The Golf Club at Dove Mountain
Jack Nicklaus's bold 27 hole desert complex in the Tortolita foothills above Tucson, the longtime home of the World Golf Championships Match Play and one of the most muscular resort courses in Arizona.
Photo: Steve-O via Google.
The verdict
The Golf Club at Dove Mountain is the course the world's best match players came to know between 2009 and 2014, when it hosted the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in the high Sonoran Desert northwest of Tucson. Jack Nicklaus, working with design associate Chet Williams, routed 27 holes across the rugged Tortolita foothills, using the natural elevation, arroyos and boulder fields to create one of the most dramatic and demanding desert layouts in the state.
It is big, bold golf, the kind that asks for power off the tee and nerve into greens perched above canyons and washes. Three nines, Saguaro, Tortolita and Wild Burro, combine for a championship test that played as the longest venue in PGA Tour history during its Match Play years. Attached to a Ritz-Carlton resort and now part of the Clubs of Dove Mountain, it remains a bucket list round for golfers who want to walk where champions settled their matches.
The Golf Club at Dove Mountain at a glance
- Opened
- 2009
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus
- Type
- Desert mountain
- Holes
- 27
- Par
- 72
- Green fee
- From about 100 dollars
Designer and history verified June 2026: The Golf Club at Dove Mountain was designed by Jack Nicklaus with Chet Williams and opened in 2009. It has 27 holes across the Saguaro, Tortolita and Wild Burro nines, with the championship combination measuring up to about 7,800 yards, par 72, and it hosted the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship from 2009 to 2014. Now part of the Clubs of Dove Mountain, public tee times are available on the Saguaro and Tortolita nines; indicative rates of roughly 100 to 250 dollars reflect 2026 winter peak season and change by season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Nicklaus used the terrain without apology. Fairways climb and tumble through the foothills, tee shots carry desert canyons, and greens sit on shelves and plateaus that demand the right club and a committed swing. The elevation changes are constant, the views across the valley to the Santa Catalinas are enormous, and the scale of the place dwarfs most desert courses.
The Match Play history is written into the closing holes, where the world's best traded blows in February sunshine. Reachable par 5s, brawny par 4s and exacting par 3s give the routing the variety a match play venue needs, with risk and reward on nearly every tee. From the forward tees it is thrilling rather than brutal, but from the back it is one of the sternest tests in Arizona.
This is destination desert golf at full volume, best taken on with a caddie or forecaddie who knows the lines. Conditioning matches the Ritz-Carlton billing, and a round here anchors a serious Tucson area golf trip.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Part of the Clubs of Dove Mountain; public tee times available on the Saguaro and Tortolita nines, alongside membership programs |
| Green fee | From about 100 to 250 dollars, indicative 2026 winter peak; rates vary by season and demand, summer is far lower |
| Booking | Book through the club or resort; winter and spring are the premium season, so reserve well ahead |
| On the day | Cart golf with forecaddies recommended; resort dress; big elevation change, so take enough club |
| Getting there | In Marana, about 30 minutes north of Tucson International airport (TUS) |
| Best months | October to May; winter and spring are prime, midsummer is hot but discounted |
Access and fees verified June 2026; club access policies and resort pricing change year to year, so always confirm current rates, the nines in play and tee times directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain sits beside the golf, a desert resort built into the Tortolita foothills with spa, pools and dining that make it a natural luxury base for a round or a longer stay. Staying on property puts the first tee minutes from the room.
For a wider southern Arizona golf trip, Dove Mountain pairs with the desert courses around Tucson and the Phoenix corridor to the north, including the long, links style golf at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes on the drive between the two cities.
Looking for a base nearby? See our recommended hotels and resorts.
Build a Tucson golf trip
We arrange tee times at Dove Mountain and across the best of southern Arizona golf, then book the resort lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Dove Mountain questions
Who designed The Golf Club at Dove Mountain?
It was designed by Jack Nicklaus with design associate Chet Williams and opened in 2009. There are 27 holes across the Saguaro, Tortolita and Wild Burro nines in the Tortolita foothills near Tucson.
Did Dove Mountain host a PGA Tour event?
Yes. It hosted the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship from 2009 to 2014 and played as the longest venue in PGA Tour history during those years.
Can the public play Dove Mountain?
Now part of the Clubs of Dove Mountain, public tee times are available on the Saguaro and Tortolita nines, alongside membership programs. Confirm availability directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play Dove Mountain?
Indicative rates run from about 100 to 250 US dollars in the 2026 winter peak season and drop in summer. Rates change by season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year and tournament history verified June 2026; indicative rates verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.