The hardest golf courses in Scottsdale, Arizona
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Scottsdale, Arizona, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 68 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Fort McDowell, Peoria, Cave Creek, Carefree, Fountain Hills and 2 more nearby towns.
Chiricahua
Desert Mountain Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 151, 75.2 course rating, Bear tees, 7,347 yds
PrivateJack Nicklaus
- 3.0Conditions
- 4.5Layout
- 4.5Scenery
- 4.2Facilities
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Pristine
Founders
Quintero Golf Club
Peoria, AZ, USASlope rating 148, 75.3 course rating, Black tees, 7,249 yds
PublicRees Jones
- 4.3Conditions
- 4.5Layout
- 3.5Value
- 4.8Scenery
- 3.5Facilities
Quintero in Peoria, AZ should be on anyone’s list who plays golf in Arizona often. Feels like a blend of Colorado and Arizona golf. Out in the middle of nowhere and is an absolute gem.
Written by
@ChipJohnson01
- Driving range
- Views
- Must play
The Estancia Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 148, 74.3 course rating, Gold tees, 7,314 yds
PrivateTom Fazio
- 4.9Conditions
- 4.2Layout
- 4.3Scenery
- 4.4Facilities
- Challenging
- Pristine
- Caddies
Geronimo
Desert Mountain Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 147, 73.5 course rating, Bear tees, 7,293 yds
PrivateJack Nicklaus
- 4.5Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.0Scenery
- 4.3Facilities
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
Outlaw
Desert Mountain Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 147, 73.5 course rating, Bear tees, 7,107 yds
PrivateJack Nicklaus
- 4.5Conditions
- 3.5Layout
- 4.5Scenery
- 4.4Facilities
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Grass range
(Talon) Grayhawk Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 146, 73.3 course rating, Talon tees, 6,973 yds
Desert Forest Golf Club
Carefree, AZ, USA
Slope rating 146, 73.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,814 yds
(Lower) Whisper Rock Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 145, 75.0 course rating, Lefty tees, 7,417 yds
(Cochise) Desert Mountain Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 145, 73.1 course rating, Bear tees, 7,042 yds
(Monument) Troon North Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 145, 72.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,039 yds
Las Sendas Golf Club
Mesa, AZ, USA
Slope rating 144, 73.1 course rating, Silver tees, 6,925 yds
(Pinnacle) Troon North Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 144, 72.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,009 yds
(Stadium) TPC Scottsdale
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 142, 74.7 course rating, Championship tees, 7,261 yds
The Silverleaf Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 142, 73.8 course rating, Silver tees, 7,322 yds
(South) The Boulders Golf Club
Carefree, AZ, USA
Slope rating 142, 72.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,917 yds
(Palmer) Wildfire Golf Club
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Slope rating 142, 72.7 course rating, Tournament tees, 7,145 yds
(Raptor) Grayhawk Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 140, 74.2 course rating, Raptor tees, 7,090 yds
(Upper) Whisper Rock Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 75.0 course rating, Rock tees, 7,550 yds
(Ambiente) Camelback Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 73.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,225 yds
(Cholla) We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Fort McDowell, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 73.4 course rating, Cholla tees, 7,225 yds
(North) The Boulders Golf Club
Carefree, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 73.3 course rating, Black tees, 6,959 yds
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
Fountain Hills, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 72.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,823 yds
Legend Trail Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 71.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,845 yds
(Champions) TPC Scottsdale
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.4 course rating, Black tees, 7,115 yds
McDowell Mountain Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.3 course rating, Black tees, 7,072 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Scottsdale, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Chiricahua at Desert Mountain Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Scottsdale, Arizona at Slope 151 (75.2 course rating · Bear tees · 7,347 yds). 68 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Scottsdale, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Scottsdale, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 4:00 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
