The greater Phoenix–Scottsdale area has over 200 golf courses, but the five that consistently top public rankings are Troon North, We-Ko-Pa, Grayhawk, Quintero, and TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of what makes each one worth your time and money.
Troon North Golf Club – Scottsdale
Troon North has been the benchmark for public desert golf in Scottsdale since it opened in 1990, and it still earns that reputation today.
The club offers two 18-hole courses — Monument and Pinnacle — both designed by Tom Weiskopf and carved through the natural ravines and boulder-strewn foothills beneath Pinnacle Peak.
The Monument Course is the headline act. Golf Digest ranks it 21st in Arizona for 2025–26, and the layout earns that recognition through sheer character — massive granite boulders frame fairways, influence shot selection, and make every hole feel distinct.
The Pinnacle Course, playing to 7,009 yards at par 71, holds its own with severe elevation changes and long desert views.
Its signature hole, the par-3 16th nicknamed “The Post Card,” plays over water to a large undulating green and is exactly the kind of hole you'll be talking about at dinner.
Off the course, the facilities match the experience. The 37,000-square-foot clubhouse features stone walls, distressed wood finishes, and a full locker room with showers.
There's also a Callaway Performance Center on site for anyone looking to tune their game before or after the round.
A few practical things to know before you book:
- Peak season (January–April) green fees run roughly $200–$350+ per player with cart
- Summer rates drop considerably, making it a strong value play in the off-season
- Forecaddies are mandatory Thursday through Saturday from 8:00–11:00 AM during peak season; the fee is included in your rate, but plan to tip separately
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Fort McDowell
If one course in the Phoenix area has the most consistent hardware, it's We-Ko-Pa. Golfweek ranked it the #1 public course in Arizona every year from 2016 through 2021, and Golf Digest has placed it on its Top 100 Courses You Can Play list as well.
The facility sits on the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation about 30 minutes northeast of Scottsdale and offers 36 holes across two layouts — the Saguaro and the Cholla.
The Saguaro Course, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2006, is the one that drives most of the acclaim.
Coore and Crenshaw are known for routing courses that follow the land rather than fight it, and We-Ko-Pa is a strong example of that philosophy — wide, forgiving fairways trace the natural contours of the desert floor while 360-degree views of four surrounding mountain ranges (Superstition, McDowell, Mazatzal, and Four Peaks) fill the backdrop on nearly every hole.
The course is also genuinely walkable, which is rarer than you'd think in this market.
What sets We-Ko-Pa apart from most Scottsdale-area courses is what isn't there. No homes, no buildings, no development of any kind surrounds the property — just open desert, which gives the whole round a rare sense of space and quiet.
Wildlife sightings, including javelina, bobcats, rabbits, and quail, are common enough that you should actually expect them.
What to know before you go:
- Peak season Saguaro rates run roughly $130–$210 per player — more affordable than most North Scottsdale competitors
- Summer rates can fall well below $100
- The adjacent Fort McDowell Casino and four-star hotel make this one of the easier stay-and-play setups in the region
- Weekend tee times in peak season (January–April) book up fast — reserve well in advance
Grayhawk Golf Club – Scottsdale
Grayhawk has been a Scottsdale staple since 1994, offering two par-72 courses with distinct personalities.
The Raptor, designed by Tom Fazio, is the more decorated of the two — Golf Digest ranks it 38th in Arizona for 2025–26, and its résumé includes hosting the PGA Tour's Frys.com Open and the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships from 2021 through 2023.
The layout moves around natural desert washes and gentle hills, with firm greens and risk-reward decisions woven throughout.
The Talon Course, designed by two-time major champion David Graham and architect Gary Panks, plays just under 7,000 yards and demands precision both off the tee and into well-protected greens.
It also carries a fun footnote — Phil Mickelson honed his game here during his Scottsdale years.
Views of the McDowell Mountains and the Phoenix and Scottsdale skylines add some visual reward to what is otherwise a demanding track.
Beyond the courses themselves, Grayhawk leans into the experience. The driving range pipes in classic rock, there are multiple dining options on site, and the full-service locker rooms are well maintained. It's a complete facility, not just a place to play a round.
Practical notes:
- Peak season rates reach $350–$450 per player; summer rates can drop as low as $50–$100
- Both courses undergo annual overseed closures — in 2025, the Raptor closed in July and October, the Talon in late July through August and late September through October
- If your travel dates fall near those windows, confirm course availability before booking
Quintero Golf Club – Peoria
Quintero doesn't get talked about as much as the Scottsdale courses, but the numbers tell a different story.
Rees Jones's design in the Hieroglyphic Mountains northwest of Phoenix was named Best Public Course by both Golf Digest and Golfweek in 2017, and Golf Digest currently ranks it 16th in Arizona for 2025–26.
