Top public golf in Arizona.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 72

Tom Fazio gave this one wide, forgiving fairways and crowned greens that have hosted NCAA Championships. A more playable, polished take on Scottsdale desert golf.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 72

Tighter and more dramatic than the Raptor, threading deep desert canyons. The signature 11th, nicknamed Heaven and Hell, will test your nerve and your short game.

AZ · Peoria · Public · Par 72

A Rees Jones layout tucked into the mountains northwest of the city, miles from anything. The elevation changes and total seclusion make it feel like a private retreat at public prices.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 71

This is the course with the famous stadium-enclosed par-3 16th where the Phoenix Open crowds roar. Even on a quiet Tuesday you can stand in that coliseum and feel the echo of 20,000 fans.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 72

Weiskopf carved this one straight through giant granite boulders at the foot of Pinnacle Peak. The signature par-5 monument hole bends around a house-sized rock that gives the course its name.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 71

The wilder sibling to the Monument, with steep desert washes and greens hidden behind rock outcrops. Bring extra balls and a camera for the Pinnacle Peak backdrop.

AZ · Tucson · Resort · Par 72

A Tom Fazio desert course climbing the Santa Catalina foothills, with the famous island-green par-3 third framed by the mountains. A Tucson classic.

AZ · Tucson · Resort · Par 73

The Catalina course has hosted the pros since the 1960s and still plays as a stout par 73 beneath the Santa Catalinas. A proper championship layout you can simply book and tee up on.

AZ · Carefree · Resort · Par 72

Jay Morrish routed this through surreal piles of ancient granite at a Hilton Curio resort. The two courses rotate which is open to guests each day, so book ahead and savor whichever you draw.

AZ · Scottsdale · Resort · Par 71

A reimagined Phil Smith design tucked against Camelback Mountain at the storied Phoenician resort. Tight, vertical, and dramatic in the heart of Scottsdale.

AZ · Marana · Resort · Par 72

A Jack Nicklaus desert course high in the Tortolita Mountains near Tucson that hosted the WGC Match Play for years. Big elevation and bigger views.

AZ · Fort McDowell · Public · Par 72

Bolder and longer than its Saguaro sibling, with heroic carries and panoramas in every direction. Owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and fully open to all.

AZ · Fort McDowell · Public · Par 71

A Coore and Crenshaw walk through untouched Sonoran Desert with not a single home in sight. The minimalist routing feels like golf the way the land intended it.

AZ · Tucson · Resort · Par 72

A 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature course carved into the foothills with forced carries and big elevation. Open to Westin resort guests who want a true desert-mountain test.

AZ · Maricopa · Public · Par 72

A Schmidt-Curley design owned by the Ak-Chin Community, full of rolling dunescape and sculpted bunkers. Long from the tips but generous enough to enjoy from the right tees.

AZ · Phoenix · Resort · Par 71

The historic Adobe course at the grand Arizona Biltmore, a gentle parkland layout dating to the 1920s in the shadow of Piestewa Peak. Old-Phoenix charm.

AZ · Tucson · Public · Par 71

A Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout pressed right up against the Coronado National Forest in the Catalina foothills. Often called the best public course in Tucson, and home to the Wildcat teams.

AZ · Scottsdale · Resort · Par 72

A links-inspired desert course at the JW Marriott Camelback resort, with bold contours and few houses in view. The more modern of the resort's two layouts.

AZ · Scottsdale · Resort · Par 72

The traditional, tree-lined parkland course at Camelback, gentler and more forgiving than its Ambiente sibling. A classic Scottsdale resort round.

AZ · Fountain Hills · Public · Par 71

A scenic Scott Miller desert course draped over the hills of Fountain Hills, with elevated tees and big Valley views. A daily-fee favorite.

AZ · Gold Canyon · Resort · Par 70

East of the city against the Superstition Mountains, this one climbs and tumbles through dramatic terrain. Several holes are literally cut into the mountainside for views you will not forget.

