COVER STORY


diminish nationally. Rick Price, the director of golf at The Views and a mover and shaker in the Tucson golf community, said the game’s future in the Old Pueblo appears bright. “We anticipate going over 50,000


rounds this year,’’ said Price, who doubles up as the women’s golf coach at Pima Community College and is a longtime advocate of youth golf programs in southern Arizona. “I think golf in Tucson is more af-


fordable than in Phoenix and Scottsdale. From a tourist standpoint, we’re not as crowded as the Phoenix metro area. One real positive is that the greater Tucson area has such a variety of courses. Our high-end courses – Ventana Canyon, Starr Pass, LaPaloma, Sewailo, Tucson National – are a mix of designs and chal- lenges. There’s very little ‘sameness.’ ’’ The average greens-fees rate at


Tucson’s upscale golf courses in peak season is generally from $90 to $150. Some of Scottsdale’s proper- ties exceed $200 – even $300! Tucson certainly has a group of


courses that rival Scottsdale’s finest. The Marriott Starr Pass, with a new nine designed by Arnold Palmer, is the home of Phil Mickelson’s first PGA Tour victory. The Omni Tucson National was the site of three Johnny Miller victories in the 1970s and those by Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino in the 1960s. The Dove


18 Tortolita Mountain Park 6 11 Marana 12 77 Tortolita 2 15 10 20 Saguaro National Park 8 21 86 86 19 10 3 20 | AZ GOLF Insider | ANNUAL 2018 www.azgolf.org 16 4 17 10 14 Casa Adobes 22 13 1 Tucson 5 9 7 Oro Valley


Santa Catalina Natural Area


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Mountain Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton, played host to the WGC-Accenture Match Play, as did the Gallery Golf Club, a 36-hole facility at which Tiger Woods won the 2008 championship. “I think the No. 3 hole on the


Mountain Course at Loews Ventana Canyon is the most photographed hole in all of Tucson golf and maybe in Arizona,’’ said DeRaad of Visit Tuc- son. “It’s a short par-3, off of a cliff, to a small green in the mountains. It’s famous for the old Merrill Lynch Shootout, at which Tom Watson four- putted in a made-for-TV competition.’’ In addition to the resort courses,


the First Tee of Tucson has thrived in partnership with the PGA Tour and the Conquistadores. “We’ve survived the recession,


which affected golf all over America,’’ said Judy McDermott, executive direc- tor of the Conquistadores, who have operated PGA Tour championships in Tucson since 1965. “We’re growing the game. Our numbers of new golf- ers, especially the kids in the First Tee program, has been greater than we hoped. We have events all over the city. ‘’ The Conquistadores recently


completed construction of a $1 million clubhouse at the historic El Rio Golf Course, which played host to the first PGA Tour events in Tucson from 1945- 59. Now more than 300 young golfers,


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Tucson Courses (Public Access)


1. Arizona National Golf Club 9777 E. Sabino Greens Drive


2. Crooked Tree Golf Club 9101 N. Thornydale Road


3. Del Lago Golf Club 14155 E. Via Rancho del Lago (Vail)


4. Dell Urich Golf Course 600 S. Alvernon Way


5. Dorado Golf Course 66011 E. Speedway Blvd.


6. Dove Mountain Golf Club 6501 Boulder Bridge Pass


7. El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Club 10555 N. La Canada Drive


8. El Rio-Trini Alvarez Golf Course 1400 W. Speedway Road


9. Forty Niner Country Club 1200 E. Tanque Verde Road


10. Fred Enke Golf Course 8251 E. Irvington Road


11. The Gallery Golf Club 14000 N. Dove Mountain Blvd.


12. The Highlands Golf Club 4949 W. Heritage Club Blvd.


13. Westin La Paloma Country Club 3800 E. Sunrise Drive


14. Omni Tucson National Golf Club 2727 W. Club Drive


15. Quarry Pines Golf Course 8480 Continental Links Drive


16. Randolph North Golf Course 600 S. Alvernon Way


17. Rolling Hills Golf Course 8900 E. 29th St.


18. Saddlebrooke Golf Clubs 59642 E. Robson Circle


19. Sewailo Golf Club 5655 W. Valencia Road


20. Silverbell Golf Course 3600 N. Silverbell Road


21. Starr Pass Golf Club 3645 W. Starr Pass Blvd.


22. Ventana Canyon Golf Club 6200 N. Club House Lane


23. Views @ Oro Valley Golf Course 1565 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd.


24. Golf Club at Vistoso 955 W. Vistoso Highlands Drive


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