Talking Stick Golf Club: O'odham or Piipaash, the card and the rules
Talking Stick Golf Club compared: O'odham vs Piipaash tees, the $129 Talking Stick Card, 2026 overseed and cart-path dates, walking, range and nearby stays.
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Talking Stick Golf Club is 36 holes of Coore and Crenshaw golf owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, 15 minutes from Old Town Scottsdale. O'odham is the flat, wide, links-style course; Piipaash is the tree-lined, parkland-style one. Both are public, and the $129 Talking Stick Card makes them the value play for a winter stay near Old Town.
This guide compares the two courses, the card, the 2026 overseed and cart-path dates, and the club's rules. Rates are dynamic and not published, so the figures here are what was seen in 2026.
Quick facts
- Courses: O'odham (former North, 1998, par 70) and Piipaash (former South, par 71), both Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.
- Access: public; owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
- Card: Talking Stick Card 2026-27, $129 plus tax.
- Rates: dynamic, not published; a $26.99 GolfNow hot deal was seen for O'odham in August 2026.
- 2026 overseed: O'odham September 27 to October 15; Piipaash October 19 to November 5.
- Phone: 480-860-2221.
Talking Stick O'odham vs Piipaash
| Tee | O'odham (par 70) | Piipaash (par 71) |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 7,133 (72.6/124) | 6,833 (72.0/126) |
| Gold | 6,510 (69.9/119) | 6,430 (69.7/120) |
| Gold/Jade | 5,945 (67.0/116) | 6,040 (67.4/117) |
| Jade | 5,532 (65.2/111) | 5,331 (64.9/108) |
| Rust | 4,677 (61.4/105) | none |
Men's ratings. Women's: O'odham Gold 75.6/127, Gold/Jade 72.6/123, Jade 70.0/116 and Rust 65.7/109; Piipaash Gold 75.2/130, Gold/Jade 72.0/123 and Jade 69.1/117.
Slopes of 124 and 126 from the back are low for full-length courses in the Valley: TPC Scottsdale's Stadium is 142 and Troon North's Monument 148.
The O'odham Course
O'odham, the former North Course, is a flat, wide-open, links-style desert course from 1998 that plays firm and is very walkable. It is the longer of the two from the back but plays wide.
Play it if you want an easy arrival-day round, a walk, or the Coore and Crenshaw style without the drive to Fort McDowell. See the O'odham course guide.
The Piipaash Course
Piipaash, the former South Course, is the more conventional companion, with tree-lined fairways and raised greens. It is par 71 and 6,833 yards from the back.
Play it if you want a different look on the same property, or the second round of a 36-hole day on the card. See the Piipaash course guide.
Talking Stick Golf Club rates and the Talking Stick Card
Talking Stick Golf Club does not publish its dynamic rates. The only dollar figure in the files is a GolfNow hot deal for O'odham at $26.99 with cart on August 20, 2026, a summer price. Expect far more from January to April.
The Talking Stick Card 2026-27 costs $129 plus tax and runs October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027:
- dynamic card rates for the holder plus one guest;
- card rates bookable 3 days or less out;
- one free round, blacked out Monday to Wednesday before 10 am;
- 20% off food and drink and 15% off merchandise.
The card pays off in a couple of rounds on a winter stay, but only if you can book close in; a buddies group fixing tee times weeks ahead will pay the day-guest rate. There is also an Arizona Resident rate category and a separate Arizona-resident booking site. See Phoenix golf passes and cheap golf in Scottsdale.
Overseed and cart-path dates, 2026
| Course or area | Closed | Cart path only |
|---|---|---|
| O'odham | Sep 27 - Oct 15 | Oct 16 - Nov 5 |
| Piipaash | Oct 19 - Nov 5 | Nov 6 - Nov 26 |
| Driving range | reopened Wed Nov 4 | none |
Piipaash dates and the range reopening come from the club's "Things to Know" page; O'odham's from a search snippet of the club site. For a November 2026 trip, O'odham is the course to book once its cart-path-only period ends on November 5. See Phoenix golf overseed.
Talking Stick Golf Club rules worth knowing
- Carts: players are paired on carts; an individual cart costs extra, and a ride-along is $35 when available. Drivers must be 16 or older with a licence. The 90-degree rule applies, carts stay 30 yards from greens and there is no desert driving.
