Best Public Golf in Phoenix and Scottsdale
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro in Fort McDowell is the best public golf course in Phoenix and Scottsdale, ranked 93.0 on BogeyMap LooperScore. It is a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design from 2006, genuinely walkable with caddies available, and there is no housing or development visible from anywhere on the course.
The other thing to know before you book anything is that the word resort on a course name here does not mean what you think it means. Nearly every marquee course in the Valley takes public tee times. Troon North, TPC Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa, Grayhawk, Kierland, the Phoenician, you can book all of them without staying anywhere.
Access is rarely the problem. Price and tee time availability are.
So this is a sorting job. Ten courses, ranked by BogeyMap LooperScore, that are actually worth your day if you are visiting and you only have a few rounds. The desert golf here is real target golf.
Miss a fairway and your ball is in the desert, and the desert does not give it back. The best courses are the ones that give you room to play golf instead of just aiming at flags, and the best of them all is the one with no houses on it at all.
Premier Public Destinations
Yes. You do not have to stay at a resort to play Troon North Monument, TPC Scottsdale Stadium, We-Ko-Pa Cholla, Kierland, or the Phoenician. Public tee times are available at all five, with no resort stay required.
1. We-Ko-Pa Saguaro, Fort McDowell, 93.0
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw opened this in 2006 on Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land, northeast of Scottsdale, as the second course at We-Ko-Pa. There is no housing and no development of any kind visible from the course, which is unusual in the Phoenix area, and the routing was laid out to stay on the natural desert grade. Fairways run into one another, the transitions to native desert are ragged rather than manicured, and the greens are open in front so the ball can be played along the ground.
Par 72, 6,966 yards. It is genuinely walkable, which almost no desert course is, and caddies are available. This is the best public course in the Valley, and it is not close.
We-Ko-Pa posts resort rates of $329 to $359 per round from January 8 through April 25, 2027, before 9% sales tax. Arizona resident rates are separate.
2. Quintero, Peoria, 92.0
Rees Jones, with co-designer Steve Weisser, built this in 2000 in the Hieroglyphic Mountains northwest of Phoenix, off Carefree Highway. It opened as the centerpiece of a planned residential community and later opened to daily-fee public play. The routing winds through desert valleys and washes between the mountains, with real elevation change and a mix of exposed desert and turfed corridors.
Par 72, 7,249 yards. Rees Jones Inc. came back in 2025 to restore the green surfaces and rebuild the bunkers. It is a long drive from central Phoenix, which keeps it quiet, and it is a big demanding test that rewards driving distance and strong approach play.
Not walkable. Take a cart.
3. Troon North Monument, Scottsdale, 91.1
Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish opened this in 1990, and it is the older of the two courses at Troon North. It takes its name from the granite outcropping standing in the middle of the third fairway. The routing threads through boulder fields and saguaro stands in the upper Sonoran Desert, with fairways defined by desert on both sides rather than rough, and Pinnacle Peak in view.
Par 72, 7,039 yards. It is open to public and resort play, and it is walkable in the cooler months. This is the classic North Scottsdale desert test, and the one to play if you want the boulder-strewn target golf the area is known for.
4. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, Maricopa, 90.7
Schmidt-Curley Design, Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley with Fred Couples consulting, built this in 2002 on 320 acres owned by the Ak-Chin Indian Community, about 35 minutes south of Phoenix. It is not a target desert course. It is built in the Australian sandbelt style, with wide fairways, more than 100 bunkers cut hard against the edges of greens and fairways, and firm fast conditions that reward the ground game.
Par 72, 7,546 yards from the tips. The ground is open enough that wind matters. It operates as a true daily-fee course open to everyone, and it has hosted professional and USGA qualifying events.
Worth the drive.
5. Grayhawk Raptor, Scottsdale, 90.1
Tom Fazio built this in 1995 on higher, more open desert ground than its sibling Talon course. It is the larger tournament-scale layout of the two, and it hosted the NCAA Division I men's and women's golf championships in the early 2020s when Grayhawk was the fixed championship site. Par 72, 7,151 yards.
Wide off the tee, demanding into the greens, with large bunker complexes and elevated putting surfaces. Firm fairways and Bermuda greens make the angle of approach matter more than raw distance, with the elevated putting surfaces and bunker complexes adding to the approach demands. The 19th hole is Phil's Grill, named for club ambassador Phil Mickelson, with patio seating over the course.
A proper championship public course.
6. TPC Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale, 88.3
Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish built this in 1986, and it was renovated in 2014. It hosts the WM Phoenix Open every February. Par 71, 7,261 yards.
The 16th is a 162-yard par 3, and here is the thing most visitors get wrong about it: for most of the year it is an ordinary short par 3. The grandstands that enclose it are temporary. They go up for tournament week and come down after.