From the tips, it plays to 7,249 yards with a course rating of 75.3 and a slope of 148 — bentgrass greens, Bermuda fairways, and a layout that will test any handicap.
What makes Quintero genuinely different from the North Scottsdale options is the terrain.
The course shifts between mountain ridges, open desert, irrigation lakes, and natural washes, so no two holes feel like they belong to the same stretch of land.
The par-3s draw the most attention — the 6th and 16th both drop dramatically downhill with elevated tees framed by saguaro cactus and mountain backdrops.
On the other end of the spectrum, the par-5 8th climbs uphill with three large bunkers guarding the right side of the lay-up area, making it the toughest hole on the card.
Like We-Ko-Pa, Quintero has no housing development surrounding the course, which adds to the sense of isolation — in a good way.
That remoteness does come with one practical catch: GPS navigation is unreliable in the area, so calling ahead for directions is worth the two minutes it takes.
Before you make the drive:
- Peak season rates run roughly $120–$200 — among the most affordable on this list
- Budget 45–60 minutes from central Scottsdale; it's about an hour from Phoenix Sky Harbor
- A small number of casita rentals are available on site for stay-and-play packages
TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course
TPC Scottsdale is the most famous course on this list, and the most expensive. Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, the Stadium Course is home to the WM Phoenix Open — the PGA Tour stop that draws the largest crowds of any golf event in the world.
Renovated in 2014, it plays to 7,216 yards at par 71 and is maintained to PGA Tour standards year-round. Golf Advisor ranked it the #1 public course in Arizona in 2023 and #10 in 2024.
Most people know this course for the par-3 16th, and for good reason.
During the WM Phoenix Open, the hole transforms into “The Coliseum” — a stadium-style amphitheater that creates one of the loudest and most electric atmospheres in professional sports.
Eleven players have made a hole-in-one there during tournament play, including Tiger Woods in 1997, which directly inspired the grandstand construction.
The rest of the year, you're playing the same hole in near silence, which is its own kind of experience. The back nine as a whole is worth the green fee — the closing stretch delivers some of the most memorable finishing holes in public golf.
The fairways are more forgiving than many desert courses, which makes the Stadium Course accessible across a range of handicaps without sacrificing challenge.
What to budget and plan for:
- Peak season rates run $379–$550+ per player, making this the priciest option on the list
- Forecaddies are complimentary from November 15 through April 15; gratuity is expected
- Playing just before or after the WM Phoenix Open (held in early February) lets you see the grandstands and tournament infrastructure still in place — without the 200,000-person crowd
- Book as early as possible for peak season tee times; this one fills up fast
How to Choose the Right Course for Your Trip
With five strong options across different price points and settings, the right choice mostly comes down to budget, location, and what kind of round you're after.
By budget, the range is wide. Quintero and We-Ko-Pa are the most wallet-friendly at peak season rates of roughly $120–$210, while Troon North and Grayhawk sit in the middle at $200–$450.
TPC Scottsdale stands alone at the top — $379 on the low end, $550+ at peak. If you're planning a multi-course trip, mixing one or two premium rounds with a more affordable option like Quintero is a smart way to stretch the budget without sacrificing quality.
By experience, each course has a clear identity:
- Best for pure scenery: Quintero and We-Ko-Pa, both of which offer uninterrupted desert and mountain views with no surrounding development
- Best bucket-list value: TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course — playing a PGA Tour venue with that kind of history is hard to replicate anywhere
- Best all-around facility: Grayhawk, for golfers who want top-tier courses plus a full day's worth of amenities
By location, TPC Scottsdale and Grayhawk are the most convenient from Phoenix Sky Harbor, sitting roughly 30–40 minutes north. Quintero requires the longest commitment at 45–60 minutes from central Scottsdale, though the drive through the desert is part of the appeal.
If a stay-and-play setup matters to you, We-Ko-Pa has the most seamless option with its adjacent casino and four-star hotel. Quintero offers a handful of casita rentals within the surrounding community for a quieter, more remote experience.
One tip that applies across all five: peak season runs January through April, and tee times — especially on weekends — go fast. Book as far ahead as possible during that window. If your schedule is flexible, summer rounds at every course on this list come at a significant discount, sometimes less than half the peak rate.
Conclusion
Phoenix and Scottsdale offer some of the best public golf in the country, and these five courses represent the top of that range across different budgets, settings, and experiences.
Whether you're after the prestige of TPC Scottsdale, the raw desert scenery at Quintero, or the award-winning layouts at We-Ko-Pa, there's a round here worth making the trip for.
Book early, consider the season, and you'll have a hard time going wrong with any of them.
