ARIZONA
scot tsdale / phoenix
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Troon North
What To Do GOLD STANDARD: Stretching through the
natural ravines and boulder-strewn foothills of Pinnacle Peak, Troon North Golf Club’s Pinnacle and Monument courses remain the hallmarks of daily-fee desert golf. Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish—with some sweet remodeling by Weiskopf—the 26-year-old flagship of the Troon empire represents the best of the brand. troonnorthgolf.com
Rio Verde Country Club
ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE OF ARIZONA’S ACTIVE-ADULT communities added even more vigor last
April when Rio Verde Country Club selected Troon Privé to manage operations. The 41-year-old club, tucked into the McDowell foothills at the edge of the Tonto National Forest, has seen an uptick in fitness programming at its community center, rounds on its impeccable White Wing and Quail Run golf courses, and diners in its vibrant clubhouse restaurant. Construction on two pickleball and two bocce courts just finished. The club remains as unpretentious as ever, which participants in Rio Verde Discovery packages quickly discover. rioverdearizona.com
Smart Plays COUPLES’ RETREAT: Fred Couples, that is. The
popular Tour player teamed up with Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley to create Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, 40 miles south of Scottsdale. Ranked among Arizona’s top daily-fee golf courses by Golfweek and Golf magazines, the 7,546-yard Australian sandhills-inspired layout is a pure golf experience with no shot-distracting homes or traffic. Troon Golf manages the upscale facility. golfsoutherndunes.com
BOLDER BOULDERS: If you haven’t stayed at The
Boulders Resort & Spa in the past year, check out how the Carefree resort upgraded all 160 of its casitas, added a lodge and redid the restaurant. The two courses remain unchanged. theboulders.com
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Fall 2016
BREWS CRUISE: Arizona Brewery Tours conducts enlightening and fun public and private craft-beer tours—including a Sip and Savor edition pairing food and brews at different breweries—in the greater Phoenix /Scottsdale area. They drive, you drink. azbrew.com
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JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge
J-DUB STEP: With 869 luxe rooms and 81 suites, the sprawling J.W. Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa provides a sumptuous family-friendly lodging experience. The award-winning property offers abundant guest services and amenities, including outstanding restaurants (Roy’s Pacific Rim, Stonegrill), Revive Spa, fitness center, water park and 36 holes of Tour-worthy golf designed by Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo—complete with a steakhouse in the clubhouse. jwdesertridgeresort.com coloradoavidgolfer.com