You are still walking the same fairways the Tour plays, and the course is maintained to Tour standards all year. Public tee times are available with no resort stay required. Book early, especially in peak season.
7. We-Ko-Pa Cholla, Fort McDowell, 88.0
Scott Miller built this in December 2001 as the club's first course, next door to Saguaro. It is the longer layout at the facility, routed through desert arroyos and over ridges, with more elevation change and a classic target desert feel. Par 72, 7,225 yards.
It is a resort course and a daily fee, like Saguaro. If Saguaro is the thinking golfer's course, Cholla is the ballstriker's course. Play Saguaro first, then come back for Cholla.
We-Ko-Pa posts resort rates of $329 to $359 per round from January 8 through April 25, 2027, before 9% sales tax. Arizona resident rates are separate.
8. Grayhawk Talon, Scottsdale, 86.5
David Graham and Gary Panks built this in 1994 as Grayhawk's original layout. It runs through tighter, more broken desert terrain than Raptor, with washes and rock outcrops framing the holes, and the golf is defined by target elements and short grass hollows around the greens rather than sheer length. Par 72, 6,973 yards.
The signature hole is the par-3 17th, Devil's Drink, a 126-yard shot to a true island green. Isabella's Kitchen overlooks the 18th green. Raptor is the championship test.
Talon is the tighter, quirkier round, and plenty of golfers prefer it.
9. Kierland, Scottsdale, 85.7
Scott Miller built Kierland in 1996 at the Westin Kierland Resort. Its three nines, Acacia, Ironwood and Mesquite, combine into three different 18-hole routings, each par 72.
The nines share rolling desert terrain and elevation changes, with views toward the resort and the McDowell Mountains. Multiple tee options let players choose a length that suits their game rather than treating all three combinations as the same test.
Kierland hosted the USGA's 1997 Women's State Team Championship soon after opening. Troon operates the course, and both resort guests and the public can book tee times.
10. Phoenician, Scottsdale, 85.6
Phil Smith rebuilt the Phoenician in 2018, reducing the original 27 holes to one 18-hole routing on the existing fairway corridors. It reopened that November after a 10-month redesign.
Smith rebuilt the green complexes and recontoured the fairways so bunkers and hazards are visible from the tee. There are no blind shots, so the layout shows you the trouble before you choose your line.
Par 71, with tees from roughly 4,575 to 6,518 yards, it is the shortest course in this top 10. The range of tees and visible hazards make it a more approachable resort option without taking the decisions out of the round. Public tee times are available.
The Next 10
- Camelback Ambiente, Scottsdale - 84.8
- Troon North Pinnacle, Scottsdale - 84.5
- Papago, Phoenix - 84.4
- Gold Canyon Dinosaur Mountain, Gold Canyon - 84.2
- Talking Stick O'odham, Scottsdale - 84.2
- Las Sendas, Mesa - 84.0
- Camelback Padre, Scottsdale - 83.9
- Boulders South, Carefree - 83.9
- Verrado Founders, Buckeye - 83.9
- Talking Stick Piipaash, Scottsdale - 83.2
Hidden Gem Bonus
Golf Club of Estrella, Goodyear, 81.5
Jack Nicklaus II built this in 1999 at the base of the Sierra Estrella Mountains, and it is a public daily-fee course run by Troon. Par 72, 7,102 yards. It is about 30 minutes west of downtown Phoenix, and it describes itself as consistently ranked among Golfweek's top twenty public courses in Arizona.
Wide landing areas, dramatic elevation change, deep bunkers with penal lips around the greens, and the 194-yard par-3 17th, the Grand Consequence. Golfers who like it call it the best value desert test in the Valley, a Nicklaus course without the Scottsdale price or the Scottsdale crowds. It is in Goodyear, west of the city, and it is worth the drive if you want a real test without a resort setup.
Note: The Golf Club of Estrella is on BogeyMap at 81.5 LooperScore, below the Next 10 cutoff. That is why it is a bonus, not a ranked pick. Address: 11800 S Golf Club Dr, Goodyear, AZ 85338.
The Phoenix Experiences
The Short Course at Mountain Shadows, Paradise Valley, 80.1
Forrest Richardson redesigned this in 2017 as an 18-hole par-3 course, from Arthur Jack Snyder's original. Eighteen par 3s, par 54, holes running about 40 to 150 yards, set against Camelback Mountain. It includes the bonus 17.5 hole, The Forrest Wager, for tie-breaking.
It is a proper short course, not a pitch and putt, with real green complexes and real decisions. Play it after your round, or on an arrival day when you do not want a full 18.
