How to Play the Best Golf in Scottsdale and Phoenix
The Valley of the Sun is the most complete public golf city in America: more than 200 courses, 300 days of sunshine and a top tier you can actually book. TPC Scottsdale hosts the loudest tournament in golf and takes all comers, Troon North and We-Ko-Pa hold the purest desert golf, and the whole thing runs on a tee sheet, not a membership roll. Here is how to play the best of it, with access and indicative 2026 fees.
Photograph: TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, via Google
The short version
Scottsdale golf is desert target golf at its best: emerald fairways ribboned through saguaro, granite outcrops and washes, with mountain views on every tee. The trip builds itself around four or five marquee public courses in north Scottsdale and the neighboring Fort McDowell land, all within 45 minutes of each other. Base yourself in Scottsdale, play the Stadium Course for the theater, Troon North and We-Ko-Pa for the desert art, and Papago for the value round, and you have the best public golf week in the American Southwest.
The calendar matters more than anywhere else in this guide. January to April is peak, with flawless weather and fees to match. November and December are the smart value window. Summer is for the brave and the budget conscious: fees collapse, courses overseed in fall, and dawn tee times beat the heat. Below are the courses to target, who can play them and what they cost in 2026.
The courses to build a Scottsdale trip around
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium Course
The home of the WM Phoenix Open and the most famous tee time in Arizona. Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed the Stadium Course in 1986 expressly for tournament theater, and Weiskopf renovated it in 2014. The par 3 16th, the coliseum hole that holds tens of thousands during tournament week, is the most photographed shot of the trip, and the drivable 17th is the better hole. It is fully public: peak 2026 fees run roughly 399 to 550 dollars, falling to around 300 in summer. Book early for February and March.
Troon North, Monument Course
The course that defined high end desert golf when Weiskopf and Morrish unveiled it in 1990, and still the benchmark. The Monument rolls through giant granite boulders and stands of saguaro in the High Sonoran foothills of north Scottsdale, with the par 5 3rd playing around the monolith that names the course. Conditioning is consistently among the best in the state. Public, with peak fees around 389 dollars; its sibling Pinnacle Course makes the obvious 36 hole day.
We-Ko-Pa, Saguaro Course
Connoisseur's choice. On Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land east of Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa has no homes on either course, just open desert running to the Four Peaks. The Saguaro Course, by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2006, is a walkable, strategic design with short par 4s and tilted greens that many rate the best golf in the metro area. The Scott Miller designed Cholla Course alongside is bigger and bolder. Public; non resident peak fees around 225 to 309 dollars.
Grayhawk, Raptor Course
Grayhawk's two courses, the Tom Fazio designed Raptor and the Talon by David Graham and Gary Panks, are the polished resort double act of north Scottsdale, and the club hosted the NCAA Championships from 2021 to 2023. The Raptor is the sterner test, with Fazio's trademark sweeping bunkering; the Talon has the more dramatic desert carries. Both public with strong service culture and busy tee sheets in season.
Papago Golf Course, Phoenix
The value play and the local's pick. A 1963 William Francis Bell design in the shadow of the red Papago Buttes, Papago is Phoenix municipal golf at its best, restored in the 2000s and now home to the Arizona State University golf teams. It is a classic parkland routing rather than target desert golf, a good change of pace mid trip, and the green fee is a fraction of the Scottsdale marquee names. Public, book through the city tee sheet.
Key courses and how to play them
| Course | Designer and access | Indicative 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| TPC Scottsdale Stadium | Weiskopf and Morrish, 1986; public, WM Phoenix Open host | 399 to 550 dollars peak, around 300 summer |
| Troon North Monument | Weiskopf and Morrish, 1990; public | Around 389 dollars peak |
| We-Ko-Pa Saguaro | Coore and Crenshaw, 2006; public, no housing | 225 to 309 dollars by season |
| Grayhawk Raptor | Tom Fazio, 1995; public, NCAA host 2021 to 2023 | Seasonal, confirm with club |
| Papago | William F. Bell, 1963; Phoenix municipal, ASU home | Municipal rates, strong value |
Designers, dates and access verified June 2026 from course and tournament sources. Green fees move with season and demand and are indicative for 2026. We do not quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay and when to go
Stay in north Scottsdale for the golf: the resorts along Scottsdale Road put TPC Scottsdale, Troon North and Grayhawk within 20 minutes, with We-Ko-Pa a pretty 35 minute run east. Old Town Scottsdale is the play for restaurants and nightlife, still within half an hour of everything. January to April is peak season and tournament time, when the WM Phoenix Open turns the town electric in early February; book courses and rooms months out. November and December offer the same golf for less. In summer, take dawn tee times, drink more water than you think you need and enjoy fees at a third of peak.
Need a base near the golf? See our recommended Scottsdale resorts from Old Town to Troon North.
Plan your Scottsdale golf trip
Tell us whether you want the Stadium Course bucket list round, the pure desert golf of We-Ko-Pa and Troon North or a value week with one splurge, and roughly when. One concierge builds the tee sheet, books the base and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Scottsdale and Phoenix golf questions
Can you play TPC Scottsdale?
Yes. The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, home of the WM Phoenix Open, is fully public. Peak season green fees in 2026 run roughly 399 to 550 dollars, dropping to around 300 dollars in summer. Tee times open well in advance and the weeks around the tournament in February are the hardest to book. Always confirm rates and availability directly before booking.
What is the best public golf course in Scottsdale?
The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale is the most famous, but many traveling golfers rate the Monument Course at Troon North and the Coore and Crenshaw designed Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa as the best pure desert golf in the area. All are public. Grayhawk and Papago round out a strong first trip. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Scottsdale and Phoenix?
January through April is peak season, with perfect desert weather and the highest prices. November and December are excellent value with mild days. Summer, June to September, regularly tops 105 degrees Fahrenheit; courses stay open with dawn tee times and fees fall sharply, often to a third of peak rates.
How much does golf cost in Scottsdale?
In peak season, January to April 2026, the marquee public courses run roughly 300 to 550 dollars: TPC Scottsdale Stadium about 399 to 550, Troon North Monument around 389, We-Ko-Pa Saguaro about 225 to 309. Municipal and value courses cost far less, and summer rates drop sharply across the board. Fees are indicative; always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Course access changes, openings and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, access and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.