- Walking: allowed, with free push carts while they last.
- Range: $25 for 100 balls or $35 for 150; balls are included with same-day golf. Last purchase 5 pm December to February, 5:30 pm in October, November and March, and 6 pm April to September. Maintenance closures fall on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Cancellation: cancel or reduce your group at least 48 hours ahead or pay the posted rate.
- Dress: collared shirts, Bermuda-length shorts, no denim, soft spikes only.
Where to stay near Talking Stick
| Stay | Drive to the courses | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Talking Stick Resort | 5 min | casino resort; resort fee $28.51 a night (Oct 2026) |
| Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River | short drive, not measured | plain chain hotel in the Pima Rd corridor |
Talking Stick Resort is owned by the same community, with a lower resort fee than the Scottsdale luxury set, but no current hotel-guest golf rate was found. Room rates were not captured for either, and both get expensive in March because Salt River Fields is next door. See where to stay in Scottsdale for golf.
Around Talking Stick
- Salt River Fields: spring training for the Diamondbacks and Rockies, opening February 19, 2027. A morning round and an afternoon game is an easy day here; see Scottsdale golf and spring training.
- Topgolf Scottsdale: 100+ bays at 9500 E Talking Stick Way.
- OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland: next to each other on the Arizona Boardwalk, a half-day for non-golfers.
- Grassroots on N Hayden Rd is a handy dinner on this side of town. More in things to do in Scottsdale.
Other value courses near Old Town
Papago Golf Course, 9 minutes from Old Town, showed GolfNow pricing from $109 and honours the Phoenix Golf Card; see the Papago course guide. McCormick Ranch Pine is a mid-priced public 36 nine minutes from Old Town. If you like the Coore and Crenshaw style, We-Ko-Pa Saguaro is the bigger, pricier version, $239 through January 7, 2027; read our We-Ko-Pa Golf Club guide.
Which Talking Stick course to play
- Arrival day or a walk: O'odham.
- Second round, different look: Piipaash.
- Winter stay of a few weeks: buy the card and book 3 days out.
- Spring training trip: book early; rooms and tee times near Salt River Fields hit peak rates in March.
Plan it on the map
Open the Scottsdale golf map to see Talking Stick Golf Club with every tee, Salt River Fields and the hotels beside it. The $30 plan can cover a whole winter stay with a weekly rotation that uses the Talking Stick Card on its 3-day booking window.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
Is Talking Stick Golf Club public?
Yes. Both courses are owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and open to the public. The booking page has Day Guest, Card Holder and Arizona Resident rate categories, and the community runs a separate SRPMIC and Native rates program.
How much does it cost to play Talking Stick?
Rates are dynamic and not published on the club site. A GolfNow hot deal for O'odham was seen at $26.99 with cart on August 20, 2026, which is a summer price; winter rates will be much higher. The Arizona Resident rate is a separate category, amount not shown.
Is the Talking Stick Card worth it?
For a winter stay with several rounds, often yes. The 2026-27 card is $129 plus tax, valid October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, and gives dynamic card rates for the holder and one guest, one free round, 20% off food and drink and 15% off merchandise. Card rates only apply to times booked 3 days or less out.
What is the difference between O'odham and Piipaash?
O'odham, the former North Course, is flat, wide-open and links-style, par 70 and 7,133 yards from the back. Piipaash, the former South Course, is more conventional, with tree-lined fairways and raised greens, par 71 and 6,833 yards. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed both.
Can you walk Talking Stick Golf Club?
Yes. Walking is allowed, with complimentary push carts while they last, and O'odham is described as very walkable. Riders are paired on carts; an individual cart costs extra.
When is Talking Stick closed for overseed?
In 2026 O'odham closed September 27 to October 15 and was cart path only October 16 to November 5. Piipaash closed October 19 to November 5 and is cart path only November 6-26. The driving range reopened Wednesday November 4.
How far is Talking Stick from Old Town Scottsdale?
About 15 minutes and 7 miles. Talking Stick Resort is 5 minutes from both first tees, and Salt River Fields, the spring training park for the Diamondbacks and Rockies, is in the same area.
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