Golf in Tucson Variety, Views & Value

Nearly three and a half centuries after golf began Tucson officially got into the game when the Randolph North golf course opened for play in 1929. Since that time, Tucson has become a desert golf mecca providing variety, views and value at more than 40 courses. The choices are abundant whether you prefer parkland, desert or links-style play. If bucket-list courses designed by Fazio, Nicklaus, Palmer, Robert Trent Jones or William F. “Billy” Bell, we’ve got those too. Looking to play where the pros play? You’re covered. In other words, no matter what golf experience you want, Tucson has the answer. Play Where the Pros Play Tucson has been home to professional golf tournaments since 1945 so playing where the pros have played provides eight courses from which to choose. A good place to start for a walk in the park is at El Rio, a Tucson municipal course and host to the PGA Tour for 17 years. You’ll be walking the same fairways graced by golf greats Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias to name just a few. Continue your pro tour itinerary at Forty-Niner Country Club, Omni Tucson National, Starr Pass Golf Club, Randolph North, The Gallery Golf Club’s South and North courses and the Golf Club at Dove Mountain.

The last stop on the where-the-prosplayed tour is the Catalina course at Omni Tucson National Resort, home of the PGA TOUR® Champions Tucson Cologuard Classic. You’ll be able to test your skills on a parkland-style course featuring eight lakes and more than 80 bunkers. Extend your stay and add the Sonoran course to your play list on day two for a completely different experience. The Sonoran is a course designed by Tom Lehman offering a combination of native desert vegetation with strategic fairway bunkering. Views as Breathtaking as the Course is Challenging Social media photo op courses abound in Tucson. The 107-yard, hole 3 at the Mountain course at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon Golf & Tennis Club is one of the most photographed holes in the Southwest. Add in the Canyon course, sister to the Mountain, and you might just need to add more gigabytes to your cloud storage account.

For a completely different view, visit Quarry Pines whose name is derived from the fact it was built atop an abandoned sand and gravel quarry. This very playable golf course

offers a mix of dramatic elevation changes and stunning mountain views.

Set at the base of scenic Pusch Ridge, the El Conquistador Golf & Tennis in Oro Valley has amazing view spread throughout its 45 holes of championship golf. The Conquistador and Canada courses feature two distinct experiences, matching elements of the high desert with the friendly, supple expanse of a more traditional layout.

Stay & Play Hotspots If your idea of a perfect golf getaway is to arrive at a resort and never leave, you’ll have a variety of spots from which to choose in Tucson. The aforementioned Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa and the Lodge at Ventana Canyon top the list as ideal locations, but there’s more.

The Westin La Paloma features two 18-hole gems, Casino del Sol Resort & Spa is home to Sewailo Golf Club, a Notay Begay design blending the natural Sonoran Desert landscape of Tucson with picturesque lakes and streams. JW Marri-

ott Starr Pass Resort features an Arnold Palmer design of 27 delightful and chal- lenging holes set amid red-tinged des- ert scenery. And for the ultimate luxu- ry golf vacation, you’ll never go wrong with a stay at the Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain.

After Golf Delights The golf will be memorable and so will the after-round experience. Tucson tastes like nowhere else in North Amer- ica, with a rich agricultural heritage spanning 4,000 years. Known for its borderlands culture and extraordinary fusion cuisine, Tucson was chosen as the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the USA. The city is also home to the “Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food,” a self-guided tour of local Mexican-style eateries with south-of-the-border au- thenticity.

A hotbed for award-winning creativ- ity in food and the arts, Tucson not sur- prisingly has an explosive craft brewing scene. There’s far too many individu- al breweries and watering holes to list here, but a few to consider include Bar- rio Brewing, Crooked Tooth and Iron John’s.

After dark, Tucson’s vibrant down- town comes alive and is easy to explore on foot or via the Sun Link Streetcar – listen to music on the patio at Hotel Congress or sample the culinary scene. Beyond the city’s center, prepare to be mesmerized by Tucson’s night skies – from the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter ob- servatory to Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium.

By day, explore the Spanish colonial architecture at the historic Mission San Xavier del Bac or embark on a journey through more than 350 historic air- crafts at the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Variety, Views & Value What began nearly 100 years ago as one 18-hole place to play has blossomed into a desert golf mecca featuring mu- nicipal, public, resort and private op- tions in a place where the sun shines 300 days a year. It’s a place you’ll want to visit over and over.