Tag: AZ Top Courses

Top 15 Private Golf Clubs-Arizona 2023

Desert Mountain

While there are a great many fantastic public golf courses in Arizona, membership at a private club puts you at the top of the food chain for a quality golf experience. The limited play at a private club pretty much guarantees that course conditions will always be great, and you can also say goodbye to the 5-hour round.

Whether you are a fulltime Arizona resident who loves to play golf, or a northern golfer looking for a winter golf home, AZ can offer some of the finest private clubs you’ll find anywhere in the country. We’ve included our Top 15 below, or you can spin through all of the private courses in Arizona—listed by GolfDay Rating.

Clubs are listed on the basis of GolfDay Rating, and listings include the year a club was founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link for course description, as well as current local and national rankings by Golf Digest. A link to the Club website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.

Mirabel Golf Club, Scottsdale AZ

The elite private clubs in Arizona include designs by Tom Fazio (Whisper Rock, Estancia and Mirabel), Jack Nicklaus (Desert Mountain and Desert Highlands) and John Fought/Tom Lehman (The Gallery and updates to the Phoenix Country Club).

Seven of the Top 15 were designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, either in collaboration or as solo work (Forest Highlands, Scottsdale National, Silverleaf, Stone Canyon, Troon, The Rim and Pine Canyon).

The GolfDay private club rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest, as well as club longevity and prestige. 

Whisper Rock Golf Club, Scottsdale AZ
  1. Whisper Rock Golf Club/Scottsdale
    • Founded: 2001
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architect: Tom Fazio/Gary Stephenson/Phil Mickelson
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Upper:             75.9 Rating/146 Slope
    • Mountain:       75.6 Rating/149 Slope
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (Upper-156/Lower-188), Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (Upper-3/Lower-5)
    • GolfDay Rating: 98.1
    • Location
Desert Mountain, Scottsdale AZ
  1. Desert Mountain/Scottsdale
    • Founded: 1996
    • Holes: 126 (6 Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses and an Eighteen Hole Par 3 Course))
    • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Phil Smith
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Renegade:                   77.8 Rating/150 Slope
    • Cochise:                      72.8 Rating/143 Slope
    • Apache:                       73.9 Rating/135 Slope
    • Geronimo:                   74.3 Rating/145 Slope
    • Chiricahua:                 74.6 Rating/147 Slope
    • Outlaw:                       73.5 Rating/147 Slope
    • No. 7:                          55.7 Rating/93 Slope
The Estancia Club, Scottsdale AZ
  1. The Estancia Club/Scottsdale
    • Founded: 1996
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0 Rating/147 Slope
    • Photos
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (72), Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (1)
    • GolfDay Rating: 95.3
    • Location
Forest Highlands Golf Club, Flagstaff AZ
  1. Forest Highlands Golf Club/Flagstaff
    • Founded: 1986
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architects: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Meadow:         74.3 Rating/143 Slope
    • Canyon:           73.0 Rating/144 Slope
The Gallery Golf Club, Marana AZ
  1. The Gallery Golf Club/Marana
  2. Escalante Golf
    • Founded: 1998
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architects: John Fought/Tom Lehman
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • North:              74.0 Rating/143 Slope
    • South:              74.5 Rating/145 Slope
    • Course Descriptions
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (South-26/North-28)
    • GolfDay Rating: 92.9
    • Location
Scottsdale National Golf Club, Scottsdale AZ
  1. Scottsdale National Golf Club/Scottsdale
    • Founded: 2003
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architects: Dick Bailey/Jay Morrish/Jackson Kahn
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Mine Shaft:     75.3 Rating/145 Slope
    • The Other:       74.1 Rating/140 Slope
    • Course Description
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (Mine Shaft-19)
    • GolfDay Rating: 92.5
    • Location
Mirabel Golf Club, Scottsdale AZ
    1. Mirabel Golf Club/Scottsdale
Torreon Golf Club, Show Low AZ
  1. Torreon Golf Club/Show Low
  2. Troon Golf
    • Founded: 1999
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architects: Robert von Hagge/Michael Smelek/Richard Baril
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Tower:            73.0 Rating/142 Slope
    • Cabin:             74.2 Rating/144 Slope
    • Course Descriptions
    • GolfDay Rating: 91.6
    • Location
Desert Highlands Golf Club, Scottsdale AZ
  1. Desert Highlands Golf Club/Scottsdale
    • Founded: 1982
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Phil Smith/Gary Panks
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/149 Slope
    • Course Description
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (8)
    • GolfDay Rating: 91.2
    • Location
Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix AZ
  1. Phoenix Country Club/Phoenix
  2. Troon Golf
Silver Leaf Club, Scottsdale AZ
  1. Silverleaf Club/Scottsdale
The Stone Canyon Golf Club, Oro Valley AZ
  1. The Stone Canyon Club/Oro Valley
  2. Arcis Golf
    • Founded: 2000
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architect: Jay Morrish
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0 Rating/142 Slope
    • Course Description
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (184), Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (4)
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
    • Location
Troon Country Club, Scottsdale AZ
  1. Troon Country Club/Scottsdale
    • Founded: 1985
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architect: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish/Phil Smith
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.8 Rating/146 Slope
    • Course Description
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (20)
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
    • Location
The Rim Golf Club, Payson AZ
  1. The Rim Golf Club/Payson
  2. Arcis Golf
    • Founded: 1999
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architects: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish/Phil Smith
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9 Rating/140 Slope
    • Course Description
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Arizona Top 35 (14)
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.5
    • Location
The Pine Canyon Club, Flagstaff AZ
  1. The Pine Canyon Club/Flagstaff
  2. Troon Golf

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