Tempe golf courses and Gilbert's daily-fee rounds, course by course

Tempe golf courses are a short list: the city-owned Ken McDonald, a flat full-length muni, and Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills, a lit executive course for night golf. Add Gilbert next door and you get four more courses that sell public times, with GolfNow rates from under $20 to about $72 in fall 2026.

This guide covers each course in Tempe and Gilbert, the closed names you may still see on old lists, and where to stay. Fees were seen between July and November 2026 and change by date and season.

Quick facts

• Public in Tempe: Ken McDonald (full 18, par 72) and Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills (lit executive 18).
• Public in Gilbert: Kokopelli, Western Skies, Greenfield Lakes; Power Ranch is semi-private with public times.
• Private: Seville Golf & Country Club (member-accompanied guests only).
• Closed: ASU Karsten (May 2019), Shalimar (April 2025), Pepperwood (2004).
• Drive from Old Town Scottsdale: 10 minutes to Rolling Hills, 21 to Ken McDonald, 24 to 41 to the Gilbert courses.
• Overseed: no 2026 dates published for these courses; check before booking in October.

Tempe and Gilbert golf courses compared

The fees are online listings and hot deals, mostly from the hot months, not published winter rate cards. January to April rates will be higher. No course here published a 2026-27 card in the files.

Ken McDonald Golf Course

Ken McDonald is the City of Tempe's municipal 18, run since July 2024 under a public-private partnership with CourseCo. It is a flat, tree-lined parkland course in south Tempe, 6,743 yards from the back at 71.5/125, with a Middle tee of 6,316 yards (69.6/118) and a Forward tee of 5,782 yards rated 71.4/116 for women.

• Fees seen: a $42.99 GolfNow hot deal with cart in August 2026; $34.58 in the afternoon and $52.62 in the morning on GolfLink for September 8, 2026. Greenskeeper gives an undated average weekend peak of "up to $50".
• Residents: Tempe resident and association rates exist and are capped at a $2 rise a year under the CourseCo deal. The current numbers were not found; ask the shop.
• Book: GolfNow, or call 480-350-5250.

Play it if you are based in Tempe or near the airport and want a cheap full-length round. It is a value round, not a destination. See the Ken McDonald course guide.

Grass Clippings at Rolling Hills: night golf in Tempe

Rolling Hills is a City of Tempe course in Papago Park, now operated by Grass Clippings after a reported $15 million renovation. It is an 18-hole executive course, fully lit and billed as Arizona's first fully lit 18, so you can tee off after dinner.

• Fees seen: $52 to $127 per player on GolfLink for September 13, 2026, spread by time slot. Pricing is dynamic.
• Rental clubs: $30 for 18 holes, $18 for nine.
• Not published: par, yardage, ratings and overseed dates.

It is a social round rather than a test, and the obvious evening plan for a group staying in Tempe or Old Town, 10 minutes away. For a full-length round in the same park, Papago Golf Course is across the line in Phoenix; read our Papago golf course guide.

Gilbert golf courses

Gilbert's public courses sit 24 to 41 minutes south-east of Old Town and closer to Mesa Gateway airport, the Mesa RV resorts and Chandler.

Kokopelli Golf Club

A public daily-fee course on W Guadalupe Rd, 6,716 yards from the Championship tee and 4,992 from the Forward tee. GolfNow showed $17.99 to $70.99 from August to November 2026, higher in October and November. Kokopelli is one of eight courses on the Arcis Players' Card ($279 for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027), which gives 20% or more off daily rates, 8-day booking and one bonus round. See the Kokopelli course guide.

Western Skies Golf Club

A friendly public daily-fee course on E Warner Rd, 6,744 yards and par 72, with a lit practice facility. GolfNow hot deals ran $22 to $72 with cart in September and October 2026. See the Western Skies course guide.

Power Ranch Golf Club

The former Trilogy Golf Club at Power Ranch, a community course in south Gilbert that sells public times on GolfNow and TeeOff. It is 6,845 yards and par 71 from the back; GolfLink listed $42.76 on July 21, 2026. The access mix was not verified, so treat public availability in peak season as something to confirm.

Greenfield Lakes Golf Course

A public executive course with a range on E Warner Rd. Its status comes from an active Google Maps listing seen in November 2026 (4.0 from 546 reviews); fees, tees and overseed dates were not verified. Status open per that listing; call before you go.

Seville Golf & Country Club

Seville is an invited club. Guests play only when accompanied by a member, booked through the golf shop (480-722-8100).

Closed Tempe golf courses

Old lists still carry three Tempe names that you cannot play:

• ASU Karsten: closed May 5, 2019 for ASU athletics-district development.
• Shalimar Golf Club: listed as permanently closed April 30, 2025; the site has dried out and a housing plan was withdrawn.
• Pepperwood: a nine-hole course on W Baseline Rd, closed in 2004; townhomes have since been built.

More in closed golf courses in Phoenix.

Overseed and timing

None of the Tempe golf courses or their Gilbert neighbours published 2026 overseed dates in the files. Across the Valley, closures usually fall between late September and early November and last about two to three weeks, followed by a week or two of cart-path-only or slow greens. If you are booking in October, call first. Our Phoenix golf overseed guide lists every course with published dates.

January to April is peak, with the highest rates and tightest tee sheets. Spring training adds pressure here: the Angels play at Tempe Diablo Stadium from February 19, 2027. June to September is very hot and cheap, which is when most of the fees above were seen.

Where to stay for Tempe and Gilbert golf

Room rates were not captured for any of these; fees are third-party figures from October 2026. Tempe Mission Palms is a walk from the Mill Avenue bars and ASU, which makes it a cheaper buddies-trip alternative to Old Town, though ASU weekends can be loud and pricey. See where to stay in Scottsdale for golf.

After the round

• Four Peaks Brewing Company on E 8th St is the classic Tempe post-round beer; Pedal Haus on S Mill Ave has a big patio.
• Joe's Real BBQ in downtown Gilbert and Blue 32 Sports Grill on S Higley Rd suit a Gilbert group.
• Tempe Town Lake has lakeside paths beside Mill Ave, and Topgolf has a Gilbert venue.

Which Tempe or Gilbert course to play

The Tempe golf courses and Gilbert's daily-fee rounds suit different jobs:

• Cheapest full 18 near the airport: Ken McDonald.
• Evening round with a group: Rolling Hills under the lights.
• Gilbert value, especially with an Arcis card: Kokopelli.
• Better full-length round close to Tempe: Papago, or drive on to the Mesa golf courses and Chandler golf courses.

For the lowest fees across the Valley, read cheap golf in Scottsdale and Phoenix golf passes.

Plan it on the map

Open the Scottsdale golf map to see the Tempe golf courses, the Gilbert daily-fee rounds and the hotels beside them, with drive times from Old Town. The $30 plan can build a trip or a whole winter around these value courses with a weekly rotation.