
Estrella Course
Golf Club of Estrella

About this course
Golf Club of Estrella occupies desert terrain in Goodyear, a rapidly growing community west of Phoenix in the Estrella Mountain foothills. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus II and opened in the mid-2000s as the centerpiece of a master-planned residential development. The routing takes advantage of the natural Sonoran Desert landscape, with fairways framed by saguaro cacti, palo verde, and native grasses against a backdrop of the Sierra Estrella range. The design reflects the modern Arizona desert style, incorporating strategic bunkering, elevation changes, and risk-reward options throughout the layout. Water features appear on several holes, contrasting with the arid surroundings. The course plays across varied terrain that includes both open desert stretches and more intimate corridors defined by natural washes and rock outcroppings. Golf Club of Estrella serves both residents of the surrounding community and outside daily-fee play. The facility includes practice areas and a clubhouse that caters to the area's year-round golf season, with peak conditions typically from late fall through spring when desert courses see their heaviest traffic. The course represents one of several Jack Nicklaus family designs in the Phoenix metropolitan area, contributing to the region's extensive golf infrastructure.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in AZ
Quick facts
- Location
- Goodyear, AZ, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1999
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus II
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,139 yards
- Difficulty
- 73/137
- Course Vaults score
- 7.7
Getting there
The journey to Golf Club of Estrella begins at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), roughly thirty miles to the east, or for private arrivals, Phoenix Deer Valley Airport offers a quieter alternative to the northwest. The westbound drive traces the arc of metropolitan Phoenix before peeling away into the broad, sun-scorched expanse of the West Valley, where the Estrella Mountains rise like a serrated spine against the desert horizon. As Interstate 10 gives way to local roads threading through Goodyear's newer developments, the landscape opens into that particular Arizona vastness - saguaro-studded washes, distant peaks, and the kind of light that sharpens every edge - before delivering you to the gates of Golf Club of Estrella, where Jack Nicklaus carved eighteen holes into the foothills of those ancient, weathered mountains.

FAQ
Common questions about Estrella
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Estrella has a Course Vaults score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 41 logged golfers.
Estrella was designed by Jack Nicklaus II.
Yes. Estrella is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Estrella is 72.
Estrella plays 7,139 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Estrella is 137.




