Golf in Phoenix, Arizona: A Local Guide
Phoenix has some of the best-value golf in Arizona, from historic city-run courses like Encanto and Papago to the resort courses at the Biltmore and Desert Ridge. A guide to the courses, the city golf card, the climate and the best times to play.
Phoenix is the heart of one of the biggest golf markets in the country. Scottsdale gets most of the attention for resort golf, but the city of Phoenix itself has something its neighbor can't match: a network of city-run courses with some of the most affordable green fees in the Valley, alongside historic layouts and large resort complexes. Our database lists 29 courses within the city of Phoenix, from about 1,000 feet in the south and west to about 1,700 feet in the north.
City Golf: Municipal Courses and the Golf Card
The City of Phoenix operates eight courses of its own, including Aguila, Cave Creek, Encanto and Palo Verde, a mix of 18-hole courses and shorter 9-hole layouts. Two more, Papago and the Grand Canyon University course, are run by partners. A City of Phoenix golf card is valid at all of them, including Papago and GCU, which makes it worth a look for anyone planning to play several rounds in the city.
A few highlights:
- Papago Golf Course: designed by William Francis Bell and opened in 1963 among the red sandstone buttes of Papago Park, it was closed in 2008 for a $5.8 million restoration and reopened that December. It has hosted the Arizona Open, the state's professional championship, every year since 2024.
- Encanto Golf Course: one of the city's oldest courses, opened in the 1930s in Encanto Park, just north of downtown, with an 18-hole course and a 9-hole executive course among mature trees and palms.
Resort and Daily-Fee Courses
- Arizona Biltmore: two courses, Estates and Links, below Piestewa Peak at the historic Biltmore resort.
- Wildfire Golf Club: two courses at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in north Phoenix, the Palmer course, designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 1997, and the Faldo course, opened in 2002.
- Courses such as Raven, Legacy, Lookout Mountain and Arizona Grand round out a wide choice of resort and daily-fee golf across the city.
See all 29, with a playability forecast for every tee time, on our Phoenix golf courses page, for example Papago, Encanto and Wildfire, or browse them on our golf course map.
The Climate
The National Weather Service's 1991–2020 normals for Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport show an average high of about 68°F in January and about 106°F in July, with about 7 inches of rain a year. Phoenix nights are famously warm in summer: the average July low is about 84°F, so even the first tee time of the day is warm. Winter mornings are the opposite, with average January lows around 46°F and the occasional frost delay on clear, calm mornings.
When to Play
- Winter (December to February): peak season, with highs in the 60s and busy tee sheets. City courses fill up with winter visitors, so book early.
- Spring (March to May): the best weather of the year, until highs pass 90°F in May.
- Summer (June to September): very hot, with summer rates at many courses. Play at first light, and watch for monsoon thunderstorms, which usually build in the afternoon between June 15 and September 30.
- Autumn (October and November): overseeding season. In 2026, the Arizona Golf Association's schedule shows, for example, Aguila closed from October 5 to 19, Encanto from October 19 to November 1, Papago from October 12 to November 2, and the Arizona Biltmore staggering its courses, with Links closed from September 28 to October 19 and Estates from October 19 to November 9. See our article on Arizona's 2026 overseeding season, and always confirm with the course.
How Far the Ball Flies
Phoenix's courses sit at modest elevations, so most of the variation in distance comes from the temperature rather than the altitude. Our carry model estimates that a 7-iron that carries 150 yards at sea level on a 70°F day would carry about 152 yards on an average January afternoon in Phoenix and about 157 yards on an average July afternoon. Our altitude distance calculator works out the effect for your own clubs.
Getting Started
For the best value, look at the city courses and the golf card; for a resort experience, the Biltmore and Desert Ridge. Play between late October and April for the best conditions, and check the overseeding dates in autumn. For the neighboring cities, see our guides to golf in Scottsdale and golf in Mesa, and for the wider picture, Golf in Arizona: A Season-by-Season Guide.
Sources: City of Phoenix, golf; Papago and Wildfire details from Golfscape and GolfNow; Arizona Open venues from Wikipedia; climate normals from NOAA's Applied Climate Information System; overseeding dates from the Arizona Golf Association.
Photo: Encanto Park Golf Course, central Phoenix, December 2011, by Chris English, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized from the original.
