Golf in Tucson, Arizona: A Local Guide

Tucson sits about 110 miles southeast of Phoenix, in a desert valley ringed by mountains: the Santa Catalinas to the north, the Rincons to the east and the Tucson Mountains to the west. It is a little higher and a little cooler than Phoenix, and its golf has a long history: the PGA Tour's Tucson Open was played here every winter from 1945 to 2006. Our Tucson golf courses page lists 24 courses, from about 2,100 feet at Quarry Pines to about 3,400 feet at SaddleBrooke, north of the city, plus more in Marana, Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills.

A Long Tournament History

• El Rio: the first eighteen editions of the Tucson Open, from 1945, were played at El Rio Golf & Country Club. The city bought it in 1968, and today it is a municipal course.
• Omni Tucson National: its Catalina Course, opened in 1961 and designed by Robert Bruce Harris, was the Tucson Open's longtime home, and later hosted the PGA Tour Champions' Cologuard Classic from 2015 to 2023. The resort also has a second 18-hole course, the Sonoran.
• La Paloma: the Jack Nicklaus-designed club, with 27 holes in three nines (Ridge, Canyon and Hill) in the foothills of the Santa Catalinas, has hosted the Cologuard Classic since 2024. It is a private club.
• Dove Mountain: in nearby Marana, it hosted the WGC Match Play from 2007 to 2014.

City Golf

Tucson's five municipal courses, Dell Urich, El Rio, Fred Enke, Randolph North and Silverbell, are some of the best-value golf in the state, from the historic, tree-lined Randolph and El Rio to Fred Enke's desert layout on the east side of the city.

Other well-known names include Starr Pass, with 27 holes in the Tucson Mountains, and the resort and community courses across the valley. See all of them, with a playability forecast for every tee time, on our Tucson page, for example Randolph North, El Rio and Omni Tucson National, or browse them on our golf course map.

The Climate

The National Weather Service's 1991–2020 normals for Tucson International Airport show an average high of about 67°F in January and about 101°F in June, with about 10.6 inches of rain a year. Two things set Tucson apart from Phoenix:

• June is the hottest month, not July: the summer monsoon, which brings Tucson more rain than Phoenix, brings clouds and storms that take the edge off July and August afternoons.
• Cooler nights: the average January low is about 41°F, five degrees cooler than Phoenix, so frost delays are more common on clear winter mornings, and an early tee time in winter can be chilly.

When to Play

• Winter (December to February): peak season, with sunny days in the 60s and cold mornings. A mid-morning tee time is often the most comfortable.
• Spring (March to May): superb, with highs in the 70s and 80s and the desert in bloom.
• Summer (June to September): hot, with highs around 100°F, and monsoon thunderstorms from late June. Play at first light; afternoon storms can arrive quickly. See Lightning and Golf.
• Autumn (October and November): overseeding season. The Arizona Golf Association's 2026 schedule shows, for example, Dell Urich closed from September 14 to October 2, Randolph North from October 5 to 23, and Omni Tucson National staggering its courses, with the Sonoran closed from September 21 to October 12 and the Catalina from October 5 to 26. See our article on Arizona's 2026 overseeding season, and always confirm with the course.

How Far the Ball Flies

Tucson's extra elevation adds a little distance compared with Phoenix. Our carry model, which adds about 1.7% more carry per 1,000 feet, estimates that a 7-iron that carries 150 yards at sea level on a 70°F day would carry about 155 yards on an average January afternoon in Tucson and about 160 yards on an average June afternoon. Across the valley's courses, from about 2,100 feet at Quarry Pines to about 3,400 feet at SaddleBrooke, the same shot gains about 4 yards on the same day. Our altitude distance calculator works out the effect for your own clubs.

Getting Started

Tucson is a great alternative or addition to a Phoenix-area golf trip: better value, a little more elevation and spectacular mountain backdrops. Play between late October and April for the best conditions, and check the overseeding dates in autumn. For the wider picture, see Golf in Arizona: A Season-by-Season Guide and our guide to golf in Phoenix.

Sources: tournament history from Wikipedia, Tucson Open and Cologuard Classic; La Paloma from GolfPass; climate normals from NOAA's Applied Climate Information System; overseeding dates from the Arizona Golf Association.

Photo: "Wildlife and golf at MountainView SaddleBrooke Two", SaddleBrooke, Arizona, by Phxtuc1, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized from the original.