7 Day Arizona Golf Itinerary
A full week of desert golf from one comfortable base in the winter capital of American resort play. This route gathers seven of Arizona's finest public and resort courses, from the tournament theatre of TPC Scottsdale and the desert benchmark at Troon North to the natural beauty of We-Ko-Pa, the drama of Quintero and the boulder fields of The Boulders. Warm, dry and spectacular when the rest of the country is frozen. Here is the week, with indicative winter 2026 green fees and drive times.
Photograph: Quintero Golf Club, Arizona, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is Arizona at full stretch, built for the golfer who wants a complete desert golf week without leaving the country. Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale pack most of the Southwest's marquee public golf into easy reach, so you set up in one base, play seven of the most dramatic target layouts in the region, and never face a drive longer than about an hour. It suits a golf group or a buddies trip where the golf shares the week with the steakhouses, the spas and the desert sun, ideally over the cold months back home, and where seven rounds in seven days is the whole point.
The two decisions that shape the week are the season and the buggy. Aim for the winter window, roughly November to April, for warm, dry days and courses in peak trim, and accept that this is also the most expensive and busiest season, anchored by the WM Phoenix Open in February. And take a cart everywhere, since these are spread out desert courses with long transfers between holes. Get those right and the rest of the week falls into place around one base, with two of the rounds, Quintero to the west and Ak-Chin Southern Dunes to the south, run as comfortable day trips.
The 7 day plan
Grayhawk Golf Club, Raptor Course
Open on the sterner of Grayhawk's two layouts, the Tom Fazio Raptor, completed in 1995 and a regular host of the NCAA Championships and other elite events. Less overtly desert than its neighbors, with broad, beautifully conditioned fairways and clever bunkering, it is a polished, championship style start that eases you into target golf. Indicative winter 2026 green fees are around 300 dollars in peak season; a refined opener in north Scottsdale with one of the best practice facilities and clubhouses in the state.
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium Course
The headline round, the Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish Stadium Course that stages the WM Phoenix Open and its famous stadium 16th, the loudest hole in golf. Playing the par 3 sixteenth, ringed by grandstands, and the drivable, water guarded 17th is the bucket list reason to come, and the course is a fair, strategic and immaculately presented test the rest of the way. Indicative winter 2026 green fees run from around 400 dollars to as much as 550 dollars in peak season, the dearest of the trip. Book early and play it midweek.
Troon North, Monument Course
The course that set the standard for desert golf, the Weiskopf and Morrish Monument, opened in 1990 and named for the giant granite boulder beside its third fairway. Threaded through saguaro, boulder fields and washes beneath Pinnacle Peak, it is the purest target golf of the week, all forced carries, framed fairways and big mountain views. Indicative winter 2026 green fees are around 300 dollars in peak season. The companion Pinnacle Course is just as good if you want thirty six holes here.
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Saguaro Course
For many the connoisseur's round of the trip, the Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw Saguaro Course on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, opened in 2006. With no houses, no cart paths and nothing but desert in every direction, it is a more natural, walkable and strategic counterpoint to the target courses, wide off the tee and full of options around firm, contoured greens. Indicative winter 2026 green fees are around 300 dollars in peak season. About thirty minutes east of Scottsdale; pair it with the Scott Miller designed Cholla Course for a double if your legs allow.
Quintero Golf Club
Worth the drive, the Rees Jones design at Quintero, opened in 2000 west of Lake Pleasant near Peoria and routed through the valleys of the Hieroglyphic Mountains with almost no surrounding development. Big elevation changes, long mountain views and a real sense of solitude make it one of the finest and most dramatic public courses in the state, regularly named among Arizona's best. Indicative winter 2026 green fees are around 225 to 300 dollars in peak season. About an hour from north Scottsdale and a worthy midweek day trip.
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
A change of texture to the south, the Schmidt-Curley design built with Fred Couples at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa. Wide, rumpled, links inspired fairways, deep bunkering and few houses give it a more open, windswept feel than the target courses up north, and it offers some of the best value marquee golf in greater Phoenix. Indicative winter 2026 green fees are around 150 to 250 dollars in peak season. About forty five minutes to an hour south of Scottsdale; an excellent, relaxed penultimate round.