Grass Clippings Rolling Hills, Tempe, 71.9
This is the fun one. Grass Clippings took over the Tempe-owned Rolling Hills course and turned it into Arizona's only fully lit 18-hole golf course, with 78 LED light poles. By day it is an executive course, par 59, 3,428 yards.
After dark it becomes an all par-3 course, par 54, holes running 90 to 200 yards, and night golf runs from dusk until 1 a.m., with 9-hole tee times after 10 p.m. There is a Toptracer driving range and a 15,000-square-foot practice putting green, both lit. Bring a group, play it after dinner.
It is not a championship test. It is golf the way it should feel after dark.
Note: Grass Clippings Rolling Hills is on BogeyMap at 71.9 LooperScore. Address: 1415 N Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281.
How We Ranked
This list is ranked strictly by BogeyMap LooperScore as of 7 Nov 2026. LooperAI was used for the why behind each pick, and cross-checked against BogeyMap course pages and published sources. Four LooperAI errors were corrected in this guide: the resort courses in the top 10 all take public tee times, and LooperAI said Resort means resort guests and members only; the grandstands at TPC Scottsdale's 16th are temporary, built and removed each year for the WM Phoenix Open, not permanent; LooperAI gave the Golf Club of Estrella a LooperScore of 84.0, but its current LooperScore is 81.5; and the Ak-Chin yardage in this guide is 7,546 yards from the tips per the GolfPass scorecard, where BogeyMap's stats row says 7,243. Two more things to know about this ranking. Whirlwind Devil's Claw is Golfweek Arizona #12 and GolfPass Arizona #4, and Whirlwind Cattail is GolfPass Arizona #1, but BogeyMap scores them 71.0 and 83.0. The published sources disagree with LooperScore there, and the guide ranks by LooperScore anyway. And Camelback Ambiente appears on two BogeyMap pages with different scores, 84.8 and 76.4, and opposite claims about what the architect did to the elevation. This guide uses the 84.8 Scottsdale page.
Grass Clippings Rolling Hills is listed on BogeyMap with a current LooperScore of 71.9. It is an Experiences pick, not part of the ranked Top 10 or Next 10.
BogeyMap methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
What is the best public golf course in Phoenix and Scottsdale?
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro in Fort McDowell is the best public golf course in Phoenix and Scottsdale, ranked 93.0 on BogeyMap LooperScore. It is a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design from 2006, genuinely walkable with caddies available, and there is no housing or development visible from anywhere on the course.
What is the best public golf course in Scottsdale itself?
Troon North Monument in Scottsdale is the best public golf course in Scottsdale itself, ranked 91.1 on BogeyMap LooperScore. It is a Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish design from 1990, named for the granite outcropping in the middle of the third fairway, and it is open to public and resort play.
Do you have to stay at a resort to play Troon North, TPC Scottsdale, Cholla, Kierland, or the Phoenician?
No. Public tee times are available at all five, with no resort stay required. Troon North Monument is open to public and resort play, TPC Scottsdale Stadium is a public facility, We-Ko-Pa Cholla is a daily fee, Kierland is available to resort guests and the public through tee time bookings, and the Phoenician takes public tee times.
What is the best value public golf course in Phoenix and Scottsdale?
Papago in Phoenix. It is a municipal course designed by William Bell, opened in 1963 and renovated in 2008, ranked 84.4 on BogeyMap LooperScore, 13th in the area. It is the home course for Arizona State University's golf teams, it is walkable, and it is a parkland layout with mature trees instead of target desert golf, which makes it a different round from almost everything else on this list.
Where can I play night golf in Phoenix and Scottsdale?
Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe. It is Arizona's only fully lit 18-hole golf course, with 78 LED light poles. After dark it becomes an all par-3 course, par 54, and night golf runs from dusk until 1 a.m., with 9-hole tee times after 10 p.m.
What is the best short course in Phoenix and Scottsdale?
The Short Course at Mountain Shadows in Paradise Valley. Eighteen par 3s, par 54, holes running about 40 to 150 yards, redesigned by Forrest Richardson in 2017, set against Camelback Mountain. It is ranked 80.1 on BogeyMap LooperScore, and it includes the bonus 17.5 hole, The Forrest Wager, for tie-breaking.
If I only play one course in Phoenix and Scottsdale, which one?
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro. It is the highest ranked course in the area at 93.0 on BogeyMap LooperScore, it has no housing visible from the course, it lets you play the ball along the ground, and it is walkable with caddies available, which is almost nonexistent in modern desert golf.
Can you walk We-Ko-Pa Saguaro, and are caddies available?
Yes. Saguaro is genuinely walkable, which is unusual for a desert course, and caddies are available. The routing stays on the natural desert grade, the fairways are wide, and the greens are open in front so the ball can be played along the ground.