La Paloma golf in Tucson: who can play, the Cologuard Classic and the alternatives
La Paloma golf Tucson guide: a private 27-hole Nicklaus club, what is known about Westin guest tee times, the Cologuard Classic and public alternatives.
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La Paloma golf in Tucson is private: La Paloma Country Club is a Troon-managed, 27-hole Jack Nicklaus club in the Catalina Foothills. Westin La Paloma guests have been able to book tee times according to older sources, but the 2026 policy was not confirmed. Since 2024 it has hosted the Cologuard Classic.
So the honest answer to "can I play La Paloma?" is "maybe, if you stay at the Westin and they confirm it." This guide sets out what is known, what is not, and where to play if the answer is no.
Quick facts
- Status: open, private club (club site checked October 26, 2026).
- Holes: 27 Jack Nicklaus holes (Canyon, Ridge and Hill nines), opened 1984.
- Management: Troon.
- Visitor access: through the Westin La Paloma in older sources; not confirmed for 2026.
- Tour event: Cologuard Classic (PGA Tour Champions) since 2024.
- Location: 3660 E Sunrise Dr, about 21 minutes from downtown Tucson.
- Green fees: not published.
La Paloma at a glance
| La Paloma Country Club | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Jack Nicklaus |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Holes | 27 (Canyon, Ridge, Hill) |
| Style | Desert target golf, many forced carries |
| Access | Private; Westin guest access reported in 2021-era sources |
| Management | Troon |
| Tour event | Cologuard Classic, since 2024 |
| Drive from downtown | 21 min, 10.8 mi |
| Nearest resort | Westin La Paloma, 5 min |
Tee yardages, ratings and slopes were not published in the sources we found.
The course
La Paloma Country Club is a Nicklaus desert target course: fairways and greens set into the Sonoran desert with many forced carries. It has three nines, Canyon, Ridge and Hill, which are combined into 18-hole rounds. It opened in 1984 and sits on Sunrise Drive in the Catalina Foothills, the same part of town as Ventana Canyon and the private Skyline and Tucson Country Club clubs.
For a visitor, forced carries matter more than length. If your long game is shaky, play the forward combination you are offered and bring extra balls. The La Paloma course guide has what we could confirm.
Who can play La Paloma golf in Tucson
The club's own site calls it private. Members and their guests play. Visitors have historically reached it through the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa next door:
- A 2021 Troon magazine article described resort-guest access.
- Hotel listings describe tee times at the private club for resort guests.
- One package seller says only resort guests have access.
None of that is a 2026 confirmation. The private status is clear; the guest access rests on older sources. Before you book the Westin for golf, ask the hotel in writing whether guests can book La Paloma on your dates, how far ahead and at what rate.
If you have a member friend, that is the other way in.
The Cologuard Classic at La Paloma
The PGA Tour Champions' Tucson event, the Cologuard Classic, moved to La Paloma in 2024. Before that it was played on the Catalina course at Omni Tucson National from 2015 to 2023. Steven Alker won in 2025 and 2026.
For 2027, March 18-21 at La Paloma appears only on ticket-resale listings and was not confirmed by the tournament or the tour as of October 26, 2026. Because the club is private, tournament week is for spectators. The Westin and other Foothills hotels are busier, and March is already peak season with the Festival of Books on March 13-14, 2027. See Tucson golf events for the full March calendar.
The Westin La Paloma
The Westin is a central foothills resort with a spa, 20 to 25 minutes from the airport. In 2026 listings, parking was charged nightly: about $19 to $21 self-park and $35 to $39 valet. Its resort fee for 2026 was not confirmed, and dated room rates could not be read. Our guides to Tucson golf resorts and the best golf resort in Tucson compare it with the others.
From the Westin, Skyline is 10 minutes away and private, and the Ventana Canyon courses are 14 minutes away but limited to Loews and Lodge guests.
