Best golf courses near Gilbert, AZ

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.

Papago is one of the best values in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, offering incredible views of the nearby Camelback Mountains and downtown Phoenix. A recent $8 million investment into the course and the impressive Thunderbirds Golf Complex, where the Arizona State men's and women's golf teams train, have reengerized this municipal course that hosted the 1971 U.S. Amateur Public Links. The four-acre short game area boasts one of the most impressive collegiate practice facilities in the country with three acres of rough and fairway to mimic a variety of lies and a six-acre hitting area with 21 target greens and a number of fairway bunkers.

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.

Renovated in 2013, this beautifully conditioned desert course was made more playable for different skill levels, but at 7,221 yardspresents a stout challenge for advanced players. Carve out some extra time for the first-class practice facilities, including an updated short-game area. Proximity to downtown Scottsdale makes Camelback a convenient choice for many visitors, and the JW Marriott is one of the best hotels in the Scottsdale area.

Having recently completed a multi-million-dollar renovation, Western Skies now boasts improved irrigation and a lighted practice facility. The affordable public layout is flat and forgiving, with wide fairways and minimal rough, making it a great option for beginners. The drivable par-4 18th is a captivating finisher with water up the entire right side, making longer players debate whether to go for the green off the tee.

Just about 30 minutes south of Scottsdale, Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass boasts a world-class practice facility and two very good public courses. For five years, the then-Nationwide Tour hosted an event here, the Gila River Golf Classic, an ode to the heritage of the surrounding Gila River Indian Reservation. The layouts—the Cattail and the Devil's Claw—are routed over 500 acres, with half of that being native vegetation. The courses boast large greens and wide fairways for the most part, but golfers are rewarded for taking on hazards with shorter lines into the greens, which boast subtle but tumbling undulations.

Raven Golf Club Phoenix is a Gary Panks and David Graham design that plays among stands of pine trees, giving it a unique setting in an area dominated by traditional desert layouts. Though most holes are relatively straight, the prominent contouring in the fairways and variety of bunkering prevents the course from getting monotonous. Vistas of the surrounding rugged mountains and Phoenix skyline are present throughout, which paired with the serene setting make this a fantastic public option in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

Designed by William P. Bell—who worked closely with George C. Thomas on designs such as Riviera Country Club and Bel-Air Country Club—the Adobe course was built in 1928 under the direction of chewing gum icon William Wrigley Jr. Over the years, U.S. presidents, foreign heads of state and Hollywood celebrities have visited the club and played the Adobe layout, which sits adjacent to the Arizona Biltmore Hotel and Resort. The course is a traditional parkland layout with very little elevation change and generous landing areas. Though the conditioning might not be up to the standard of a private club, the Adobe layout is worth playing for its history and subtle strategic elements, including uniquely shaped sharp-edged bunkering.