Tortolita/ Wild Burro at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

The Golf Club at Dove Mountain features two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses that opened in the late 1990s as part of a high-desert residential community northwest of Tucson. The Tortolita and Wild Burro courses were carved from rugged Sonoran Desert terrain in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains, where dramatic elevation changes and natural desert washes define the playing corridors. Nicklaus routed both layouts to work with rather than against the severe topography, creating holes that climb and descend through saguaro-studded hillsides with expansive views across the valley floor.

The courses share similar characteristics: generous fairway corridors framed by native desert vegetation, large undulating greens, and strategic bunkering that rewards accurate approach play. Elevation changes of several hundred feet across each eighteen holes create variety in shot values and perspective, with some holes playing significantly uphill or downhill. The natural desert landscape remains largely intact beyond the maintained playing areas, giving both courses an authentic high-desert character.

Dove Mountain later became better known as the home of the Ritz-Carlton resort and the venue for the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship from 2007 to 2014, though that tournament was played on a separate Nicklaus course built specifically for championship play. The Tortolita and Wild Burro courses serve the private club membership and resort guests, offering a more traditional daily-play experience in the dramatic Sonoran Desert setting that defines golf in the Tucson region.