Courses

Best golf courses near Fountain Hills, AZ

Below, you’ll find a list of courses near Fountain Hills, AZ. There are 83 courses within a 15-mile radius of Fountain Hills, 49 of which are public courses and 29 are private courses. There are 69 18-hole courses and 13 nine-hole layouts.

The above has been curated through Golf Digest’s Places to Play course database, where we have collected star ratings and reviews from our 1,900 course-ranking panelists. Join our community by signing up for Golf Digest+ and rate the courses you’ve visited recently.

SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
Public
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
Fountain Hills, AZ
3.8
74 Panelists
Tucked in a canyon 30 minutes northeast of Phoenix Sky Harbor, Sunridge Canyon features an intriguing mix of doglegs and carries over ravines. The course is best known for its closing "Wicked 6," which consists of two par 3s, two par 4s, and two par 5s, and plays generally uphill and into the prevailing wind. The course hosted the 1997 USGA Men's State Team Championship.
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The Estancia Club
Private
The Estancia Club
Scottsdale, AZ
4.7
151 Panelists
Estancia, our Best New Private Course of 1996, was Tom Fazio’s initial entry into the Scottsdale scene. Positioned beneath the north slopes of Pinnacle Peak and routed to provide a variety of uphill and downhill shots and a change of direction on almost every hole, Estancia is an easterner’s version of rock-and-cactus architecture, with wide turf corridors, few desert carries and greens wilder than most. Former Fazio design associate Kevin Sutherland (no relation to the PGA Tour player of the same name) has made slight design adjustments in recent years.
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Whisper Rock Golf Club: Lower Course
Private
Whisper Rock Golf Club: Lower Course
Scottsdale, AZ
Phil Mickelson wanted his course design debut to be something different than the typical Scottsdale desert layout, so he had some fairways recessed into the landscape to create elevation change, kept tee boxes flush with the ground and built mostly long, narrow greens edged by chipping hollows. Mickelson calls them “Pinehurst greens.” Bunkers are surprisingly shallow and fairways are uniformly wide, because he dislikes holes that bottleneck down for big hitters. There’s plenty of grass in which to play, and a surprising number of trees on the layout, including palo verde, juniper and mesquite. Phil considers his design to be a second-shot course, “and we don’t have the same second shot two times in a row,” he says. One second shot, on the par-5 third, must contend with a “ha ha wall,” a three-foot-high ledge of stacked rock that edges the putting surface. That’s definitely different than anything in Scottsdale.
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Desert Forest Golf Club
Private
Desert Forest Golf Club
Carefree, AZ
4.3
145 Panelists
Widely considered to be the first desert course ever built, Desert Forest was designed by Robert “Red” Lawrence—a founding member and president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects—and opened in 1962. Revered for its minimalist design and effective use of the natural contours of the land, the course has been previously ranked on our 100 Greatest and Second 100 Greatest lists. In 2013, the course underwent a $3 million renovation led by David Zinkland—a longtime associate of the Coore and Crenshaw design firm—which improved sightlines from tee boxes, added strategic bunkering and refined the greens. Referred to by our own Mike Stachura as “an American golf course design landmark,” Desert Forest is deceptively simple, with few fairway bunkers or doglegs, but requires thoughtful strategy to manage the undulating layout.
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Scottsdale National Golf Club: Mineshaft
4.3
46 Panelists
The Mineshaft course is the original of the three courses at Scottsdale National, previously known as The Golf Club of Scottsdale, which was purchased by PXG owner Bob Parsons in 2013. With little built-up infrastructure around the property, the secluded course is a true desert-golf experience. There are plenty of panoramic views of the McDowell Mountains and Four Peaks, especially on the tee at the downhill par-3 16th. Scottsdale National is an extremely private club owned by Parsons, who says that “We have one rule: no member shall ever impede on another member’s good time.”
