It’s 77 sunny degrees in early February and the roars have returned to the WM Phoenix Open. There’s no vibe on Tour that matches the chaotic fun of the TPC Scottsdale. You know you want to follow in these famous footsteps—and you can. It’s time to scratch that itch and book a trip to the Phoenix-Scottsdale desert. With perfectly groomed, overseeded fairways glistening in green, mountains turning purple in the late afternoon light and the needled arms of Saguaro cacti beckoning, the Valley of the Sun offers a unique, memory-filled golf vacation for buddies and families alike. 

Wait one week and you can tee it up where Scottie, Justin, Jordan and Rickie just played. Wait two weeks and you can mix and match dozens of championship layouts with Cactus League Spring Training baseball. Whenever you arrive, you’ll have hundreds of golf options. If you have member connections, or are an incredibly smooth talker, don’t miss the aptly named private gems Desert Mountain, Desert Highlands and Desert Forest. For everybody else, here are the seven public must-plays in Phoenix-Scottsdale.   

TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)   

Back-slapping with your pals will reach its zenith at TPC Scottsdale’s par-3 16th hole, where Tiger’s 1997 ace in the Roman Colosseum environment still echoes. Equally dramatic are the island-green, par-5 15th and the drivable but dangerous par-4 17th, two risk/reward beauties that bookend the best stretch of holes at the biggest, loudest event in the sport, the WM Phoenix Open. Yes, the morning rates in high season run north of $500—and it’s a muni! Yet, as bucket-list courses go, it’s near the top of the list among courses that don’t overlook an ocean. And you can win back your green fees with one prop bet next door at the adjacent DraftKings Sportsbook, a first of its kind emporium which combines elevated dining, lounging and wagering. 

Grayhawk (Raptor)

Tom Fazio carved out Raptor in 1995 from the flat desert floor, but sculpted the earth to create artfully shaped contours, cavernous bunkers and propped up greens. The par-3 8th and the lake-guarded 18th, both boasting McDowell Mountain backdrops, will resonate long after you’ve left the property. However, you won’t want to leave without sampling a goldfish bowl-sized margarita at Grayhawk’s 19th hole, “Phil’s Grill,” named for longtime favorite son Phil Mickelson. Since its inception, Raptor has played host to dozens of PGA Tour and special events, with champions that include Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie and Mike Weir. Most recently, from 2021-2023 Grayhawk tested the best collegiate players in the NCAA Championship, where Stanford’s Rose Zhang and Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent were among the winners.

Troon North

Whether you’re aboard the Monument course or the slightly more walkable Pinnacle, you’re in for a wild ride at Scottsdale’s Troon North. In the 1990s, Tom Weiskopf teamed with Jay Morrish to craft the first 18, then did the second 18 solo. In 2007, they swapped nine from one course with nine from the other, so whichever course you’re aboard, you’ll get the width and playability that Morrish was known for and the drivable par-4s that Weiskopf popularized. Both courses meld seamlessly into a high-desert setting, complete with massive rock outcrops, cactus-framed fairways and Pinnacle Peak and McDowell Mountain backdrops. Pinnacle boasts more dramatic forced carries and deeper bunkers, but most memorable is the par-5 3rd on Monument, which sports a humongous boulder in the center of the fairway landing area. Stick around to sample the Brisket Chili and the Prime Rib Tacos at Troon North’s Dynamite Grille.  

The Boulders 

Architect Jay Morrish revised one course and built another in the late 1980s/early 1990s, resulting in the distinctive North and South layouts at the Boulders Resort & Spa in north Scottsdale, on the edge of the town of Carefree. Both courses zigzag through cacti forests and prickly desert shrubs and among the prehistoric, colossal rocks that give the resort its name. The North is more consistently strong from start to finish, but the cart ride alone on the front nine of the South is worth the price of admission. The greens at the first and fifth holes and the back tee boxes at 6, 7 and 8 yield in-your-face encounters with massive boulders.

On different visits, I have eyeballed bobcats, javelina, rabbits, roadrunners and coyotes here—no surprise for a setting right out of the Flintstones. The Boulders Club has a perfectly fine 19th hole, but to kick it up a notch, head next door to the Spotted Donkey at el Pedregal, a restaurant owned by the Boulders Resort. Feast on the Spotted Donkey Nachos appetizer—tortilla rounds, pork carnitas, black beans, roasted tomato and tomatillo sauces, queso fresco, crema and fresh jalapenos—and you can likely skip dinner. 

We-Ko-Pa

Located just east of Scottsdale on Yavapai Nation tribal land in Ft. McDowell, We-Ko-Pa delivers two superb tracks that zigzag through canyons, climb atop ridges and tumble down mountain slopes. Cholla, the elder sibling, is a Scott Miller design from 2001 and features the property’s two most scenic holes, the par-5 eighth and the par-3 14th, both backdropped by Four Peaks Mountain. Saguaro, a Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, is the roomier, more walkable of the two and relies on ground game options and ingeniously crafted green complexes to boost the challenge. With no homes or roads to mar the views, We-Ko-Pa offers the most pristine championship golf experience in the Valley. An outstanding 19th hole awaits, indoors or on the balcony, but if you’re feeling lucky, head next door to the Casino Resort for slots, table games, bingo and a sportsbook.    

Grass Clippings Rolling Hills

Perhaps the hottest course in the Valley of the Sun—or maybe we should say the coolest, given that’s it’s illuminated for night play—is the unusually named Grass Clippings Rolling Hills. Originally designed as a 1,597-yard, par-30 nine-hole course in 1961, Rolling Hills became an 18-hole executive layout in 1985. Along came Grass Clippings, a Phoenix-based modern golf brand, which teamed with Troon to renovate and modernize the layout in 2023, with the help of Jackson Kahn Design. In December 2023, Grass Clippings Rolling Hills became Arizona’s only fully lit golf course and the fun hasn’t stopped since.

The past two Februarys, Grass Clippings Rolling Hills played host to heavyweight contests among the leaders in the golf social media sphere, including this year’s clash under the lights in the Good Good GolfNow Desert Knockout, televised live by Golf Channel. A perfect venue for groups of all abilities, the site features elite topography, elevation change, desert landscape and cheetahs on hole 3 as the course neighbors the Phoenix Zoo. Community skins games, live entertainment a hilltop bar and a $45 green fee after WM Phoenix Open week add to the ambience. 

The Short Course at Mountain Shadows

The Rodney Dangerfield of golf layouts — “No respect at all!” — is surely the par-3 course. Yet, in today’s time-challenged, increasingly family-friendly environment, Par-3 courses can and should be compelling in their own right. The Short Course at Mountain Shadows checks that box. The 2,310-yard, par-54 layout dates to 1961, but it was reimagined in 2016 by architect Forrest Richardson. Nestled between Camelback and Mummy Mountains, Mountain Shadows features imaginatively crafted green complexes, many that mimic classics, such as the “Biarritz” fourth hole, the “Punchbowl” 10th and the “Dell” 14th, on holes ranging from 86 to 195 yards. The weekly skins game has hosted the likes of area residents Jon Rahm and Larry Fitzgerald and folks typically stick around because its 19th hole, Rusty’s, aces the ambience and beverage tests. The breakfast burrito, Rusty’s burger and the parmesan-dusted fries are standouts.