Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Some visiting golfers drive by this Scott Miller design on their way to other more highly acclaimed courses nearby, but it’s their loss. Located just off East Shea Boulevard in Fountain Hills, Ariz., the course at Eagle Mountain Golf Club is both picturesque and challenging. Opened in 1996, Eagle Mountain flows through canyons and ravines, with fairways often shaped to help funnel errant drives back toward safety en route to huge, undulating greens. Water comes into play rather dramatically on the par-4 closing holes to each nine, with those greens guarded down the left and right side respectively by the hazard. While there is plenty of grass on every hole, there are not many flat lies, so brush up on the proper way to play those tricky sidehill, downhill, and uphill shots. Still, it’s a fun layout and the conditioning is above average.

“Eagle Mountain is very player friendly, so you won’t get beat up like you might at a target-style desert course,” says head golf professional Jeremy Hayman. “And the views throughout are incredible.” Those distractions include the downtown Phoenix skyline, the McDowell Mountains, and Red Mountain, which you’ll be facing on the 18th, a par 4 that drops 250 feet from tee to green.

Stay The Inn at Eagle Mountain could not be better positioned: within a three-wood of the course, with some rooms offering glimpses of the 10th and 18th holes. Numerous themed suites are available, from a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired version to the Old Mexico style of the Hacienda Suite. Get one with a private balcony and take in the stunning sunsets only found in this Sonoran desert setting.

Play Eagle Mountain Golf Club, 14915 E Eagle Mountain Pkwy, Fountain Hills, 866-863-1234 or 480-816-1234.

JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa’s Wildfire Golf Club
Between them, Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo have won 13 majors and hundreds of other tournaments. But it’s only at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa’s Wildfire Golf Club that they have designed courses right next to each other.

Palmer was first on the scene when he unveiled his par-72 7,145-yard signature course in 1997. This links-style design is longer and tighter off the tee than its counterpart, with plenty of undulation in the greens. The defining hole may well be the 17th, a 430-yard par 4 with a lake just right of the green. Faldo’s course debuted in 2002 in conjunction with the hotel that overlooks it. With 108 bunkers, many of them steep-faced, accuracy is at a premium. “The fairways are pretty generous and the greens are large,” says director of golf John Wright. “You really have to avoid the bunkers though since some are so deep you can’t move the ball forward, you might have to play sideways or even backwards.” Your best chance for an eagle—or triple bogey for that matter—usually comes on the well-bunkered 314-yard, par-4 16th.

Putting surfaces on the Palmer course were re-grassed last year, while the Faldo course will receive the same treatment in 2009. According to Wright, better players find the Palmer course more difficult, but usually the course records (63 for the Faldo and 61 for the Palmer) remain safe.

Stay The 950 rooms and suites at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa rise up and over the desert floor, many with golf course views. You won’t go hungry, not with dining options include like gourmet Italian at Ristorante Tuscany, Meritage Steakhouse, or Hawaiian fusion at Roy’s.

Play Wildfire Golf Club, 5350 E. Marriott Dr, Phoenix, 480-293-5000 or 800-835-6206.

Grayhawk Golf Club
Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon Course turns 15 this year, but this teenager, and its younger sibling named the Raptor Course, have matured far beyond their years. Combining the two stellar tracks with a cool vibe (rock music still oozes out of speakers hidden in rocks around the clubhouse and practice area), this north-Scottsdale mainstay is a must-visit and must-play.

The Talon Course, a Gary Panks and David Graham design, is the original layout and retains a distinctive look and feel unique to its desert location. From railroad ties in multiple bunkers near the green on the 505-yard fifth to a swinging bridge entry for the back tee (175 yards) on the picturesque par-3 11th, this par 72 is extremely playable. An island green on the 125-yard 17th is simply icing on the cake. “I recommend that first-timers play the Talon because of the great scenery,” says golf professional Doug Hodge. “The Raptor is wider off the tee, but the green complexes are more difficult and it’s a tougher overall challenge.”

Designed by Tom Fazio, the Raptor has hosted multiple professional events over the years, including the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open the past three years. Fairway bunkers often swallow up errant tee shots, while the putting surfaces require steady nerves to handle the big, swooping breaks. Grass collection areas around the greens are no picnic either. It’s all capped off by a killer 18th, a 521-yard par 5 with water all the way down the right.

Stay XONA Resort Suites is five minutes away and just underwent a $10 million renovation. Long a popular stop for visiting golfers, with many rooms containing full kitchens, the property has been re-energized with a new lobby, bar, and restaurant.

Play Grayhawk Golf Club, 8620 E Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, 480-502-1800.