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Silverleaf Club
Private
Silverleaf Club
Scottsdale, AZ
4.2
55 Panelists
A couple miles from the Tom Weiskopf-designed Stadium course at TPC Scottsdale, the private Silverleaf Club is another Weiskopf desert layout. All aspects of Silverleaf are top-notch, from the scenic, challenging course to the 50,000 square-foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse to the expansive practice facility, where tour pros such as Jon Rahm practice. Weaving through the canyons of the McDowell Mountains, the well-bunkered course has many greens with significant, occasionally severe undulations.
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Troon Country Club
Private
Troon Country Club
Scottsdale, AZ
4.2
81 Panelists
Designed by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf in the mid-1980s, Troon Country Club was one of the first desert courses in the Scottsdale area. The course—ranked for 10 years on our 100 Greatest list from 1989-1998—is relatively playable and allows the golfer to run the ball up onto many greens. That said, finding the generally wide fairways is essential, as they are closely guarded by cacti-filled desert.
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Troon North Golf Club: Monument
Public
Troon North Golf Club: Monument
Scottsdale, AZ
4.2
120 Panelists
This esteemed Tom Weiskopf design pays homage to Open Championship-style golf in the middle of the Scottsdale desert. Set in the shadows of Pinnacle Peak, Troon North weaves through giant granite boulders that often impact shot options. The track is a tough, yet aesthetically pleasing experience for any golfer.
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Mirabel Golf Club
Private
Mirabel Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ
4.1
86 Panelists
This Tom Fazio design is an aesthetically pleasing desert layout with generous fairways that play gradually tighter the farther you hit it. The deep-green fairways sharply contrast with the imposing bunkers and lurking Sonoran desert. The greens are quite large and undulating, allowing for a variety of hole locations and requiring deft touch. Mirabel’s conditioning gets consistently high marks from our panelists.
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We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Saguaro
Public
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Saguaro
Fort McDowell, AZ
4.1
231 Panelists
A mainstay on Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public, the Saguaro course is ranked among the best public options in the state. This Coore and Crenshaw design incorporates all the typical traits of a desert course while maintaining a traditional, walkable feel—the Saguaro features wide, forgiving fairways and greens situated close to the following tees. Like Bandon Trails, Sand Hills, and Friar’s Head, three of Coore and Crenshaw’s other acclaimed projects, We-Ko-Pa traces the natural movement of the land and provides 360 degree views of four surrounding mountains: Superstition, McDowell, Mazatzal and the Four Peaks.
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Desert Highlands Golf Club
Private
Desert Highlands Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ
4.1
120 Panelists
Host of the first two televised Skins Games in 1983 and 1984 featuring Nicklaus, Palmer, Player and Watson, Desert Highlands is a Jack Nicklaus design sitting at the base of Pinnacle Peak. With stunning views of the surrounding desert, valley and moutains, the course demands precise ball-striking to find the relatively narrow fairways. The course has been previously ranked on our 100 Greatest and Second 100 Greatest rankings.
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Troon North Golf Club: Pinnacle
Public
Troon North Golf Club: Pinnacle
Scottsdale, AZ
4
117 Panelists
Like its sister course, the Pinnacle at Troon North is carved into the natural desert landscape with unfathomably large boulders lining the fairways and greens. Severe elevation changes create interesting variety among holes, as well as excellent vistas. The signature par-3 16th, referred to as the “Post Card,” features a tee shot over water to a large, undulating green.
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Scottsdale National Golf Club: The Other Course
4
33 Panelists
The Other Course, built by David Kahn and Tim Jackson, is the second 18-hole course at Scottsdale National. Owned by PXG founder Bob Parsons, the course is one of the new century’s most exciting, creative design expressions—golf presented as a physical and psychological journey—though very few people have seen it due to the extreme private nature of the club.
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TPC Scottsdale: Stadium
Public
TPC Scottsdale: Stadium
Scottsdale, AZ
3.9
232 Panelists
The famed home of the WM Phoenix Open boasts probably the most well-known stadium hole in golf: the par-3 16th. Tiger Woods' hole-in-one in 1997 put it on the map for casual fans, who now flock to Scottsdale during Super Bowl week. The layout has architectural merit, too, with its risk-and-reward-filled back nine. Tom Weiskopf, who designed the course with Jay Morrish, has overseen renovations of the course—making tweaks to please the tour player and resort guest alike.
