Back
The golf scene in Phoenix-Scottsdale is so competitive that there's always something new and exciting ready to greet snowbird golfers visiting during the high season that runs from January through April.
The new offerings for 2024's peak season are particularly noteworthy. There's a redesigned resort course to discover, plus two new entertaining options for golfers after dark.
Before we reveal all the pertinent local golf news, we'd be doing you a disservice if we didn't mention all the golf packages we offer to the Valley of the Sun.
New golf experience at the Arizona Biltmore
Designed by the Lehman Design Group and Scottsdale resident and five-time PGA TOUR champion Tom Lehman, the new Estates Course sits on the same footprint as the Club’s former Adobe Course but features an entirely new look and feel. Named after the iconic Biltmore neighborhood that surrounds the property, the par 71 measures 6,721 yards from the back tees – an increase of more than 130 yards. New green complexes, recontoured fairways and added mounds combine to deliver variety and strategy. Bunkers now have a classic sod-down look, in which grass flows over the bunker’s face.
During the six-month redesign project, crews planted more than 400 new trees to add visual appeal while helping to define fairways and playing corridors. The course has been overseeded with rye grass for the cooler winter months and has a base of drought-tolerant TifTuf Bermuda grass.
The new course compliments Arizona Biltmore's 19,500-square-foot golf shop revealed last March. The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired building includes retail and office space, member locker rooms, fitting rooms, restrooms and over 13,000 square feet of underground golf cart storage. Work on phase three is currently underway as construction crews are building a new clubhouse and restaurant to replace the existing Adobe Restaurant and event tent, while also adding additional on-site parking and making landscape improvements. Work should conclude later this year.
PopStroke invades Arizona
PopStroke, the mini-golf franchise tied to Tiger Woods, has opened its first two venues in Arizona in the Valley of the Sun within the past nine months. The first one opened last March in the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale. The second one debuted in October at the Pavilions at Talking Stick on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation near Scottsdale. It is roughly a mile from the nearby Topgolf, making this location a premier hub of golf entertainment after dark.
If you've never been to a PopStroke, they're fun experiences, featuring two 18-hole putting courses playable for all skills. There's craft beer, a good menu, corn hole, TVs and ice cream treats that make for a fun night out with family or friends.
Play night golf at Grass Clippings
The growing trend of playing golf at night has finally reached Phoenix-Scottsdale. The redesigned Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills debuted Dec. 1 with more than 78 LED lights illuminating the par-54, par-3 golf course at night. It plays as an executive-length golf course with par 3s and 4s during the day. Golfers are able to track ball flight through the night sky on holes that range from 90 to 200-plus yards, while enjoying 360-degree views of downtown Tempe, Sky Harbor Airport, downtown Phoenix, the Phoenix Zoo and the nighttime silhouette of the Papago Buttes. Golfers can tee it up until midnight on weekends and until 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The clubhouse is undergoing a renovation, adding a new Mexican restaurant and a patio bar while refurbishing the former Rolling Hills golf shop. In addition, Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills will add a hilltop bar near hole 8, an activity lawn and video display and an entertainment site for live music, markets and events, with full completion of all projects targeted for fall 2024.
Rolling Hills was originally built in 1960, with nine more holes added in 1987. Redesign work added a new 9th hole, new tee boxes, installation of a state-of-the-art irrigation system to improve turf quality, and a 15,000-square-foot putting green.
"The lights are a game-changer for golf in the Phoenix area,” said Grass Clippings CEO Jake Hoselton. “Now golfers can play 18 holes of golf well into the evening and do so in just over two hours."
Wigwam Resort updates
The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park is in the final stages of a $50-million room and grounds renovation project. The resort-wide renovation includes a complete interior refresh to elevate its casitas, suites and two presidential suites. Carpeted floors have been replaced with luxury vinyl tile and geometric rugs while artwork pays homage to the role that the Goodyear Tire Company played in the property’s history.
Guestrooms and suites at The Wigwam range from 480 to 5,000 square feet and each room opens onto an expansive private patio overlooking pools, gardens, tennis courts or golf courses. Azure-tiled walls and oil-rubbed bronze accents, along with new double vanities and mirrors with dimmer-controlled lighting will enhance each of the guest bathrooms. In addition to the complete interior refresh, The Wigwam also underwent extensive improvements to its grounds, which sprawl over 440 acres. Guests walking to and from The Wigwam’s three pools, nine tennis courts, three golf courses, meeting spaces, spa and four restaurants will be greeted with century-old cacti, native plants and seasonal desert blooms.
Stay in the Swing with GolfPass!
Get exclusive tips from the pros, in-depth course reviews, the latest gear updates, and more delivered straight to your inbox.
Comments (2)
As someone who has been playing & loving Phoenix/Scottsdale golf in late January with my Oklahoma buddies since the late 80s it comes as quite a disappointment how green fees have skyrocketed in just the past year. I know the valley continues to grow with new residents pouring in but the jacked-up prices will probably mean this is the last year my group & myself will be gathering in the Valley of the Sun. For a couple of my buddies this means selling their vacation condos and looking east towards central Florida.
Unfortunately the cost to play courses during the high season has priced out even local residents. But we do have some great courses for those willing to shell out big bucks.