Updated on November 10, 2026
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Scottsdale and the Phoenix Valley are among the top golf destinations in the United States, featuring desert courses open to the public: We-Ko-Pa, Troon North, TPC Scottsdale—host of the WM Phoenix Open and its famous 16th hole surrounded by grandstands—and Grayhawk.
A Quick Look at the Rankings of Golf Courses Around Scottsdale
10 courses shown.
| Rank | Golf | Town | Distance | Access | Green fee | Golf Digest | Golfweek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Saguaro | Fort McDowell | 24.6 km | Open | — | 20 | 1 |
| 2 | Troon North Golf Club – Monument | Scottsdale | 28.7 km | Open | — | 21 | 9 |
| 3 | TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course | Scottsdale | 16.3 km | Open | — | 36 | 3 |
| 4 | Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club | Maricopa | 48.3 km | Open | — | 37 | 4 |
| 5 | We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Cholla | Fort McDowell | 23.6 km | Open | — | 33 | 8 |
| 6 | Troon North Golf Club – Pinnacle | Scottsdale | 28.7 km | Open | — | 30 | 13 |
| 7 | Grayhawk Golf Club – Raptor | Scottsdale | 20.7 km | Open | — | 38 | 7 |
| 8 | Grayhawk Golf Club – Talon | Scottsdale | 19.5 km | Open | — | — | 5 |
| 9 | The Boulders Club – South | Carefree | 34.4 km | Open | — | 41 | 19 |
| 10 | Whirlwind Golf Club – Devil's Claw | Chandler (Gila River Indian Community) | 25.7 km | Open | — | — | 12 |
Distance as the crow flies from downtown Scottsdale. Green fee: public 18-hole rate published by the golf course (rates vary by season or day), as of November 10, 2026; “—” = not published. Ranking columns: the course’s ranking in each list; “—” = not listed.
Where are the golf courses around Scottsdale?
Click on a number to view the golf course, then click on its name to read its profile. Base map © OpenStreetMap.
Our Method
We’ve selected 18-hole courses located within a maximum of 60 km as the crow flies from downtown Scottsdale: courses accessible for a green fee (The Estancia Club, which is private, has been excluded). The ranking is the average of their positions in two national rankings: Golf Digest (Best in State 2025–26, public courses, May 2025) and Golfweek (Best Courses You Can Play 2026, June 2026); a course not included in either ranking is assigned the last place plus ten. Distances are calculated using OpenStreetMap coordinates. Green fees are listed only if they are published on the course’s official website (as of November 10, 2026). Quintero Golf Club, which would have ranked first, is 60.1 km from downtown Scottsdale: it falls just outside our coverage area.
Golf Courses in Detail
Architects, dates, access and green fees: official golf course websites and the rankings cited, checked on November 10, 2026; nothing is shown when the source does not say. Photos under free licenses via Wikimedia Commons.
1. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Saguaro
Rankings: Golf Digest 20 · Golfweek 1
⛳ Course: designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, desert
📍 Distance: 24.6 km (15.3 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Public Course (Ranked "PUBLIC" by Golf Digest and No. 1 by Golfweek among accessible courses in Arizona).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is about 35 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
This course, designed by Coore and Crenshaw, retains a traditional feel and is walkable, with wide, forgiving fairways. It is among the past winners of Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses ranking.
2. Troon North Golf Club – Monument
Rankings: Golf Digest 21 · Golfweek 9
⛳ Course: designed by Tom Weiskopf, desert (granite blocks)
📍 Distance: 28.7 km (17.8 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Course open to the public (PUBLIC, according to Golf Digest).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is approximately 37 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
This course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, pays homage to the British Open course in the heart of the Scottsdale desert. At the foot of Pinnacle Peak, it winds its way between enormous granite boulders that influence shot selection.
3. TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course
Rankings: Golf Digest 36 · Golfweek 3
⛳ Course: designed by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf, opened in 1986, desert (stadium course)
📍 Distance: 16.3 km (10.1 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Public routes on the TPC network.
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is about 25 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
It has hosted the WM Phoenix Open since it opened in 1986; Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish were tasked with designing a “stadium” course that would offer spectators a perfect view. Its 16th hole, a par 3 surrounded by grandstands, is arguably the most famous stadium hole in golf; Tiger Woods He made a hole-in-one there in 1997.
4. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
Rankings: Golf Digest 37 · Golfweek 4
⛳ Course: designed by Brian Curley and Fred Couples, opened in 2002, Australian Sandbelt
📍 Distance: 48.3 km (30.0 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: “Daily Fee” open to everyone (official website).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is about 40 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
Opened in 2002, the course serves as an annual qualifying site for the U.S. Open. It is located on land that belonged to the Ak-Chin Indian community prior to a 1912 decree.
5. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Cholla
Rankings: Golf Digest 33 · Golfweek 8
⛳ Course: designed by Scott Miller, desert
📍 Distance: 23.6 km (14.7 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Public course.
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is approximately 34 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
This course, designed by Scott Miller, winds its way through arroyos and ridges at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort.
6. Troon North Golf Club – Pinnacle
Rankings: Golf Digest 30 · Golfweek 13
⛳ Course: Desert (granite boulders)
📍 Distance: 28.7 km (17.8 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Course open to the public (PUBLIC, according to Golf Digest).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is approximately 37 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
Like its neighbor, the Monument, it is carved out of the desert, flanked by enormous boulders, with steep slopes; its par-3 16th hole is nicknamed “Post Card.”
7. Grayhawk Golf Club – Raptor
Rankings: Golf Digest 38 · Golfweek 7
⛳ Course: designed by Tom Fazio, desert
📍 Distance: 20.7 km (12.9 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Public course (official website).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is approximately 29 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
Raptor is one of only two courses in Scottsdale to have hosted a PGA Tour event—the Frys.com Open from 2007 to 2009. The NCAA held its men’s and women’s Division I championships there from 2021 to 2023.
8. Grayhawk Golf Club – Talon
Rankings: Golf Digest — · Golfweek 5
⛳ Course: designed by David Graham and Gary Panks, desert
📍 Distance: 19.5 km (12.1 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Public course (official website).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is approximately 28 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
It was designed by David Graham, winner of the 1981 U.S. Open and the 1979 USPGA Championship, in collaboration with architect Gary Panks.
9. The Boulders Club – South
Rankings: Golf Digest 41 · Golfweek 19
⛳ Course: designed by Jay Morrish, desert (foothills, rocks)
📍 Distance: 34.4 km (21.4 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Resort Course (The Boulders Resort), PUBLIC for Golf Digest.
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is approximately 42 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
This par-71 course designed by Jay Morrish winds its way through rock formations and rolling terrain in the foothills of the Sonoran Desert; here, you might encounter bobcats, coyotes, and peccaries.
10. Whirlwind Golf Club – Devil's Claw
Rankings: Golf Digest — · Golfweek 12
⛳ Course: Desert
📍 Distance: 25.7 km (16.0 mi) from downtown Scottsdale
🔑 Access: Public course (“public-access” according to Golfweek).
✈️ Airport: A car is essential; it is about 18 km as the crow flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX).
Just missed the cut
- Quintero Golf Club: Average 9 (would have been 1st) but 60.1 km from downtown Scottsdale (OSM coordinates of the route): just outside the 60-km radius. To be re-included if Fred agrees to a tolerance
- Verrado Golf Club – Founders: Average 33.5: 11th, tied with Devil's Claw but with a lower ranking (Golfweek 22nd vs. 12th)
- The Estancia Club: Ranked No. 1 in Arizona by Golf Digest but PRIVATE: members-only. The same applies to Scottsdale National, Whisper Rock, Desert Mountain, Silverleaf, Desert Highlands, and Desert Forest
See also
The Best Public Golf Courses in the United States
The Best Golf Courses Near New York
The Best Golf Courses Near San Diego
The Best Golf Courses Near London
The Best Golf Courses Near Paris
The 20 Best Golf Hotels in EuropeFrequently Asked Questions
What's the best golf course around Scottsdale?
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Saguaro (Fort McDowell, 24.6 km from downtown) tops our ranking, based on Golf Digest (Best in State 2025-26, public courses, May 2025) and Golfweek (Best Courses You Can Play 2026, June 2026). Access: Public course (PUBLIC according to Golf Digest, No. 1 on Golfweek’s list of accessible courses in Arizona).
Which golf courses around Scottsdale are open to visitors?
No specific conditions: We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Saguaro, Troon North Golf Club – Monument, TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Cholla, Troon North Golf Club – Pinnacle, Grayhawk Golf Club – Raptor, Grayhawk Golf Club – Talon, The Boulders Club – South, Whirlwind Golf Club – Devil's Claw.
Which golf course is closest to downtown Scottsdale?
TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course, 16.3 km as the crow flies from downtown (Scottsdale).
Which airport should you use for a golf trip to the Scottsdale area?
Most convenient airports: Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (AZA).