teams left Tucson, three resort golf courses were built – the Jack Nicklaus- designed, 27-hole Dove Mountain Golf Course at the Ritz-Carlton, the Notay Begay-inspired Sewailo Golf Course at Casino del Sol and the Stone Can- yon Club, which has become part of Phil Mickelson’s M Club properties. The greater Tucson area now has
31 golf courses, which doesn’t include eight golf facilities along the Interstate 19 corridor near Green Valley, and four more courses in the Saddlebrooke com- munities immediately north of Tucson. It’s not Scottsdale, and it doesn’t
attempt to be. In 2016, Visit Tucson conducted
a survey of 335 people who spent vacation time playing golf in Tucson. It determined that those visitors spend an average of six days in Tucson and spent close to $3,000 per visit. The majority of those surveyed had also played golf on vacations to Phoenix and Scottsdale. The survey concluded: “Scottsdale
is more expensive, more crowded, busier and a big city with more well- known golf courses. Tucson, by com- parison, is rustic, more simple, not as manicured or sculpted. It’s quieter and more remote in a positive way. There’s more of a community feel, it’s more of an enclave, less discov- ered, and more naturally beautiful.’’ Brent DeRaad, president and
CEO of Visit Tucson and also a mem- ber of the Conquistadores, said golf in Tucson is usually accompanied by other destination activities. “We’ve found that our visitors are
also into outdoor adventures, they visit the astronomies at the UA and at Kitt Peak,’’ he said. “They are hikers and cyclists. Golf is just another aspect of our product strength. They golf at the high-end courses and on the many mu- nicipal courses available to the public.’’ Tucson’s five municipal courses in-
clude the midtown Randolph Golf Com- plex, a 36-hole facility that has played host to the PGA and LPGA Tours. From 1970-2000, the Randolph North and Dell Urich courses were often ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in rounds-per-year. In Oro Valley, The Views Golf Club
is an open-to-the-public course that has prospered even as golf numbers
Whether it’s (top to bottom) walking the Loop, high-fiving a great shot, celebrating a big win with Steve Stricker, biking through downtown or breaking attendance records at the Cologuard Classic, Tucson rocks these days.
GOLF SPECIAL
VISIT TUCSON
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