More than 200 championship courses, 327 days of sunshine, and the highest concentration of great golf on earth. Here are the communities and courses worth building a life around.
Scottsdale is, by many measures, the golf capital of the United States — with more than 200 championship courses within a 45-minute drive and 327 days of annual sunshine. For homebuyers, the city's golf communities offer far more than the game: they are gated, amenity-rich enclaves that define an entire way of living.
Communities fall broadly into two camps — the private-club world of North Scottsdale, where membership unlocks championship courses, clubhouses, and a social calendar, and the celebrated public and resort courses that anyone can play. This guide covers both the residential golf communities worth buying into and the marquee courses that draw golfers from around the world.
These gated residential communities are built around private golf — buying here means buying into a lifestyle. See our individual neighborhood guides for each.
North Scottsdale's premier private golf community boasts six Jack Nicklaus Signature courses — more than any community in the country — plus seven clubhouses, a spa, and high-desert elevation. View homes →
A Tom Weiskopf-designed private course within guard-gated DC Ranch — exclusive, intimate, and surrounded by some of Scottsdale's finest estates. View homes →
Home to two of the most celebrated desert courses in America, set among boulders at the base of Pinnacle Peak. Quiet prestige and natural beauty. View homes →
A private country club within a walkable master-planned community, balancing golf with Market Street dining and McDowell trail access. View homes →
A central 27-hole club minutes from Old Town — ideal for lock-and-leave buyers who want golf and convenience. View homes →
An ultra-private Tom Fazio masterpiece wrapped around Pinnacle Peak — one of the most exclusive golf addresses in the state.
Beyond the private clubs, Scottsdale offers some of the finest public and resort golf anywhere — courses worth planning a life around.
The most famous 18 in Arizona, host of the WM Phoenix Open and its legendary par-3 16th — the rowdiest hole in golf. A bucket-list round.
A Tom Weiskopf desert masterpiece weaving through granite boulders beneath Pinnacle Peak — consistently ranked among the best desert courses in the country.
Ranked the #1 public course in Arizona by Golfweek for 15 of the last 16 years — a no-houses, pure-desert immersion designed by Coore & Crenshaw.
A lush, beautifully manicured Tom Fazio design with well-protected, raised greens — prized for its year-round conditioning.
A reimagined 18 at the base of Camelback Mountain — resort golf with the polish of a AAA Five Diamond property.
A strategic desert-links design celebrated for shot-making and accessibility — one of the most enjoyable resort rounds in the valley.
The right golf community depends on how you want to live. If you want a championship course as your home course, a clubhouse social life, and guaranteed tee times, a private community like Desert Mountain or Troon is the move — though memberships are often separate from the home purchase and can carry waiting lists.
If you prefer flexibility — playing a rotation of the valley's great public and resort courses without club commitments — a central community like Gainey Ranch or McCormick Ranch puts you minutes from dozens of courses. We help buyers weigh club access, membership structure, and home value together.
Looking for a golf community?
Desert Mountain is the premier private golf community, with six Jack Nicklaus Signature courses. Silverleaf, Troon, Estancia, and DC Ranch are also among the most sought-after golf addresses in the city.
TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course, home of the WM Phoenix Open and its famous par-3 16th hole — often called the loudest hole in golf.
Absolutely. Scottsdale has exceptional public and resort courses including TPC Scottsdale, Troon North, We-Ko-Pa, Grayhawk, and Camelback that anyone can play.
Usually not automatically — in most private communities, club membership is purchased separately from the home and may carry initiation fees or a waiting list. We help buyers understand the full picture.