GolfPass Icon
Rating Index Rating
Tooltip Information Icon
4.1
1144 Reviews (1144)
5 Stars
797
4 Stars
250
3 Stars
58
2 Stars
19
1 Stars
20
Conditions
4.9
Value
3.6
Layout
4.6
Friendliness
4.2
Pace
3.5
Amenities
3.5
65.4%
Recommend this course
1054 out of 1144 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
5 Reviews (5)
5 Stars
3
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
5.0
Value
3.4
Layout
4.6
Pace
3.4
Amenities
3.4
StaffFriendliness
4.2
60.0%
Recommend this course
3 out of 5 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
5 Reviews (5)
5 Stars
3
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
5.0
Value
3.4
Layout
4.6
Pace
3.4
Amenities
3.4
StaffFriendliness
4.2
60.0%
Recommend this course
3 out of 5 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Style Desert
Par 72
Length 6836 yards
Slope 137
Rating 72.1

One of two Tom Fazio-designed golf courses at this Tucson resort, the Canyon Course at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon is classic desert golf, set against the backdrop of the Sonoran Desert enhanced by its surroundings of saguaros, deer, roadrunners, quail and birds. The 6,836-yard, par-72 layout rolls through the Esperro Canyon, incorporating a massive formation known as Whaleback Rock in its design. The golf course has several memorable holes, including a couple of difficult par 3s - the 13th and 16th - as well as the reachable par-5 finishing hole, which features a man-made waterfall.

Book a Tee Time at
Ventana Canyon Golf Club
Powered by GolfNow.com

Course Details

Year Built 1984
Golf Season Year round
Architect Tom Fazio (1984) Andy Banfield

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
GPS No
Pull-carts No
Caddies No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "Ventana Canyon Golf Academy"
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed No
Dress code Collared shirt required, no denim

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Accolades

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+ Annual
golf ball.svg
$120 in monthly tee time promo codes
waivedfees
12 rounds of waived fees
redeemtrophy
GolfPass Member Pricing
teetime protection.svg
Tee Time Protection

Reviews

4.1
1144 Reviews (1144)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 37
19th Hole Scenic Views 26
Patio Dining 24
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 122
Bunkers 104
Undulating Greens 92
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 116
Advanced Golfers 93
A Weekend Splurge 82
This Course's Location is:
At a Resort 125
Worth the Drive 87
Convenient to the City 60

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Wonderful mountain course

Excellent staff ,Lovely course ,great views , excellent course conditions ,

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 03/28/2017:
So glad you loved everything about your round! Thanks for this great rating!
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/28/2017:
We thank you for this excellent rating!
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

No GPS

The course and facilities are top notch. The only area they fall short is their carts. No GPS. There are municipal courses with $50 greens fees that have GPS in their carts.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Response from on 03/28/2017:
Thanks so much for this awesome rating, we're glad you loved the course and your round. We will notify management about the possibility of getting GPS in our carts, for your convenience. We thank you for this suggestion, your feedback means a lot to us.
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

high dollar golf

first time at this course. would not go back. Hard to find the club house for registration. No GPS on carts. Nice course but not worth the money.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Response from on 03/24/2017:
We're sorry to hear that you did not see the best value playing here due to some of the missing features at the course. We appreciate the 4-star rating though, hoping you give us another shot and come back to see us again!
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course in many ways

The unique layout and the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff are what make this course really nice!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Response from on 03/23/2017:
So glad the staff and the layout made your round memorable!
Played On
Reviews 25
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course and views

The course was fun, fair with great desert views. However as this course is also private you get a second rate feeling especially with the different off course entrance with long walks and cart rides to get to the practice area and first tee box.

Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Response from on 03/23/2017:
Awesome! We're happy to hear you loved the course scenery and had a fun time!
Played On
Reviews 54
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/17/2017:
Thanks for this awesome rating!
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 25+
Skill Beginner
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Play the course

Course was inExellent condition, good pace, great weather...the best condition for golfing

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 03/17/2017:
So glad you loved the conditions and the weather worked out on your round. Come back and see you again soon!
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great fairways and greens

March 7 and a 30 minute frost delay. One mile cart ride to the practice range. Pay attention to the signs directing to the next tee--can be confusing The Canyon course will cross a four lane highway--beware and use caution!. Most unhappy with pace of play--five hours--adjust your dinner resv. The course has excellent fairways and greens, All of the holes are very interesting--great layout. Maybe the best views in all of Tucson. Be patient with the first few comments and you have a good experience.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Response from on 03/10/2017:
So glad you loved the experience as well as the scenery. Thanks for lthe safety tip here for our newer golfers, very thoughtful of you!
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Best Views in the Valley

Beautiful course and very well maintained. Fairways are wide and manicured. Greens are beautiful with lots of subtle slope and surprising changes in speed depending on the grain. Beware of the influence of the mountain on grain and ball speed!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/08/2017:
Great tips for our newer golfers! Thanks so much for enjoying our golf course!
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Ventana Canyon

This was our first trip to Tucson, and I would love to play this course again. The scenery was beautiful, and the course was very well maintained and in great shape. In addition, we had no slow play issues.

The afternoon became very chilly the last few holes, but overall, our round was awesome!

C. Farkas

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 03/08/2017:
So happy to hear you loved the scenery and pace of play was on point!
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/07/2017:
So glad you loved the distinct design here at the course! Come back and see us again soon!
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Must play

Beautiful, challenging course. Must play if you haven't

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/07/2017:
We thank you for this awesome recommendation!
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Ventana Canyon - Mountain Course

Awesome layout, very challenging, spectacular views. The starter was friendly and apologized for the slow start as we waited on a twosome ahead of us receiving a playing lesson. Our group of 4 consisted of a 3, 5, 16, and 18 handicap players. The course Marshall was rude, condescending, and argumentative. He chastised us for slow play and said we should complete each 9 holes of play in 2 hours to 2 hours and 10 minutes. we had a slow start and waited on the twosome on several holes. The course layout is very difficult. There are multiple tee boxes that require a long vertical walk to and from the tee. The cart paths intertwine and crisscross each other in opposite directions adding time to the duration of play. Different groups find themselves crossing each other's paths to the tee boxes. The 3 and 5 handicap players in our group agreed they would have difficulty with the Marshall's pace of play expectations and that the 16 and 18 handicap players had no chance. We chose to play point of entry penalty drops on out of bounds tee shots rather than retee to speed our pace of play. I recommend Ventana Canyon as a must play if you are visiting Tucson. Plan to arrive earlier than you expect as the Pro Shop is a walk from the hotel parking area and poorly marked. The practice facility is a long cart ride from the pro shop. The first tee is another long cart ride from the practice facility. If you expect to warm-up, plan and additional 30 minutes over your normal routine arrival time. Hopefully the course management will address their pace of play expectations and train their Marshalls in customer service etiquette.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Response from on 03/07/2017:
We thank you for this feedback and will review this with our staff and management. We're happy to hear you loved the course itself and thank you for this great recommendation. We hope you visit us again, and will ensure you have another spectacular round with us.
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Ventana Canyon - Mountain Course

Awesome layout! Very challenging! Spectacular views! The starter apologized for a late start as we waited on a twosome who was receiving a playing lesson. Course Marshall for the day was rude, condescending, and argumentative. Our group consisted of a 3 handicap, 5 handicap, 16 handicap, and an 18 handicap. The layout difficulty, multiple tee box elevation climbs, narrow fairways, cart paths interwinding and direction changes contribute to longer than normal or expected pace of play and completion duration time. The Marshall verbally chastised us stating we should complete each 9 in 2 hours to 2 hours and 10 minutes. Our 3 and 5 handicap players stated they would have difficulty with that time frame and a 16 and 18 handicap player had no chance. To speed our play we chose to take penalty drops at point of entry on out-of-bounds tee shots rather than re-tee. Ventana Canyon is clearly a top visitor and tourist stop if you plan to play in Tucson. I recommend the course and plan to play both the Mountain and Canyon courses in the future. Hopefully the staff will review their pace of play expectations and also train their Marshalls in Customer Service etiquette.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Response from on 03/02/2017:
We thank you for this feedback and will review this with our staff and management. We're happy to hear you loved the course itself and thank you for this great recommendation. We hope you visit us again, and will ensure you have another spectacular round with us.
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Response from on 03/02/2017:
Thanks for this excellent rating!
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/02/2017:
Thanks for this awesome rating, we're sorry to hear the pace of play was not ideal for your round. We work hard to enforce some of the pace of play issues in a professional and customer-service oriented manner. We hope to see you again on another day!
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Signage and Staff Fail

