The Phoenician Golf Club

The verdict

For decades the golf at The Phoenician was the weak link in an otherwise faultless resort, a cramped 27 hole layout squeezed into the hillside that the architecture never quite suited. The 2018 rebuild changed that. Phil Smith, who spent more than two decades alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf, tore the old course up and routed a single 18 that finally lets the setting breathe, with wider corridors, desert washes brought into play and views of Camelback opened up across the property.

The result is not a championship monster and never tries to be. At a par 71 of about 6,518 yards it is a resort course in the best sense, walkable, beautiful and built to be enjoyed by a four ball of mixed handicaps rather than to humble them. For the traveling golfer basing a Scottsdale trip at the resort, it is a relaxed, immaculately kept round on the doorstep, and a strong reason to book the hotel that owns it.

The holes worth the trip

Smith's routing makes a virtue of the slope, climbing into the foothills on the front nine and using the elevation for both views and strategy. The standout stretch comes where the holes turn back toward Camelback, framing the mountain behind the green so that even a routine approach has a postcard backdrop. The desert washes that cross several fairways are the main defense off the tee, asking for position over raw length.

The par 3s are the set to remember, played downhill across native desert to greens that sit naturally in the terrain rather than perched on engineered pads. The shorter par 4s tempt the bold to take on the corners, while the greens, rebuilt in the renovation, are true and gently contoured, the kind that reward a confident putter without punishing a slightly loose one.

What lifts the round is the conditioning and the sense of place. This is Troon's flagship in its own backyard, kept to a resort standard, and the combination of red rock, manicured turf and mountain views makes it one of the most photogenic rounds in Scottsdale. It is golf built for pleasure rather than penance, and it is all the better for knowing what it is.

Where to stay nearby

The obvious base is The Phoenician itself, the AAA Five Diamond resort that owns the course and puts the first tee a short cart ride from your room. Staying on site is the surest route to the best tee times and rates, and it anchors a week of golf with a spa, a long list of restaurants and the pool complex that made the place famous.

If you prefer to spread your nights, the wider Scottsdale and Camelback corridor is dense with resorts and rental homes within fifteen to twenty minutes, putting Troon North, Grayhawk and the desert courses to the north within easy reach. Phoenix Sky Harbor sits about twenty minutes south, which makes The Phoenician one of the most convenient luxury rounds to pair with an early flight.

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