North Scottsdale golf: the public courses, the private clubs and where to base

North Scottsdale golf means the marquee daily-fee courses visitors come for: TPC Scottsdale's Stadium and Champions, Grayhawk's Raptor and Talon, Troon North's Monument and Pinnacle, plus Legend Trail, McDowell Mountain and Kierland. They sit 19 to 39 minutes from Old Town, and in 2026 the big names ran about $235 to $550 at peak.

Around them is the densest cluster of private clubs in Arizona: Desert Mountain, Whisper Rock, Estancia, Silverleaf and more. This guide covers what you can book, what you cannot, and where to stay. Fees were seen in 2026 (dates given) and change by date and time.

Quick facts

• Public courses: 9, from TPC and Kierland on Loop 101 to Troon North under Pinnacle Peak.
• Priciest: TPC Stadium, about $436 to $550 after the 2026 Phoenix Open.
• Value: TPC Champions, Legend Trail and McDowell Mountain.
• Private: about 20 more north Scottsdale courses are members-only.
• Two zones: the Loop 101 corridor (19-24 minutes from Old Town) and the Pinnacle Peak high desert (35-39 minutes).
• Phoenix Open week: February 8-14, 2027.

North Scottsdale golf courses compared

Men's ratings. Kierland's ratings are for the Ironwood/Acacia combination. The TPC Champions and Troon North estimates come from a user-contributed tracker dated April 2026; Grayhawk adds a 5% water fee.

TPC Scottsdale: Stadium and Champions

The Stadium Course (Weiskopf and Morrish, 1986) is the WM Phoenix Open course, owned by the City of Scottsdale and run by the PGA Tour, with the stadium par-3 16th, the drivable 17th and water down the left of 18. It is flat and fair, and its dynamic rates peak in the weeks after the Open. From autumn you play past grandstand construction. Overseed dates were not published; the Stadium normally closes in early October, as build-out begins.

The Champions Course (Randy Heckenkemper, 2007) shares the clubhouse and booking at a fraction of the price, which makes a Stadium-plus-Champions 36 a common day. See the TPC Scottsdale Champions course guide and our TPC Scottsdale guide.

Grayhawk: Raptor and Talon

Grayhawk is Arcis-operated daily-fee golf with live online pricing. Raptor (Tom Fazio, 1995) is wide and fair for mixed handicaps; Talon (David Graham and Gary Panks, 1994) is tighter, with canyon holes on the back nine and tiered greens. The two overseed in turns (Talon September 28 to October 11, Raptor October 12-29 in 2026) so one stays open. The public sheet runs under four weeks out, and the club says its web specials are its best rates. See the Grayhawk Raptor course guide and our Grayhawk Golf Club guide.

Troon North: Monument and Pinnacle

Up under Pinnacle Peak, Troon North is the postcard of north Scottsdale golf: boulders, forced carries and slopes of 148-149 from the Black tees. Monument is the famous one; Pinnacle is usually about $30 cheaper the same day and many locals prefer it. In 2026 Monument reopened October 25 after overseed and Pinnacle October 9. Summer estimates drop to about $105 and $90, with twilight about $65-$75. See the Troon North Pinnacle course guide and our Troon North Golf Club guide.

Legend Trail, McDowell Mountain and Kierland

• Legend Trail: a Rees Jones desert course near Carefree, about 10 minutes from Troon North and priced below it. The 2027 Loyalty Card ($349 plus tax, from the golf shop) promises up to 50% off green fees, every 10th round free and 7-day booking; the annual passes sold out for 2027. A $5 surcharge applies to paid green fees. See the Legend Trail course guide.
• McDowell Mountain: an Arcis public course near Grayhawk and DC Ranch. The $279 Arcis Players' Card (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027) gives 20%+ off here and at seven other Arcis courses, 8-day booking and some Grayhawk play days.
• Kierland: 27 holes (Ironwood, Acacia and Mesquite nines) beside the Westin Kierland, with public times 90 days ahead and 10% off for Westin guests who book by phone. More in our Kierland Golf Club guide.

The private clubs of north Scottsdale

None of these sell public tee times:

• Desert Mountain: seven courses including six Nicklaus 18s; membership requires owning property there, with a reported 1-2 year waitlist.
• Whisper Rock: Mickelson's first design plus a Fazio course; about 300 invitation-only members.
• Scottsdale National: members, guests and the PXG Xperience program.
• Troon Country Club: Weiskopf and Morrish's first design; invited guests and reciprocity with Royal Troon.
• Ancala: Arcis Access reciprocal play for members of other Arcis clubs.
• Members and guests only: Desert Highlands (Nicklaus, 1983), Estancia (Fazio, 1996), Silverleaf (Weiskopf, 2002), DC Ranch, Mirabel (Fazio, 2001), Pinnacle Peak CC (1976) and Terravita.

Who can play each is in private golf clubs in Scottsdale.

Where to stay for north Scottsdale golf

No live room rates were captured; all rise for Barrett-Jackson (January 23-31, 2027, at WestWorld), Phoenix Open week and March. Compare the resorts in Scottsdale golf resorts.

When north Scottsdale golf is at its best

November is the sweet spot: the rye is in, Sky Harbor's normal high is 76.5F and rates sit below the January-April peak, though Grayhawk was still charging $343 to $356 for a November 10 morning. Outlying desert courses such as those under Pinnacle Peak run colder at dawn than Sky Harbor, where the January normal low is 46.0F, so winter first tee times can wait on frost. Summer is the cheap season, but check closures: Troon North Monument was shut from June 15 to September 12, 2026, and Grayhawk closed each course for three weeks of aerification in July and August.

Putting north Scottsdale golf days together

• 36 at one clubhouse: TPC Stadium and Champions, Grayhawk Raptor and Talon, or both Troon North courses.
• A value week: Champions, McDowell Mountain and Legend Trail, then one Troon North or Grayhawk splurge.
• Phoenix Open week: play the Pinnacle Peak courses and avoid Bell Rd and Hayden Rd near TPC.

For Boulders and the courses just north, see Carefree and Cave Creek golf; for tournament-week planning, the Phoenix Open golf trip.

Plan it on the map

Open the Scottsdale golf map to see north Scottsdale golf course by course, private clubs marked, with each course's overseed dates and the hotels a few minutes away. The $30 plan sequences the TPC, Grayhawk and Troon North rounds around tournament week and the cart-path-only periods.