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Best Golf Courses in Arizona

Best Golf Courses in Arizona

Looking to play the best golf courses in Arizona? GolfReviewsGuide.com picks out the top courses to play in Arizona.

If you are planning to golf in Arizona, then you’ll have to make note of the high elevation of the state.

But don’t fear because lengthy courses or holes are much more manageable in this state where the ball carries far thanks to the light air.

Below are our top five recommendations for the best golf courses in Arizona. You’ll find some familiar names in the list for golf, like Tom Fazio and Phil Mickelson as designers in the southern state.

RELATED: Best Golf Resorts in Arizona and Full List of Golf Courses in Arizona

1. The Estancia Club Golf Course

The Estancia Club

In Scottsdale, Arizona, one finds the best golf course in the state in the shape of The Estancia Club.

Having opened in 1995, Tom Fazio originally designed the golf course at The Estancia Club, a course that plays in a mountainous and desert region.

His efforts were followed up by Kevin Sutherland in 2012. What has resulted is a 7,146-yard course that’s close to Tonto National Forest in a part of Arizona where golf reigns supreme.

This course features in many top lists for the state of Arizona. Located at the base of the slopes of Pinnacle Peak, The Estancia Club’s course was Golf Digest’s “Best New Private Course of 1996.”

2. Forest Highlands Golf Club

Forest Highlands Golf Club

In 1988, the Forest Highlands Golf Club opened near Flagstaff, Arizona.

This par-71 affair is on the relatively short side at just 7,007 yards. But Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf designed a course that has three par-5 holes that are over 600 yards each and a par-4 that gets close to 500 yards.

With an elevation of 7,000 feet, golfers will have the light air of Arizona helping them so expect those holes to play short than they first appear.

With mountain ridges bordering the 18-hole course (which is really two courses, nine holes each of the Canyon Course and Meadow Course) golfers should expect ponderosa pines amidst the forest-highland scenery.

The golf course at the Forest Highlands Golf Club continues to impress golf fans in the Phoenix area, which is two hours north.

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3. Pine Canyon Club Golf Course

Pine Canyon Club

Another noted course in Flagstaff is Pine Canyon Club, the work of golf-course designer Jay Morrish.

Located close to Walnut Canyon National Monument, Pine Canyon is a private golf course in a residential community.

Opened in 2004, the golf course is a par-72 contest with 7,272 yards in play from the back tees.

The championship course, which is known for an amazing clubhouse, is in a region where golfing enthusiasts have no shortage of courses to choose from. Yet, Pine Canyon has stood out to its patrons.

Expect mountainous scenery and terrain, pine trees, perfectly manicured greens, and broad fairways.

Despite the setting in Arizona, this course is a little different than what the desert state usually offers as there are plenty of ponds and lakes on this course that give it a unique feel.

4. The Stone Canyon Club

The Stone Canyon Club

Located close to Mount Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Natural Area, the golf course at The Stone Canyon Club is among Arizona’s best.

Having opened in the year 2000, Jay Morrish designed an impressive par-72 course with 7,307 yards in play.

Golfers should expect sloping terrain, gorgeous desert landscapes, and impressive scenery of the Tortolita Mountains.

5. Whisper Rock Golf Club (Lower Course)

Whisper Rock Golf Club

Whisper Rock Golf Club has two courses: the Upper Course and the Lower Course.

Tom Fazio designed the former while Phil Mickelson and Gary Stephenson designed the latter, which is the best of the duo.

The Lower Course opened in 2001 amidst the desert landscape of the Scottsdale area. It is a par-72 course with at a length of 7,359 yards located close to the Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

Expect mountain peaks in the scenery, shallow bunkers and narrow greens on the course, and an experience that has impressed most of those that have played here.