Public alternatives to La Paloma
| Course | Drive from downtown | Back tees (yds, rating/slope) | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starr Pass | 11 min | 6,951 (73.7/141) | Public tee times |
| Omni Tucson National Catalina | 23 min | 7,262 (75.4/136) | Public and resort guests |
| Arizona National | 35 min | 6,785 | Semi-private, sells public tee times |
| Ventana Canyon Mountain | 30 min | 6,902 | Loews and Lodge guests |
Arizona National, 34 minutes from the Westin, is a membership club that sells public tee times: a Robert Trent Jones Jr. desert design at the base of the Santa Catalinas. Starr Pass is the strongest course a visitor can book in Tucson, and Catalina gives you the tour history that La Paloma inherited. Our best golf courses in Tucson list ranks them, and private golf clubs in Tucson covers the other member-only clubs.
La Paloma against the other restricted courses
Three of the most talked-about courses in Tucson are not simply bookable. Here is how they compare on the one thing that matters to a visitor: how you get on.
| Course | Holes | Designer | How visitors get on | Confirmed for 2026? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Paloma | 27 | Jack Nicklaus | Stay at the Westin La Paloma (older sources) | No |
| Ventana Canyon | 36 | Tom Fazio | Stay at Loews or the Lodge at Ventana Canyon | Yes, on a daily rotation |
| Dove Mountain | 27 | Jack Nicklaus | Stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain | Yes, 7 AM-4 PM daily |
La Paloma is the least certain of the three. If you want a guaranteed stay-and-play in the Foothills, Loews and Ventana Canyon is the safer bet. Our Ventana Canyon golf and Dove Mountain golf guides explain each.
If the Westin says no
If guest tee times are not available, a Foothills trip still works:
- Keep the Westin for the location. It is central in the Foothills, with the Ventana Canyon courses 14 minutes away.
- Drive to public desert golf. Arizona National, 34 minutes away, sells public tee times. Starr Pass is across town in the Tucson Mountains.
- Add a tour-history round. Catalina at Omni Tucson National hosted the Cologuard Classic before La Paloma did, and it sells public tee times.
- Watch the event instead. If your trip falls on Cologuard Classic week, buy a spectator ticket and see La Paloma that way.
When to visit the Foothills
The season runs November to April. March is the best weather month at Tucson airport, about 76F highs and 48F lows with 0.56 inches of rain, and it is also peak pricing, tournament week and the Festival of Books. For quieter weeks with good conditions, look at November or April. See best time to golf in Tucson.
Plan it on the map
Open the Tucson golf map to see La Paloma, the Westin and the public courses that are open to you, with drive times. The $30 plan can build a Foothills trip around the courses you can actually book.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
Is La Paloma golf in Tucson public?
No. La Paloma Country Club is a private club, managed by Troon, and its own site describes it as private (checked October 26, 2026). You cannot book a public tee time there.
Can Westin La Paloma guests play La Paloma Country Club?
Older sources, including a 2021 Troon magazine article and hotel and package listings, say resort guests can book tee times, and one package seller says only resort guests have access. The current 2026 guest policy was not confirmed, so ask the Westin before booking the room for golf.
How many holes does La Paloma have?
27 holes by Jack Nicklaus, in three nines: Canyon, Ridge and Hill. It opened in 1984 and is desert target golf in the Catalina Foothills with many forced carries.
Is the Cologuard Classic at La Paloma?
Yes, since 2024. The PGA Tour Champions event moved from Omni Tucson National's Catalina course, where it was played from 2015 to 2023. Steven Alker won in 2025 and 2026. Resale listings show March 18-21, 2027, not confirmed by the tour as of October 26, 2026.
Can I play La Paloma during the Cologuard Classic?
Plan on watching, not playing. La Paloma is private, so tournament week is for spectators, and the Westin La Paloma and other Foothills hotels are busier that week.
What does it cost to play La Paloma?
No green fee was published. The Westin charges for parking, about $19 to $21 a night self-park and $35 to $39 valet on listings seen in 2026, and its resort fee for 2026 was not confirmed.
What are the best public alternatives to La Paloma?
Arizona National, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. desert course near Sabino Canyon, sells public tee times. Starr Pass, 11 minutes from downtown, is our top-ranked course a visitor can book. Omni Tucson National's Catalina course is the former Cologuard Classic host and is open to the public.
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