Scottsdale

Customized vacations of the Scottsdale, Arizona area can be arranged. With almost a dozen area golf courses and vacation rentals, golfers can enjoy a great many course and lodging combinations—in some cases for groups of up to 100. Some of the top golf courses in Scottsdale include the SunRidge Canyon Golf Club, with a Keith Foster-designed par-71 layout set among the ridges and canyons in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. It’s listed on Golf Magazine’s list of the top 100 courses in the US and is the top-ranked daily-fee golf club.

Eagle Mountain Golf Club is another Scottsdale Golf Course set in the ravines of the McDowell Mountains. Colorized by dramatic sunrises and sunsets, Eagle Mountain is a beautiful Scott Miller-designed course, first opened in 1996. It winds through natural box canyons, rolling hills and lush desert valleys in to Sonoran Desert.

Legend Trail Golf Course in Northern Scottsdale has holes named “Water Chant” and “Painted Desert” and offers a 6,700 yard, par 72 championship layout designed by Architect Rees Jones, making it one of the signature golf courses in the area. It has been rated four times in the Golf Digest’s top 100 US golf courses.

Also located in the northern part of Scottsdale, Grayhawk Golf Club was built by architect Tom Fazio. Also known as the Raptor Golf Course to distinguish it from its sister course, The Talon, the Raptor offers a wild variety of holes, including their signature hole—a 174 yard, par-3 hole called “Aces and Eights.”

Rounding out the top five Scottsdale course is the The Phoenician , a 27-hole USGA championship facility with three memorable nines, named Canyon, Desert and Oasis. Each offers pristine views of the area with lush tropical scenery, water features and numerous other amenities that make golfing at the Phoenician a memorable experience.

Tucson

Tucson also offers a number of excellent Arizona golf courses with catered vacations, including the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa , a resort with a desert-style layout and a golf course with a dramatic terrain that challenges all skill levels of golfers. This Resort and Spa offers an Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Facility and a 27-hole golf course. The resort itself is a perfect family getaway and is adjacent to Tucson Mountain park for those interested in some of Arizona’s other outdoor adventures. The resort offers a 75-foot heated Olympic swimming pool, a whirlpool and fitness center.

Another Tucson area golf resort is the Omni Tucson National Resort . This is a premier golf course with traditional-style fairways and a bluff overlooking the lovely Santa Catalina Mountains. The 18th hole is rated as one of the most challenging holes in the US. Also offered is a desert-style target course designed by Tom Lehman.

Arizona offers year-round golfing in pristine settings with beautiful views and well-maintained courses great for women who play a hard round of golf or who just want to relax and enjoy the course. Many courses are associated with resorts and those that don’t offer nearby rental cottages or homes. Flights are reasonable so there’s no reason to keep the clubs in storage all winter long. For more complete information on Arizona, be sure to visit My-Arizona-Desert-Living.com.