tee times. Golf Digest ranks it No. 16 in Arizona for 2025-26 and listed it first in its 2025 guide to Scottsdale-area public courses. Golfweek ranked it No. 2 among Arizona courses you can play in 2025.

It sits about 45 minutes from Scottsdale's airport. It suits golfers willing to drive west of the valley for a scenic round.

Around the greens: Desert terrain rarely gives you a flat lie near the green. Set up for the slope first, then choose a landing spot; our guide to uphill and downhill chipping covers the adjustments.

3. Troon North Golf Club (Monument and Pinnacle)

Location: Scottsdale, AZ · Access: Public · Holes: 36 (two 18s) · Designer: Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish (Monument, 1990) · Region: North Scottsdale

Both courses sit near Pinnacle Peak in north Scottsdale. Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona ranking places Monument No. 21 and Pinnacle No. 30. Pinnacle's par-3 16th is known as the "Post Card" hole.

Weiskopf later returned to renovate the property, and forecaddies are part of the experience in peak season. Both suit golfers who want the classic Scottsdale desert look.

Around the greens: The greens are bentgrass, and a miss into the desert costs far more than a long chip. Favor the wide side of each green and leave room to land the ball on short grass.

4. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)

Location: Scottsdale, AZ · Access: Public · Holes: 18 (par 71, 7,266 yards) · Designer: Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish (1986; renovated 2014) · Region: Scottsdale

The Stadium Course was built to host the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open, now the WM Phoenix Open, and is open to the public the rest of the year. Its par-3 16th becomes a fully enclosed stadium during tournament week. Tiger Woods made a hole-in-one there in 1997.

Golf Digest ranks it No. 36 in Arizona for 2025-26. The sister Champions Course is more forgiving.

Around the greens: Don't assume your home-course pace on a tournament venue. Check speed on the practice green before you pick landing spots.

5. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club

Location: Maricopa, AZ · Access: Public · Designer: Brian Curley (Schmidt-Curley) with Fred Couples · Region: South of Phoenix

Southern Dunes covers 320 acres of Ak-Chin Indian Community land and reopened in 2010. Golfweek tied it for No. 5 among Arizona courses you can play in 2025. It is a U.S. Open qualifying site.

Golf Digest describes the design as sand-belt style and ranks it No. 37 in the state for 2025-26. It suits strategic players.

Around the greens: Sand-belt designs usually cut bunkers close to the putting surfaces. When you chip over sand, land the ball just past the lip rather than flying it to the hole.

6. The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

Location: Marana, AZ · Access: Resort guests and members only · Holes: 27 (Saguaro, Tortolita and Wild Burro nines) · Designer: Jack Nicklaus (2009) · Region: Tucson area

Dove Mountain was home to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship for six years. Golfweek ranked it No. 5 among Arizona's public-access courses in 2024, and Golf Digest ranks the Saguaro/Tortolita combination No. 25 in the state for 2025-26.

The resort says tee times are only for members and hotel guests, so plan it as a stay-and-play.

Around the greens: With three nines in rotation, ask which pairing you're playing and how fast the greens are running before you pick landing spots.

7. Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor)

Location: Scottsdale, AZ · Access: Public (daily fee) · Holes: 18 (par 72, 7,151 yards) · Designer: Tom Fazio · Region: North Scottsdale

Raptor hosted the PGA Tour's Frys.com Open from 2007 to 2009 and the NCAA Division I golf championships from 2021 to 2023. Golf Digest ranks it No. 38 in Arizona for 2025-26.

The sister Talon course, by David Graham and Gary Panks, is also public.

Around the greens: A course built for tour events rewards precise chipping. Pick a specific landing spot on each chip rather than aiming at the hole.

8. The Boulders (North and South)

Location: Carefree, AZ · Access: Resort (public tee times on one course each day) · Holes: 36 (North par 72; South par 71) · Designer: Jay Morrish · Region: North of Scottsdale

Both courses wind around huge boulder formations. Each day members play one course while the public and resort guests play the other. Golfweek ranked North tied for No. 15 and South No. 19 among Arizona courses you can play in 2025.

The South is the target-style signature course; the North has wider fairways and a demanding back nine. Golf Digest notes that wildlife sightings are common on the South.

Around the greens: The greens differ by course: bentgrass on the North and TifEagle Bermuda on the South after a 2022 renovation. Re-check green speed if you play both.

