The hardest golf courses in Tempe, Arizona
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Tempe, Arizona, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 66 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Phoenix and Mesa.
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
Talon
Grayhawk Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 146, 73.3 course rating, Talon tees, 6,973 yds
PublicGraham & Parks International
- 5.0Conditions
- 3.8Layout
- 2.5Value
- 3.5Scenery
- 3.2Facilities
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Grass range
Monument
Troon North Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 145, 72.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,039 yds
PublicJay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf
- 4.2Conditions
- 4.2Layout
- 2.8Value
- 4.0Scenery
- 3.4Facilities
Was shocked at the shape of the greens. Ball marks everywhere and somehow soaked. Was not worth the price they charge. Views were the only part really worth the experience
Written by
@Aviator
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Must play
Las Sendas Golf Club
Mesa, AZ, USASlope rating 144, 73.1 course rating, Silver tees, 6,925 yds
PublicRobert Trent Jones, Jr.
- 3.8Conditions
- 4.1Layout
- 4.0Value
- 4.1Scenery
- 3.9Facilities
RTJ II desert golf. Fun course, tough driving course some tight landing areas. As with most desert golf miss the fairway and rough and your ball is likely gone. Nice views interesting holes. 18th hole seems kinda out of place from rest of course…
Written by
@GRaleigh 77
- Hidden gem
- Views
- Friendly
Pinnacle
Troon North Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USASlope rating 144, 72.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,009 yds
PublicTom Weiskopf
- 4.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 3.1Value
- 4.3Scenery
- 3.4Facilities
The course was in overall pretty good shape. The greens had taken a beating with ball marks. I loved the monument hole where the large rock / monument was in the middle of the fairway. The views and scenery were so incredible.
Written by
@Zheinold105
- Desert
- Driving range
- Putting area
Southern Dunes Golf Club
Maricopa, AZ, USA
Slope rating 142, 76.4 course rating, Tips tees, 7,546 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
(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
(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
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
Fountain Hills, AZ, USA
Slope rating 138, 72.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,823 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
(Saguaro) We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Fort McDowell, AZ, USA
Slope rating 137, 72.0 course rating, Saguaro tees, 6,966 yds
Grand Canyon University Golf Course
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Slope rating 135, 74.3 course rating, Purple tees, 7,239 yds
The Country Club at DC Ranch
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 135, 73.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,888 yds
Longbow Golf Club
Mesa, AZ, USA
Slope rating 134, 72.9 course rating, The Tips tees, 7,050 yds
Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Fountain Hills, AZ, USA
Slope rating 134, 71.4 course rating, Gold tees, 6,800 yds
(Cattail) Whirlwind Golf Club
Chandler, AZ, USA
Slope rating 133, 73.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,334 yds
(Gold) Wigwam Resort
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Slope rating 132, 74.3 course rating, Jones tees, 7,430 yds
(The Raven) Raven Golf Club
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Slope rating 132, 73.2 course rating, Raven tees, 7,078 yds
(Palm) McCormick Ranch Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Slope rating 132, 73.2 course rating, Blue tees, 7,044 yds
Paradise Valley Country Club
Paradise Valley, AZ, USA
Slope rating 132, 73.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,887 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 Tempe, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
The Estancia Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Tempe, Arizona at Slope 148 (74.3 course rating · Gold tees · 7,314 yds). 66 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 Tempe, 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 Tempe, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 4:15 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
