Courses
The 25 best courses you can play in Scottsdale
In recent years, the greater Phoenix-Scottsdale area has been among the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States. Golf has certainly kept up with the influx of people to the region, and with over 200 courses in the Scottsdale area, it’s firmly in the running for the best golf destination in the U.S.
A golf trip to The Grand Canyon State not only includes some great golf on scenic desert layouts, but Old Town Scottsdale—the city’s downtown area—boasts some bustling nightlife, perfect for unwinding after a day on the course.
As for the golf, many of Arizona’s best public tracks are located in and around Scottsdale. This collection of best courses you can play in Scottsdale includes a 100 Greatest Public member, a famed PGA Tour host and plenty of other must-plays featured on our Best in Arizona list. We also include several hidden gems that are occasionally overlooked given their proximity to the city center but are well worth the short drive.
Scroll on to read more about the best public golf courses in Scottsdale. Click around to explore our new, searchable Places to Play hub, complete with courses reviews from our panelists.
(Note: It's worth noting that Quintero is about 45 minutes from Scottsdale's airport, so while it may not fit into everyone's itinerary, it's a must-play if you've got the time. If you're able to get to Quintero, it's worth heading another 30 minutes up the road to play Wickenburg Ranch, a current member of our Best in Arizona.)
From Golf Digest Architecture Editor emeritus Ron Whitten: Every so often I come across a golf hole so compelling that it overshadows my memory of every other hole on the course. The par-5 18th at The Victory at Verrado is such a hole. It’s a dogleg right from the back tee (590 yards) over an irrigation pond (not really in play for big hitters) to a wide diagonal fairway with a rock escarpment on the left. The second shot is uphill to a green that’s tucked into a box canyon and protected front right by boulder outcroppings. It’s an unusual hole visually, the first hole you see driving up the street toward the course entrance, and it sets the tone for this very unusual course that was built partly on the site of an old Caterpillar Tractor testing grounds where operators learned to shove around chunks of rock using D-9 dozers.