Scottsdale golf trip itinerary: four days, five or six rounds, day by day

This Scottsdale golf trip itinerary fits five rounds into four days, with a sixth if your group has the legs: an easy arrival-day round at Talking Stick, 36 holes at We-Ko-Pa, a Troon North round, and Grayhawk before the flight home. Every course is within about 36 minutes of Old Town Scottsdale, where you sleep and eat.

Below is the day-by-day plan, the drive times, the rates seen for each round, and value and splurge swaps. Rates were seen on November 3, 2026 and change; drive times are free-flow estimates from Old Town that ignore traffic.

Quick facts

• Base: Old Town Scottsdale, 18 minutes from Sky Harbor.
• Rounds: five (six with an extra on day three).
• Longest drive: Troon North, about 35-36 minutes.
• Best 36-hole day: We-Ko-Pa, one package for both courses.
• Daylight: about 10 hours in December-January; sunsets 5:21-5:43 PM.
• Best dates: November-December or April for value; February-March for peak weather and peak prices.

The four-day Scottsdale golf trip itinerary at a glance

We-Ko-Pa rates exclude 9% tax. Grayhawk's figure is from its live tee sheet for a November Tuesday; January to April rates are higher.

Day 1: land and play Talking Stick

Sky Harbor is about 18 minutes from Old Town. Drop bags and head to Talking Stick O'odham, 15 minutes away on Salt River land. It is Coore-Crenshaw's wide, firm, walkable links-style course, which the course notes call a good arrival-day round: nothing to lose a dozen balls to after a flight. See the O'odham course guide.

If your flight lands late, Papago is 9 minutes from Old Town. Either way, book a tee time with daylight to spare: the December sunset is about 5:21 PM. Evening: walk to dinner in Old Town (see where to eat in Scottsdale).

Day 2: 36 holes at We-Ko-Pa

We-Ko-Pa Saguaro and We-Ko-Pa Cholla are owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, about 30 minutes from Old Town, with no houses on either course. Saguaro is the Coore-Crenshaw course most visitors rank higher; Cholla is the more dramatic, target-style partner. Both charge the same green fee, and the 36-hole package covers two rounds.

• Book: resort rates 0-90 days ahead.
• Order: play Saguaro in the morning when you are fresh, Cholla after lunch.
• November note: Cholla is cart path only through November 24, 2026 after overseed.

See the Saguaro course guide and the full We-Ko-Pa Golf Club guide.

Day 3: Troon North, and an optional second round

Troon North Pinnacle is the north Scottsdale desert postcard: boulders, forced carries and Pinnacle Peak views. The course notes say it is usually about $30 cheaper than Monument on the same day with similar scenery, and many locals rate it the better course. A peak estimate is about $235 for Pinnacle and $265 for Monument (Green Fee Tracker, unofficial, dated April 2026); other listings put Monument at $300-$400 in peak.

For a sixth round, stop on the way back at TPC Scottsdale Champions, 21 minutes from Old Town, for an afternoon tee time. Prefer to rest? A dawn hike or an evening of night golf at Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills, the lit executive course 10 minutes from Old Town, are the alternatives. See things to do in Scottsdale.

Day 4: Grayhawk, then the airport

Grayhawk Raptor is Fazio's wide, playable desert course, fair for mixed handicaps, 24 minutes from Old Town. On the live tee sheet for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Raptor was $343 early, falling to $266 by 1:51 PM, plus a 5% water fee. Talon is the tighter, more dramatic sister at similar prices. Take an early time, then allow for the drive back through Old Town to Sky Harbor.

Grayhawk's public booking window was under four weeks when checked, so set a reminder to book. See the Grayhawk Golf Club guide.

Value and splurge versions

On the value side, Talking Stick Piipaash pairs with O'odham for 36 at one club; its Talking Stick Card ($129 plus tax) gives card rates only when booked 3 days or less out. Legend Trail is a Rees Jones desert course priced below the marquee names, about 10 minutes from Troon North, and McDowell Mountain is a public course with mountain views near Grayhawk.

On the splurge side, TPC Scottsdale Stadium, the Phoenix Open course, ran as high as $550 at peak in 2026 and about $195 weekday in October-November on a third-party guide. For the full price picture, see the Scottsdale golf trip cost breakdown.

A March version with spring training

From February 19 to about March 20-23, 2027, swap day three's second round for a ballgame. Play Talking Stick in the morning, then head to an afternoon game at nearby Salt River Fields, home of the Diamondbacks and Rockies. The Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River is the plain chain base for that version, but its March rates spike next to the ballpark. Book the whole Scottsdale golf trip itinerary early in March: it is the best weather month and the most crowded, and tee sheets fill the moment windows open.

What to book first

1. Flights and rooms, especially for February and March.
2. We-Ko-Pa, which sells resort rates up to 90 days ahead.
3. Troon North, where Four Seasons guests get priority and reviews mention crowded tee sheets in season.
4. Grayhawk, as soon as its public window opens (under four weeks when checked).
5. Talking Stick, last; remember the 48-hour cancellation rule if your group shrinks.

Where to sleep

For this Scottsdale golf trip itinerary, Old Town keeps the drives short and the evenings on foot: the Hilton Garden Inn Old Town had no resort fee on the October 2026 tracker list, and the Scottsdale Marriott Suites Old Town adds suites for about $28.51 a night in destination fees. A splurge version moves to the Four Seasons at Troon North, with priority tee times at Troon North but 35+ minutes to Old Town. See where to stay in Scottsdale for golf.

Timing the trip

• October: most courses close two to three weeks for overseed (Troon North Monument October 4-24, Grayhawk Raptor October 12-29 and We-Ko-Pa Saguaro October 12-29 in 2026). See Phoenix golf overseed.
• November-December: fresh rye and shoulder rates; watch cart-path-only periods.
• February: avoid WM Phoenix Open week (February 8-14, 2027) unless you are going to the tournament.
• March: the best weather and the biggest crowds, with spring training until about March 20-23.

For a bigger group, read the Scottsdale buddies golf trip guide. Comparing towns? Our Palm Springs golf trip itinerary and Tucson golf trip itinerary follow the same format.

Plan it on the map

Open the Scottsdale golf map to see these courses, the Old Town hotels and every drive time on one board. The $30 plan turns this Scottsdale golf trip itinerary, or any variation of it, into your own dates, checking each round against overseed and event weeks.