Hello!
My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Scottsdale this coming year, around the end of May or first two weeks of June.
Neither of us have been out there before.. we are very excited for desert golf but would love some recommendations.
I took the liberty of sharing our excel sheet of what we've listed. 😂
I think the #1 course we both want to play is Quintero.
Thank you in advance!
by hvrobinson47
31 Comments
Played Quintero in November. It was absolutely stunning!
Recommend and never heard anything bad about Dinosaur Mountain
WeKoPa, Quintero and Ak Chin are my top 3. Gold canyon Dino is awesome too. Troon North monument is incredible, but is pricy.
Quintero is fun but I was a little disappointed in the conditions for the price. Greens were in pretty rough shape for an over $300 round. Pretty incredible views/terrain though. I heard they renovated recently so it may be in better shape now.
I played Grayhawk Raptor 15 years ago and I have been dying to go back
What do your B and C columns mean?
I’ve played almost all of these, several a bunch of times.
Greyhawk raptor is *very* difficult. The greens are all raised and fast. When I played it, I shot about 10 strokes higher than I normally do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great course, but woof. Talon is a must play.
Boulders is a great course, but I found it way overpriced for what it was, especially compared to Troon, Quintero, and Greyhawk. We haven’t gone back.
I would move Eagle Mountain and Sunridge up to right below Greyhawk, assuming this is roughly a rank from top choices to bottom. Sunridge cranked their prices up the last few years, though, so I haven’t been back. Eagle might be my favourite “mid budget” course.
Quintero, Troon, and Dinosaur would be my top 3.
Plus one more vote for Ak-Chin
Desert golf is unforgiving but beautiful! Although Raven isn’t dessert but it’s a cool course, unless you’re from Georgia or Carolina.
Dinosaur Mountain was really fun. Lots of elevation and fun holes. Worth the drive in my opinion. We ko pa is great too.
If you both are at least decent ball strikers, I would highly recommend Cholla. It’s more demanding than Saguaro, but it plays like a true target golf desert course and is a ton of fun. Saguaro is an awesome track, but it plays somewhat like a resort course in that it’s not very penal and straightforward to play.
Ak-Chin is a blast too, though a decent haul from North Scottsdale.
TPC Champions is a lot of fun, skip the Championship course as it’s forgettable.
Dinosaurs Mountain has some really cool holes as you’re going up or down extreme elevation, so that can be really fun once or twice.
Raptor is iconic but hard. If you don’t take shooting low scores too seriously it’s a cool experience.
The Faldo course at Wildfire is fun, Palmer is solid but not nearly as remarkable.
Would not recommend any of the courses you have highlighted in red over any of the ones I mentioned above, even considering the price differences.
Just wanted to add – this was not in any specific order or ranking, we just started listing courses so we wouldn’t forget what we had already looked at.
+1 grayhawk
I never understand why Quintero gets rated highly. It’s just “ok” has cool par three holes and that’s about it. Conditions the handful of times I’ve played it were never that great. Not horrible but nothing like you’d expect from such a “must play” type of course.
There is a lot better options with out having to drive 45-60 min out.
They have no club house. Shitty grocery store deli type food, out of a trailer pretty much.
The staff all the times I’ve been there seem to think their shit doesn’t stink also. But to each their own I suppose.
Wekopa courses were a blast. Highly recommend.
Boulders was the nicest overall food, facilities, etc. but the greens were crusty as hell.
Found a deal on Lookout Mountain and definitely worth a play at the right price point.
As noted, Raven isn’t your typical desert course but it’s a great track
Aside from being awesome courses, the vibes of Ak-Chin and Verrado are off the chart. Both have really cool outdoor dining, ranges, and short game areas that sent those courses over the top.
A solid “cheaper” course would be Dove Mountain
Slightly unrelated, but if you’re coming in May/June remember to hydrate a lot before your rounds. The desert is unforgiving and if you’re not used to it can really catch up to you fast. It’ll be hot around that time try to go early in the day if you can.
That out of the way, I personally recommend We Ko Pa, Dinosaur Mountain, and Troon North. Haven’t tried too many of your others but those three were great.
If you like water hazards, play Ocotillo, high quality and improved since Michelson’s group sold it.
Don’t sleep on Rancho Manana. It is short, but narrow with amazing views. The restaurant at the resort is also top notch for lunch on the patio after your round. Lookout Mountain is one of the better bang for the buck courses.
Quintero is a good course, but the temporary pro shop and restaurant bug me. If you are going to have a nice course, put in the money and do a nice facility. I would drive 30 minutes farther to Sedona at that time of year and play oak creek country club. Not a desert course, but definitely top 5 in the state.
Whirlwind Cattail course. They hold the LPGA Ford Championship
Can’t go wrong with either We-ko-pa course. Really enjoyed Quintero after the renovation and gold canyon Dino is awesome! Ak-chin southern dunes is a really fun course.
Played both talking stick and I’d say it’s a pass compared to other places around.
Played both Greyhawk courses and both a very nice, fun, and challenging. When you add the clubhouse and the bar restaurant near the practice facilities it’s a very fun experience. I’ll also add that I played for free and when I checked the rate I’d say I’d only feel comfortable paying about half that for what I experienced but ymmv.
Lastly the stay and play at the jw Marriott is very nice. Both courses are fun.
Loved Ak Chin, well worth the drive
You’ve got to do Quintero. I just played it in November. Best golf experience I’ve had by a wide margin.
I found boulder’s south to be beautiful, but incredibly challenging to the point of frustration. It did not help that my group was hungover.
Throw in Grass Clippings for a fun night par 3 round (this would be great in summer since it’s not as hot at night)
I have a discount card to Grayhawk and play there frequently – that’s definitely at the top of my last as far as North Scottsdale goes. Arcis bought them but they’re still in fabulous shape and are just great tracks. Quintero is and should be your #1. We-Ko-pa is a bit of a hike depending on where you stay, but definitely a great track and great experience. Year round good condition.
Would not recommend rancho manana they’ve let it go to shit the last few years, sadly. Red Mountain, Dinosaur Mountain, and anything Gold Canyon are sick tracks but just a far drive out from Scottsdale.
Troon are both badass courses and true desert golf. They play similar to a combo of boulders and we ko pa – fair, tough, but super fun. Expensive though.
Raven is a sneaky fun track but again a hike south. Kierland is also really fun, resort golf with 3 9s and pace of play is fairly quick. Good condition year round generally and great hospitality.
If you do end up wanting to play either TPC, I’d save the cash and play Champions not Stadium.
I would add seven canyons to the list
Camelback is awesome. 2 courses, fairly cheap etc.
We ko pa > Troon in every way AND it was cheaper both times I’ve been out there.
Have played Troon Monument, Raven, Talking Stick(s), Whirlwind, McCormick, and Eagle Mountain. I fucking loved Eagle Mountain and Raven, although the price tag on Raven was a bit steep imo. Absolutely skip Talking Stick.