AZ · Scottsdale · Resort · Par 72

A 27-hole resort club in the heart of North Scottsdale at the Westin Kierland, with mountain views and easy access. Polished, central, and reliable.

AZ · Mesa · Public · Par 71

A Robert Trent Jones Jr. desert course on the east Valley's edge, with dramatic elevation changes and skyline views. The pick of Mesa's public golf.

AZ · Sedona · Public · Par 72

A classic parkland course threading the junipers with red-rock views in every direction. Semi-private but happy to give visitors a tee time.

AZ · Sedona · Resort · Par 71

Gary Panks framed this one against Sedona's red-rock cathedrals, and the par-3 10th may be the most photographed hole in the Southwest. Bring a wide-angle lens and play slow.

AZ · Tucson · Resort · Par 72

Designed by Notah Begay at Casino Del Sol, with thousands of native flowers and cacti framing the fairways. The name means land where flowers grow, and it shows.

AZ · Tucson · Resort · Par 72

A 27-hole Arnold Palmer design in the saguaro foothills at the JW Marriott Starr Pass west of Tucson. Rugged Sonoran desert golf with city views.

AZ · Surprise · Public · Par 72

A fresh Nicklaus design at the base of the White Tanks, Troon-managed and currently open for daily-fee play. Catch it while you can, as it is slated to go private as the community fills in.

AZ · Fountain Hills · Public · Par 71

A dramatic canyon course in the McDowell Mountains famous for its uphill closing stretch, 'the Wicked 6.' One of the Valley's best public desert tracks.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 70

A wide-open Coore and Crenshaw links on the Salt River reservation, all angles and ground game with no houses in sight. A minimalist gem near Old Town.

AZ · Scottsdale · Public · Par 71

The greener, more traditional companion to the O'odham course at Talking Stick, lined with cottonwoods and water. A strong, walkable value.

AZ · Tubac · Resort · Par 71

Cottonwood-lined and lush in the high desert south of Tucson, this 27-hole resort starred in the movie Tin Cup. The Anza nine even has its own Sawgrass-style island green.

AZ · Buckeye · Public · Par 72

The bolder of Verrado's two courses, with big elevation swings against the White Tank Mountains. A Tom Lehman design the West Valley quietly considers its best public play.

AZ · Chandler · Resort · Par 72

A Gary Panks desert course at the Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass resort on the Gila River reservation, south of Phoenix. Wide, scenic, and uncrowded.

AZ · Wickenburg · Semi-private · Par 72

A rolling high-desert course northwest of the Valley in old ranching country, with saguaro-studded hills and big quiet. A scenic escape from the city.

AZ · Litchfield Park · Resort · Par 72

A long, stately Robert Trent Jones Sr. course at a resort that has welcomed golfers since 1929. Old-school parkland golf with grand trees and a sense of history rare in the desert.

AZ · Prescott · Public · Par 72

A tree-lined 1956 muni at mile-high elevation where the summers stay cool and the bentgrass greens roll true. Honest, affordable golf with real character.

AZ · Tempe · Public · Par 72

The Pete Dye-designed home of Arizona State golf in Tempe, with mounding, water, and railroad ties right by the airport. A handy, central round.

AZ · Flagstaff · Public · Par 72

A pine-lined course at 7,000 feet with the San Francisco Peaks watching over you. One of Flagstaff's best public escapes when the valley is baking.

AZ · Williams · Public · Par 72

A cool, pine-shaded city course at nearly 6,800 feet, a perfect summer detour on the way to the Grand Canyon. The original nine dates to the 1920s and the mountain air is a tonic after the desert.

AZ · Mesa · Public · Par 71

A polished, well-conditioned daily-fee near the Phoenix airport with mountain views and a fun, playable layout. A reliable east Valley value.

AZ · Phoenix · Public · Par 72

A classic 1963 Billy Bell muni, freshly renovated, sitting beneath red sandstone buttes near the Phoenix Zoo. Tour-quality conditioning at a fraction of resort green fees.