Boulders Resort South

The verdict

The Boulders takes its name from the twelve million year old granite outcrops that tower over the property in Carefree, and the South course is the one that plays right through them. Jay Morrish, the architect behind so much of the best desert golf in Arizona, laid it out in the mid 1980s to use the rock, the elevation and the native desert as the defining features, so a round here feels like nowhere else in the valley. It is a resort course in the best sense, beautifully conditioned, genuinely fun and impossible to forget.

A par 71 of about 6,917 yards, the South is the bolder and hillier of the two Boulders courses. Morrish gives you fair lines off the tee but asks for thought and commitment on the approach, with greens tucked among the rocks and the desert never far from a wayward shot. As the centerpiece of a destination resort, it is an easy course to build a couples or buddies trip around, and it pairs naturally with the rest of the north Scottsdale lineup.

The holes worth the trip

The South course is defined by the granite. Morrish routes you up to and around the great piles of boulders, so tee shots are framed by rock and approaches play to greens set into natural amphitheaters of stone. The elevation change is the second signature, with drives launched from raised tees and downhill approaches that need careful club selection, because a desert miss leaves no easy recovery.

The par 3s are the holes people remember, several of them played across desert to greens guarded by boulders and bunkering, where the right number is everything. The par 5s tempt the longer hitter to take on the corners, but the smart play is often to lay back and wedge it close. It is a course that rewards course management over brute strength, and gives plenty back to the player who keeps it in the short grass.

Conditioning is to resort standard year round, the fairways lush and the greens true. The South is more memorable for its setting and variety than for sheer length, which is exactly what makes it such an enjoyable holiday round. Few courses in Arizona deliver the sense of place that the Boulders does, and the South is where that sense of place is strongest.

Where to stay nearby

The obvious base is The Boulders itself, a destination resort with casitas scattered among the rocks, a spa and easy access to both golf courses. Staying on property is the simplest way to lock in tee times and preferred rates, and it turns the golf into a full resort getaway rather than just a round.

For a wider golf trip, the resorts and rental homes of north Scottsdale are a short drive south and put the rest of the valley's desert courses within reach. Phoenix Sky Harbor airport is around forty five minutes away, which makes the Boulders an easy add to a multi day Scottsdale itinerary.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts in Carefree and north Scottsdale.