Arizona Golf Scene

Surrounded by breathtaking landscape and one of the nation’s largest ponderosa pine forests, Prescott is a must-see for the outdoors person. Five area lakes and more than 450 miles of recreational trails offer a wealth activities and adventures. Prescott’s history and cultural heritage are readily apparent: over 600 buildings on the National Register of Historic Buildings, four museums, the historic Courthouse Plaza and famous (and once infamous) Whiskey Row are hallmarks of this charming, mile-high community.

Los Abrigados is a Portuguese term for the “the shelters”, and in Spanish it means a place to “keep warm”, but in the Arizona summer months, this ILX signature resort nestled against the banks of the famous Oak Creek in Sedona, the warmth translates into the hospitality you can take advantage of while you cool off. The resort is a world away from the desert heat, though only a 2-hour drive from the Valley of the Sun.

Situated in a unique geological area that has mesmerized tourists for decades, Sedona is a unique, picturesque city surrounded and characterized by massive red-rock formations, scenic byways and situated in the breathtaking Oak Creek Canyon. While in town, enjoy a drive along Sedona’s scenic Hwy 89A, named Arizona’s first scenic highway in 1992, or down Hwy 179, recently designated an All American Road / National Scenic byway in 2006 and see if you can resist red rock fever.

When it comes to looking for a destination to enjoy golf and the great outdoors, the Hilton Golf Academy at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort, Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort and the Hilton Santa Fe Resort & Spa at Buffalo Thunder offer special package rates that allow you to bask in the warm sunshine, while experiencing spectacular golf courses. With a wide variety of packages that fit most everyone’s budget, there is no reason you shouldn’t grab your clubs, learn to improve your game and stay at award-winning golf resorts.

Imagine a wedding on the first tee at The Raven Club at South Mountain. The spectacular waterfall, serene pond and beautiful Georgia pines provide the perfect backdrop for this special occasion. The ceremony is followed by cocktails in the Raven Grill and a reception in the air-conditioned Pavilion. The Pavilion can accommodate 200 guests with dinner, dancing and all other amenities guaranteed to make your night memorable. A section of the Pavilion can even be opened to expose guests to the breathtaking view of the 18th hole that is overshadowed by South Mountain.

From its dramatic location set among the foothills of Phoenix’s West Valley, to its first-class amenities, to its stark visual appeal, Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia has discovered a way to differentiate itself, even in the hotbed of golf that is Arizona. Now rolling into its fourth full season, Trilogy at Vistancia is maturing into its Gary Panks design, a style that includes the highlighting of native grasses of the Arizona desert few of us had probably ever recognized before.

You can almost hear the hoofbeats when you drive up to the clubhouse at Oakcreek Country Club. You look around, half-expecting to see John Wayne and Kirk Douglas riding over the incredible red-rock formations that surround this 6,824-yard par-72 layout. Instead of “the Duke” and Douglas, what you’ll meet are the Jones’, as you play a rare Arizona collaboration of Robert Trent Jones Senior and Junior.

Besides what you hear, and see, you’ll be amazed by what you feel. Sedona’s far more temperate climate (compared to Phoenix, 90-minutes south) and the comfortable pace of a golf facility that’s a true “country club”. Oakcreek Country Club is not your typical desert-style resort course where the accent’s on the “resort”. Oakcreek is country club golf, and more accurately, Midwestern-style country club golf.

It might not look like it on the map, but Poston Butte Golf Club might be the golf match play made in heaven. Bringing together Arizona’s most acclaimed architect in Gary Panks, and the state’s best-known upscale golf course managers in Troon Golf in a new community by Arizona’s most prominent developer, the Anthem at Merrill Ranch by Del Webb, Poston Butte might just be what you’re looking for in a golf getaway for a day or a lifetime.

The name is just too enticing, the history too compelling, the scenery too breathtaking, the amenities too welcoming to ignore. Apache Stronghold Golf Club puts you in touch with your game in a gorgeous high-desert design by acclaimed architect Tom Doak, with the pride of Arizona’s Apache nation accompanying you every step of the way.

We all remember so fondly and so vividly our first car. It might not have been brand new, might not have had all the fancy options of the newest models we'd later aspire to, but it was also more fun and was host to more good times than any car we ever owned. You remember it, don't you? Like it was yesterday. Desert Canyon Golf Club, the first golf course built in Fountain Hills back in 1971, has that same feel.