9. Sewailo Golf Club

Location: Tucson, AZ · Access: Public · Designer: Notah Begay III with Ty Butler · Region: Tucson

Sewailo sits beside Casino Del Sol in Tucson's Sonoran Desert. Golfweek ranked it No. 14 among Arizona's public-access courses in 2024.

It closed from September 14 to October 1, 2026, for overseeding and stays cart-path only through October 23. It suits Tucson visitors who want a modern public course.

Around the greens: Overseeding changes how greens and surrounds play for several weeks. Right after a fall reopening, test the speed before you commit to landing spots.

10. Papago Golf Club

Location: Phoenix, AZ · Access: Municipal · Designer: William F. "Billy" Bell · Region: Central Phoenix

Papago is a City of Phoenix course in Papago Park, just under two miles from Sky Harbor International Airport. It hosted the 1971 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Golf Digest notes major upgrades and that Arizona State's teams train here.

A 2018 clubhouse adds to the appeal. It suits anyone who wants strong golf at municipal rates, especially on an arrival or departure day.

Around the greens: On arrival day, green speed is the biggest short-game unknown. Spend a few minutes on the practice green with our 15-minute pre-round routine before you tee off.

Private clubs worth knowing

• Desert Forest Golf Club (Carefree): No. 8 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona ranking. Member invitation required.
• Desert Highlands Golf Club (Scottsdale): No. 9 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona ranking. Member invitation required.
• Silverleaf Club (Scottsdale): No. 10 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona ranking. Member invitation required.
• Forest Highlands Golf Club (Flagstaff): its Meadow course is No. 11 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona ranking. Member invitation required.
• Desert Mountain Club (Scottsdale): five of its courses make Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona top 30, led by Chiricahua at No. 12. Member invitation required.

Tips for playing golf in Arizona

• Plan around the seasons. Winter and spring are peak season in the desert. In summer, book the earliest tee times you can and carry extra water.
• Watch for fall overseeding. Many desert courses close for a few weeks in early fall to overseed. Call ahead.
• Know your greens grass. Arizona courses use both bentgrass and Bermuda greens, sometimes at the same resort. Our green speed guide explains how to adjust.
• Walk or ride. We-Ko-Pa's Saguaro was designed for walking; at The Boulders, a cart is included with the round.
• Add a northern stop. Sedona Golf Resort, set among the red rocks, takes public tee times.
• Desert golf beyond Arizona. Compare these courses with the best golf courses near Palm Springs and the best golf courses near Las Vegas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best public golf course in Arizona?

We-Ko-Pa's Saguaro Course in Fort McDowell is the top choice. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed it in 2006. It is the only Arizona course on GOLF's Top 100 Courses You Can Play (No. 61, 2024-25), and the club reports Golfweek ranked it No. 1 among the state's public-access courses for 2026.

What is the best municipal golf course in Arizona?

Papago Golf Club in Phoenix is the standout. The City of Phoenix course was designed by William F. "Billy" Bell, hosted the 1971 U.S. Amateur Public Links and sits just under two miles from Sky Harbor Airport. Phoenix City Cards offer discounted rates and advance booking for frequent players.

Can the public play TPC Scottsdale?

Yes. The Stadium Course takes public tee times for all but tournament week, when it hosts the WM Phoenix Open. You can play the famous par-3 16th, which becomes a fully enclosed stadium during the event. The more forgiving Champions Course next door is also open to the public.

When is golf season in Arizona?

In Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson, prime season runs from late fall through spring, when temperatures are mild. Summer is very hot, so play at dawn or head to northern Arizona. Many desert courses close briefly in September or October to overseed, so check before you book.

How do I handle unfamiliar green speeds on a new course?

Ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, ideally the Stimpmeter reading, and roll a few putts before you tee off. Faster greens need a shorter landing spot; slower greens need the ball to land closer to the hole. Our green speed guide explains how to adjust.

Find your landing zone on every green

From bentgrass at Troon North to TifEagle Bermuda on the South Course at The Boulders, Arizona's greens roll at very different speeds. Green speed changes where every chip should land, and it changes from course to course. ELZS (Essential Landing Zone Systems) turns three inputs, your distance to the hole, your club and the green speed, into the number of paces to land the ball so it rolls out to the hole. It was built by former teaching pro Chaz H. Smith and comes as an app for iOS and Android and as a waterproof pocket chartbook. Before your next round, ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, then look up your landing zone and chip with a plan.

Download ELZS for iPhone · Get ELZS on Android · Learn how landing zones work