By Matheson Real Estate Team
Scottsdale is not simply a great golf city. For many, it's the golf city, with more than 200 courses in the Valley of the Sun and a concentration of world-class layouts that rivals any destination on the planet.
Whether you are visiting for a golf trip or considering a move here, knowing the best golf courses Scottsdale has to offer is essential to understanding what makes this city so compelling.
Key Takeaways
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TPC Scottsdale: Home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open and one of the most iconic venues in professional golf, TPC Scottsdale is a bucket-list experience available to the public year-round.
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Troon North Golf Club: Two championship courses set deep in the Sonoran Desert offer some of the most visually dramatic and strategically demanding golf in Arizona.
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Grayhawk Golf Club: Two distinctly different daily-fee courses on a single property give golfers of every level a world-class experience in North Scottsdale.
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We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Consistently ranked as the top public course in Arizona, We-Ko-Pa delivers pure desert golf on tribal land with no homes or roads in sight.
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Golf and real estate: Scottsdale's golf courses are inseparable from its real estate market, and proximity to a great course consistently drives property values across the city.
TPC Scottsdale: The Stadium Course
TPC Scottsdale is the most recognizable golf course in Arizona and one of the most famous venues in the sport, home to the Waste Management Phoenix Open every February.
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The Stadium Course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish and opened in 1986 with a layout that challenges players through risk-reward decisions on virtually every hole.
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The par-3 16th hole is known as "The Coliseum" and is surrounded by temporary grandstands during tournament week, creating one of the loudest and most electric atmospheres in golf.
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The course is open to the public year-round, allowing any golfer to walk the same fairways as PGA Tour professionals.
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A second course, the Champions Course, offers a more forgiving layout suited to a wider range of skill levels while sharing the same conditioning and service standards.
TPC Scottsdale consistently earns its place among the best golf courses Scottsdale offers, and for most visiting golfers, it is the first name on their must-play list.
Troon North Golf Club
Troon North Golf Club sits in the northernmost reaches of Scottsdale, surrounded by dramatic rock formations and natural desert landscape that make this part of Arizona unlike anywhere else.
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The Monument Course is a par-72 layout stretching over 7,000 yards, featuring a signature third hole where a massive 35-foot boulder forces strategic shot decisions that players discuss long after finishing their round.
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The Pinnacle Course is a par-71 layout known for its elevated terrain, panoramic mountain vistas, and dramatic risk-reward design that rewards thoughtful club selection.
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Both courses deliver the quintessential Sonoran Desert golf experience, with fairways threading through saguaro cacti, native desert wash, and rugged rock formations.
Golfers who make the drive to Troon North consistently describe it as one of the defining experiences of any Arizona golf trip.
Grayhawk Golf Club
Grayhawk Golf Club has been one of Scottsdale's most celebrated daily-fee destinations since opening in 1994, built around two 18-hole courses that offer different playing experiences on one property.
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The Raptor Course was designed by Tom Fazio and plays like a lush parkland layout with wide fairways, crowned greens, and strategic bunkering that suits a wide range of skill levels.
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The Talon Course was designed by David Graham and Gary Panks and sends players into deep desert canyons with tight sightlines, dramatic elevation changes, and multi-tiered putting surfaces.
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The on-site dining, shopping, and practice facilities at Grayhawk are consistently ranked among the best at any public facility in the country.
Grayhawk has hosted a long list of high-profile events, including PGA Tour tournaments, the WGC Match Play Championship, and the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships.
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club sits on tribal land in Fort McDowell, just east of Scottsdale, and has been ranked the top public golf course in Arizona by Golfweek for 15 of the past 16 years.
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The Saguaro Course was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and is a walking-friendly layout that flows naturally through the desert terrain, with wide corridors, strategic bunkering, and no homes or roads visible from the course.
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The Cholla Course offers a more traditional target-golf experience with dramatic elevation changes and a design that rewards creative shot-making.
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We-Ko-Pa is one of the only courses in Arizona that does not use dynamic pricing models and does not trade tee times with third parties.
We-Ko-Pa belongs on every serious golfer's list of the best golf courses Scottsdale and its surroundings have to offer.
FAQs
Are the top Scottsdale golf courses open to the public?
Most are. TPC Scottsdale, Grayhawk, Troon North, and We-Ko-Pa are all open for public play. Some of the city's most exclusive layouts are private, but Scottsdale's public offerings are exceptional by any measure.
When is the best time to play golf in Scottsdale?
October through May offers ideal conditions, with peak season running from January through April. Summer rounds are available at significantly reduced rates, and early morning tee times make the heat manageable.
How does proximity to golf courses affect Scottsdale real estate?
Significantly. Golf course communities command consistent premiums, and homes with direct course access or mountain views tend to hold their value well through market cycles. Many of our clients identify their preferred course before they begin their home search.
Ready to Live Where Golf Is a Way of Life?
Scottsdale's golf culture is inseparable from what makes this real estate market so desirable. Whether you are drawn to the energy of TPC Scottsdale, the pure desert experience at We-Ko-Pa, or the dual offerings at Grayhawk or Troon North, the courses here set a standard that few cities in the world can match.
We're the Matheson Real Estate Team. Reach out today, and let's talk about finding you a home where you're always close to a great round.
We're the Matheson Real Estate Team. Reach out today, and let's talk about finding you a home where you're always close to a great round.
