3balls Golf
A few weeks ago we gave you a list of the top three best golf courses to visit while you were in Arizona, but like with our round-up of the best golf courses in Florida, we couldn’t just leave it at that. So, here’s part two of our favorite places to putt around in the American Southwest’s Grand Canyon State.
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, Maricopa
Southern Dunes is a relatively new golf club, constructed in 2002 with the goal of bringing the traditional feel of golf to the desert. Unlike many Arizona courses, the emphasis at Southern Dunes is on grass and trees instead of just relying on the ambiance of the desert landscape. The course is challenging and very large, nearly double the size of the average 18 holes. Southern Dunes also uses dynamic pricing, meaning you can get a heck of a deal on a round of golf during their slow times of the week.
Dove Mountain (Saguaro and Tortolita), Marana
Designed by Jack Nicklaus himself, Dove Mountain promises breath-taking vistas and challenging play on a landscape that rises nearly 1,000 feet from the lowest point to the highest. Saguaro is a Par 36 nestled in the gently rolling desert and serves as the front nine for the Accenture Match Play Championship; Tortolita is the back nine of that same tournament, but instead has widely varied terrain, with the third hole marking the highest elevation on site. Although Saguaro and Tortolita are among players’ favorite courses, Nicklaus favors Wild Burro and its incredible views.
Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor and Talon), Scottsdale
A great deal of care went into creating both the Raptor and Talon courses at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale. Both are considered among the best daily fee courses in the country, but each has a different story to tell. Raptor was designed by Tom Fazio, who turned a gently rolling piece of desert into a deceptively easy-looking course, with the wide fairways disguising challenging bunkers and difficult roughs Talon was a collaborative effort between PGA Champ David Graham and architect Gary Panks, and though it’s not meant to be as tricky as Raptor, it makes up for this with varied and interesting terrain, including box canyons and remarkable views of the McDowell Mountains and the Phoenix and Scottsdale skylines.
Settling on just a few of these remarkable courses to play during your Arizona vacation may be a difficult task you’re left to sort out on your own, but we’ve got you covered when it comes to your gear. Check out our huge product line-up at 3balls.com or drop us an email if you need some club recommendations for your once in a lifetime desert golf.
