Tucson

Tubac To The Future

Opened in 1959 on the site of a 500-acre Otero Ranch, Tubac Golf Resort & Spa lies 45 minutes from Tucson and is worth every minute you spend there. The head golf professional, Grand Junction native Kristie Fowler, runs an amazing operation consisting of three nines—the Anza, Otero and Rancho—that weave around water and old-growth cottonwoods and mesquites. The bovines grazing near some holes are as iconic to the course as the scenes from Tin Cup that were shot there. You’ll recognize the welcome arch from the betting scene between “Roy McAvoy” (Kevin Costner) and “David Simms” (Don Johnson), and a marker on the Rancho nine’s 568-yard 4th tempts you to imitate Costner’s 3-wood shot onto the green in two. Beyond the golf and the well-stocked shop, Tubac offers a 3,000-square-foot earth-inspired spa featuring distinctive treatments and a rehydrating eucalyptus steam room. The resort also is home to 98 luxury hacienda-style accommodations and three dining options—Stables Ranch Grille & Patio, Stables Bar and La Cantina. It also features a recently updated swimming pool with spacious cabanas. tubacgolfresort.com

Tucson Tee Times

Less than a two-hour drive from the Rockies’ current Spring Training home, the team’s erstwhile preseason base in Tucson remains a mecca for great golf, food and fun. Most of the great layouts are attached to resorts. Sewailo Golf Club (Casino Del Sol) boasts a Notah Begay/Ty Butler layout. The JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort features 27 Arnold Palmer-designed holes, while Jack Nicklaus designed the three nines at both Westin La Paloma and the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain (in nearby Marana). The 45 holes at El Conquistador Tucson, a Hilton Resort traverse the spectacular Oro Valley, and you can’t go wrong with Tucson’s munis—two of which formerly hosted PGA TOUR events. visittucson.com

BY

Omnipresence

This February, the Omni Tucson National will welcome the PGA TOUR Champions Cologuard Classic, having emerged from a multimillion-dollar transformation to the resort. The Omni, which boasts the Catalina and Sonoran 18s, redid all its deluxe and premier guestrooms with a bright Southwestern residential feel, while also redesigning the 51 Casitas and Hacienda Suites lining the course. Four new or upgraded restaurants and lounge areas complement Bob’s Steakhouse, and a 9,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Mokara Spa features 12 treatment rooms and a wide variety of services for individuals, couples, and groups, including a Sauna and Vichy shower room. omnitucsonnational.com

ALL’S FARE IN TUCSON

A tapestry of Mexican and Native American traditions, Tucson’s culinary heritage tells a story that dates back 4,000 years, leading to UNESCO recognizing it as its first “Capital of Gastronomy ” in the United States. From authentic Mexican spots to Sonoran Hot Dog stands and taco trucks to chef-driven, farm-to-table restaurants and craft breweries like Dragoon, Barrio and Pueblo Vida, Tucson does dining and drinking its own way. visittucson.org/restaurants-and-nightlife