Public

Tortolita/ Wild Burro Course

The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

Marana, AZ, USA
Oliver
mariasmtmd
18 holesPar 727,852 yds77.2/145

About this course

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.

Quick facts

Location
Marana, AZ, USA
Access
Public
Year built
2009
Holes
18
Par
72
Length
7,852 yards
Difficulty
77.2/145

Getting there

The journey to The Golf Club at Dove Mountain begins at Tucson International Airport, a straightforward forty-minute drive north into the high Sonoran Desert. As Interstate 10 gives way to the Dove Mountain Boulevard exit, the landscape shifts dramatically - saguaro-studded valleys rise toward the rugged Tortolita Mountains, and the air takes on the crystalline quality of elevation. The final approach winds through protected desert corridors where the development feels deliberately restrained, arriving at a clubhouse that sits in quiet communion with the raw, boulder-strewn terrain stretching toward distant peaks.

FAQ

Common questions about Tortolita/ Wild Burro at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.

Tortolita/ Wild Burro was designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Yes. Tortolita/ Wild Burro at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.

Par at Tortolita/ Wild Burro is 72.

Tortolita/ Wild Burro plays 7,852 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.

The slope rating at Tortolita/ Wild Burro is 145.

Tortolita/ Wild Burro is a 18-hole course.

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