Tucson buddies golf trip: group tee times, a realistic budget and where to sleep

A Tucson buddies golf trip works best from one base with golf at the door or close by, three or four rounds on public and resort courses, and tee times booked together through the pro shop. Omni Tucson National suits a golf-first group, Casino Del Sol a group that wants nightlife, and a Marana hotel the budget crowd.

This Tucson buddies golf trip guide covers where a group should sleep, which courses handle group play well, how to get consecutive tee times and what the money looks like. Prices were seen in October 2026 and change through the season.

Quick facts

• Golf-first base: Omni Tucson National Resort, 36 holes on site.
• Nightlife base: Casino Del Sol Resort, with Sewailo on the grounds.
• Budget base: Holiday Inn Express Tucson North - Marana, free breakfast and parking for trucks and trailers.
• Green fees seen: about $35 to $86 for 18 with cart at daily-fee and town courses (late October 2026).
• Mixed abilities: the Randolph complex has two city courses side by side.
• Airport: Tucson International, about 17 minutes from downtown.
• Avoid: overseed weeks in late September and October.

Picking a base for a Tucson buddies golf trip

The right base depends on what the group does after golf. All resort room rates were unreadable online in October 2026, so the comparison below sticks to what was published: golf, fees and parking.

Omni Tucson National is the simplest choice for a group that wants to play a lot. Two 18s start from the resort, so a 36-hole day needs no driving, and Crooked Tree is about 8 minutes away for a third course.

Casino Del Sol is the pick when evenings matter as much as tee times. It has restaurants and bars on site, Sewailo on the grounds and an airport about 15 minutes away. The trade-off is noise and smoke near the gaming floor, so ask for rooms away from it.

The Marana Holiday Inn Express has 84 rooms, a fridge and microwave in each, free breakfast and free parking that fits a truck with a trailer. Quarry Pines is 2 minutes away and Tucson National about 13.

More on the areas is in our where to stay in Tucson for golf guide, and the Tucson golf resorts guide compares every resort.

Courses that work for a group

The Randolph complex is the classic answer for a group with a wide spread of handicaps. Randolph North is long with water on five holes, while Dell Urich is shorter and friendlier, so the low handicaps and the high handicaps can each play their own course and meet at the restaurant.

The Sewailo course guide and the Starr Pass course guide have the full tee lists, and our best golf courses in Tucson ranks the field.

Getting group tee times

On a Tucson buddies golf trip with two or more foursomes, the goal is consecutive times on the same morning.

1. Call the pro shop. Online engines book one foursome at a time. A shop can hold back-to-back times and tell you about group rates.
2. Book when the window opens. Few Tucson courses publish their booking window. City Card holders get 7-day advance booking at the five city courses.
3. Use the City Card for a foursome. The 2026 card gives city-card rates every round plus guest rates for up to three guests. It was on sale for $50 plus tax for the rest of 2026 on the page read in October 2026, and expires December 31, 2026.
4. Expect pairing on some sheets. The Highlands at Dove Mountain, for example, pairs groups under four on its public GolfNow times.
5. Avoid the frost window. January lows average 40.8F at the airport and colder in the outlying valleys, so first times can be delayed. A group that starts at 9 AM loses less.

Our Tucson tee times guide goes further on booking.

A three-night, four-round group plan

Here is one way to shape a buddies weekend from the Omni:

• Day 1: fly in, play Crooked Tree in the afternoon, dinner in town.
• Day 2: 36 holes at Tucson National, Catalina in the morning and Sonoran after lunch.
• Day 3: Starr Pass, about 27 minutes from the Omni.
• Day 4: morning round at Quarry Pines, about 11 minutes from the Omni, then the airport.

From Casino Del Sol, swap Day 2 for two rounds at Sewailo or one at Sewailo and one at Starr Pass, about 21 minutes away. The Tucson golf trip itinerary has a four-course version with a value option.

The budget

Here is what a Tucson buddies golf trip costs, using the numbers that were published. Room rates for the resorts were not readable, so get a group quote from the hotel.

• Green fees: daily-fee and town courses ran about $35 to $86 for 18 with a cart in late October 2026, with El Conquistador at $46.69 to $85.79. Resort courses sit above that, and peak-season prices climb from January.
• Resort fees: the JW Marriott listed $49 a night and Loews Ventana Canyon $39 plus tax. Omni showed $32.49 on one travel site, unconfirmed.
• Parking: free at Casino Del Sol and the Marana Holiday Inn Express; about $14 a day self-parking at the JW Marriott.
• Summer deals: Sewailo ran a two-player promotion at about $100 for two with cart and range balls from May 18 to September 10, 2026.

Our Tucson golf trip cost guide sets out value and splurge totals.

After golf

Tucson was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2015, and the Mexican food is the best reason to eat out on a Tucson buddies golf trip.

• Tito & Pep: wood-fired grill on East Broadway, a reliable group dinner; book ahead in season.
• El Charro Cafe: downtown since 1922, known for carne seca.
• Mi Nidito: South 4th Avenue Sonoran institution; expect a wait at peak times.
• El Guero Canelo: the best-known name for the Sonoran hot dog.

Hours were not re-checked for every restaurant, so confirm before you go. If the group is choosing between towns, our Yuma buddies golf trip and Mesquite buddies golf trip guides cover the alternatives.

Plan it on the map

Open the Tucson golf map to see every course and hotel in this guide, with drive times between them. The $30 plan builds a Tucson buddies golf trip around your group size, handicaps and budget, day by day.