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We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Cholla
Public
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Cholla
Fort McDowell, AZ
3.9
155 Panelists
Though our panelists rank the Cholla course as the second best at We-Ko-Pa, it's in the top-10 among public courses in golf-rich Arizona—making it a must-play. The Scott Miller design—located at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, a 2022 Golf Digest Editors' Choice winner for resorts—winds through the arroyos and ridges of the Sonoran Desert. Split fairways, stacked stone riverbeds and 30-foot tall cacti in play give this hidden gem its character.
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Grayhawk Golf Club: Raptor
Public
Grayhawk Golf Club: Raptor
Scottsdale, AZ
3.8
60 Panelists
Designed by Tom Fazio, the Raptor Course is one of two 18-hole layouts at Grayhawk. The course, which hosted the PGA Tour's Frys.com Open between 2007-'09, features generous fairways and greens, and has been lauded for excellent conditioning. The Raptor Course is also the host of the NCAA Men's and Women's Division I Golf Championships from 2021 through 2023.
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Whisper Rock Golf Club: Upper Course
Private
Whisper Rock Golf Club: Upper Course
Scottsdale, AZ
Whisper Rock’s Upper Course was intended, as the club’s second 18, to specifically test its low-handicap and PGA Tour pro membership, but Tom Fazio couldn’t resist being a crowd-pleaser, so although he designed 18 holes with demanding angles to diagonal fairways from the back tees, his landing areas for average golfers are generous and most greens are cradled with ample chipping areas. All players enjoy the scenic beauty of this patch of Sonoran Desert, with the front nine holes framed by dry washes and a four-hole stretch on the back woven through astonishing towers of balanced granite boulders. “That’s a beautiful, beautiful stretch, going up into those boulders and back down towards Pinnacle Peak,” said Fazio at the grand opening. “But I’m proud of the entire course, as it’s got a whole bag of different looks.” Whisper Rock’s other 18, the older Lower Course, is ranked No. 174.
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The Boulders Club: South
Public
The Boulders Club: South
Carefree, AZ
3.8
98 Panelists
Designed by Jay Morrish, this par-71 championship course is known for its natural beauty and intricate layout among the Sonoran Desert foothills. As players navigate boulder formations and elevation changes throughout their rounds, they are likely to spot some unique wildlife: bobcats, coyotes, and even javelina lurk among the scenic desert terrain. In June 2022, the course broke ground on a four-month bunker and greens renovation project. The greens, in addition to being expanded to their original shape and size, were resurfaced with TifEagle Bermuda.
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The Phoenician Golf Club
Public
The Phoenician Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ
3.6
81 Panelists
Phil Smith redesigned an existing 27-hole facility at The Phoenician into a new, ultra-playable 18-hole course that winds through the Sonoran Desert. The par-71 Phoenician can play as short as 4,594 yards or as long as more than 6,518 yards. The back nine winds through the mountainside, providing some dramatic views.
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Terravita Golf and Country Club: Club Terravita
3.5
4 Panelists
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Talking Stick Golf Club: O'Odham Course
3.5
114 Panelists
The O'odham course (formerly the North Course) is one of two courses at Talking Stick designed by the acclaimed designed team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The layout places a premium on accuracy, with fairways and greens strategically surrounded by brush and waste areas and features a refreshing mix of long and shorter holes.
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The Boulders Club: North
Public
The Boulders Club: North
Carefree, AZ
3.3
75 Panelists
The older of the two 18-hole courses at the Boulders, the North Course presents stunning views of Black Mountain as it weaves throughout the rugged desert landscape. Also a Jay Morrish design, this track boasts bentgrass greens and several holes that are nestled tightly within ancient rock formations.
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Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Public
Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Fountain Hills, AZ
Unlike many desert layouts which are demanding from tee to green, Eagle Mountain is more forgiving. With few forced carries, it’s a departure from the target-style golf that characterizes many nearby courses. There are many elevated tees that provide scenic vistas of the McDowell Mountains.
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