Orange Tree Golf Club

Orange Tree Golf Club occupies a mature desert setting in north-central Scottsdale, where the course was designed by Lawrence Hughes and Johnny Bulla and opened in 1957. The layout represents an early example of desert golf architecture, predating the more dramatic target-style courses that would later define the region. The design works with relatively gentle terrain compared to many modern Scottsdale courses, incorporating native vegetation and desert washes into a routing that remains walkable by Arizona standards. The course features tree-lined fairways—including the orange trees that give the property its name—alongside the characteristic saguaro cacti and desert scrub of the Sonoran landscape. The routing moves through established residential areas that developed around the golf course over subsequent decades. Hughes and Bulla created a layout that emphasizes strategic positioning over forced carries, with generous landing areas and greens that reward accurate approach play. Orange Tree operates as a semi-private facility and has served as a venue for various regional amateur competitions and qualifying events over the years. The club maintains a reputation as a neighborhood course with an accessible character, appealing to both members and daily-fee players. The mature landscaping and established tree canopy provide definition and shade that distinguish it from many newer desert courses built on more rugged terrain. The design reflects the architectural sensibilities of 1950s desert golf, when courses integrated more closely with their surroundings rather than imposing dramatic artificial features on the landscape.