Despite the course being in excellent condition, seeing a bobcat, perfect weather, and a birdie on the 3rd Hole, I have to give this course an overall rating of 2 stars, and that is generous. The first and most obvious problem is the poor signage. Evidently there is some issue with the resort and the golf course management that has led to there not being signs directing golfers to the pro shop - the golfers suffer - sinage_fail - c'mon man!

Once you find the proshop, you have to take a convoluted route down to the practice facility. From there you have to back track to the first tee, again without adequate signage ** plan extra time for this, get there 15 - 20 min earlier than you would **. Pace of play was fine for a resort course - 4.5 hours. Nice views and some wildlife.

The most upsetting and unprofessional part of the operation was at the end of the round. The staff were unfriendly and whisked my golf clubs off to be cleaned before I was ready for that. I told the guy to leave the clubs with me, but he did not listen - ventana_golf_staff_fail - basic customer service stuff - c'mon man.

Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Response from on 03/02/2017:
Thank you for leaving your feedback and review on The Lodge, it is important to us. We regret to hear that your round was not as enjoyable as it could have been due to the signage and the issue at the end of the round. We assure you it is our utmost priority to provide a pleasant and golfer-oriented experience for every one of our golfers. Let us know while you're here on your next round what we can do to make it the best golfing day possible for you and your group - we want you to leave with a smile from ear to ear and we do look forward to serving you.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Exceptional Golfing Experience

Have played both the Mountain and Canyon courses and they are equally beautiful. Everything about Ventana is exceptional - course conditions, layout, staff and of course the landscape and vistas. Challenging but playable; little room for error on most par threes. On the pricey side but worth every penny.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/02/2017:
Awesome! Thanks for this rating and review, we're glad to hear you found good value playing here!
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Golf

We played on a very windy day and it was a very challenging day. Love the course but bring your A game or lots of extra balls. The course is in excellent condition.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Response from on 02/16/2017:
We're happy to hear you loved the course and the conditions. Come back soon!
Nearby Courses
Tucson, Arizona
Resort
4.0937957272
1144
Tucson, Arizona
Private
0.0
0
Tucson, Arizona
Semi-Private
4.376841891
1934
Tucson, Arizona
Private
0.0
0
Tucson, Arizona
Resort
4.6666666667
6
Tucson, Arizona
Resort
4.6666666667
6
Tucson, Arizona
Resort
4.6666666667
6
Tucson, Arizona
Public
3.4545454545
121
Tucson, Arizona
Semi-Private
4.0531976284
1716
Tucson, Arizona
Public/Municipal
4.0638618703
708
Tucson, Arizona
Semi-Private
4.0
96
Golf Packages

Tubac Golf Resort Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
TUCSON | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa and golf at Tubac Golf Resort.
Tubac Golf Resort

Tubac Golf Resort Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
TUCSON | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa and golf at Tubac Golf Resort.

The Triple Down Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Gila River Resorts & Casino - Wild Horse Pass or Harrah's Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino and golf at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes and Whirlwind Golf Club - Cattail & Devil's Claw courses.

Whirlwind Golf Getaway Package

CLICK BELOW
CHANDLER | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Gila River Resorts & Casino - Wild Horse Pass and golf at Whirlwind Golf Club - Cattail & Devil's Claw courses.

Mesa Golf Around Package

CLICK BELOW
MESA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Home2 Suites by Hilton - Mesa Longbow and golf at Las Sendas Golf Club, Longbow Golf Club & Ocotillo Golf Club.
Now Reading
  • Home

  • Memberships

  • Library

  • Account