The Boulders Resort, North Course
Close the week amid the giant twelve million year old granite boulders that give the resort its name, on the Jay Morrish North Course at Carefree. Holes tumble around and over the rock piles, with the par 3 seventh played beneath a towering stack of boulders, a memorable and photogenic finish to the trip. The resort itself is one of the finest in the desert, a fitting last base. Indicative winter 2026 green fees are around 250 dollars in peak season. About thirty minutes north of Scottsdale.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative winter 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grayhawk, Raptor | Around 300 dollars | North Scottsdale; tournament host |
| TPC Scottsdale, Stadium | Around 400 to 550 dollars | WM Phoenix Open; book early, play midweek |
| Troon North, Monument | Around 300 dollars | The desert benchmark; about 15 minutes |
| We-Ko-Pa, Saguaro | Around 300 dollars | About 30 minutes east; no houses |
| Quintero | Around 225 to 300 dollars | About 1 hour west; secluded mountain desert |
| Ak-Chin Southern Dunes | Around 150 to 250 dollars | About 45 to 60 minutes south; best value |
| The Boulders, North | Around 250 dollars | About 30 minutes north; the rock formations |
Green fees and drive times verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and booking listings; Arizona uses dynamic pricing that swings by season, day and demand, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Check Arizona tee time availability.
When to go and where to stay
Play the trip in the winter window, roughly November to April, for warm, dry, sunny days and the courses at their best, accepting peak green fees and busier tee sheets. January to March is the prime and priciest stretch, with the WM Phoenix Open drawing the crowds in February. Late spring and fall bring rising heat but better value, while high summer is fierce and best played at dawn for a fraction of the cost. Base yourself in north Scottsdale, near the Troon and Grayhawk corridor, or at a destination resort such as The Boulders in Carefree, where most of the courses, the dining of Old Town and Phoenix Sky Harbor airport are within easy reach. A hire car is essential for the desert hops, including the two day trips west to Quintero and south to Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, and leaves the evenings for the steakhouses and the spas. Need a base near the golf? See our recommended Scottsdale hotels and resorts.
Plan your Arizona golf week
We hold the tee times, from the TPC Stadium to Troon North, We-Ko-Pa and Quintero, match your resort base to the golf, and arrange the carts, the transfers and the airport runs so the week runs smoothly. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Arizona itinerary questions
What is the best 7 day Arizona golf itinerary?
Base yourself in north Scottsdale and play seven of Arizona's best desert courses across the week: the Tom Fazio Raptor at Grayhawk, the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course that hosts the WM Phoenix Open, the desert benchmark at Troon North Monument, the Coore and Crenshaw Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa, the dramatic Rees Jones layout at Quintero, the Schmidt-Curley and Fred Couples Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, and the boulder strewn North Course at The Boulders. All sit within about an hour of one base. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
How much does a 7 day Arizona golf trip cost in green fees?
In the peak winter season, roughly January to April 2026, the marquee Scottsdale and desert courses run from about 150 dollars at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes to as much as 550 dollars at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, with most of the headline rounds around 300. Seven rounds on this route add up to roughly 2,000 to 2,400 dollars per golfer in green fees alone at peak. Rates fall sharply in the summer heat. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
When is the best time for an Arizona golf trip?
The prime golf season in Arizona runs from roughly November to April, with warm, dry, sunny days and the courses in peak condition. January to March is the busiest and most expensive window, anchored by the WM Phoenix Open in February. Late spring and fall offer good value as temperatures climb, while the summer is very hot, often well over a hundred degrees, and best played at dawn for a fraction of the price. Always confirm current seasonal rates and availability directly before booking.
Where should you stay for an Arizona golf trip?
Base yourself in north Scottsdale, around the Troon and Grayhawk corridor or at a resort such as The Boulders in nearby Carefree, where most of the best desert courses, the dining of Old Town and Phoenix Sky Harbor airport are within easy reach. The two longer drives, west to Quintero near Peoria and south to Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, are comfortable day trips of around an hour. A hire car is essential, and the short, simple drives leave the evenings free for the restaurants and spas. Always confirm rates and availability before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time releases, green fee changes and the booking windows that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.