Phoenix and Scottsdale get 90% of the golf love in Arizona, but a little town called Tucson deserves some attention. The RGV Tour headed south to do some exploration. The result was a less crowded and glorious little golf destination. Please enjoy The RGV Tour’s favorite Tucson spots.
Both the Mountain and Canyon courses at Ventana Canyon are designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio and the result is a solid lineup of 36 holes. Ventana Canyon should be at the top of any respectable tour of Tucson.
Perhaps the most interesting hole at Ventana Canyon is the 3rd hole on the Mountain course. This short little number plays under 100 yards to a green tucked into a canyon on the mountain side. The tee box is one of the best spots in all of Tucson.
The Golf Club at Dove Mountain
Most golf fans are familiar with Dove Mountain as it has hosted the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship from 2009 - 2014. It shall now be most famous for hosting The RGV Tour in 2023.
The dramatic and heavily sloped greens are the most noteworthy aspect of the golf course and have drawn plenty of criticism from tour players and visiting golfers. Even Bob the Cat (pictured above) thought the greens could stand to be dialed down a bit. I made several long range bombs and told everyone to calm down.
Golf courses with the word ‘National’ in them are usually pretty solid. It’s not quite the same pedigree as ‘Royal’ but you can usually count on a good round of golf. Arizona National is no exception to this phenomenon.
For those with an invitation to play, La Paloma will serve up some solid Jack Nicklaus designed golf. With 27 holes on the property, the only serious issue I had was finding a spot to park the RGV. The sunsets also appear to be 25% more spectacular at La Paloma.
I wanted very badly to go “Way low at Sewailo.” However, it just wasn't in the cards for the RGV Tour’s visit to Casino Del Sol and Sewailo Golf Club. What was in store was a fun golf course void of real estate development. This Notah Begay III design has its moments and would be a good addition to anyone visiting Tucson for golf.
LIV golf recently announced that they are coming to The Gallery Golf Club in March of 2023. Fortunately, the RGV Tour visit was in February and the tour prides itself on being an expert at scouting professional venues. We dug in and sorted out the details. It didn’t take long to approve The Gallery for official LIV tournament action.
I decided to play this course simply because the name rhymed with Torrey Pines. Was it solid logic? Absolutely not. Did it pay off? Yes it did. Strong municipal vibes exist on the front nine and the quarry takes over on the back. There isn’t much continuity between the two nines, but it matters little. The drama of the quarry holes alone make this worth a visit.
I finished off my visit to Tucson with a trip to Tucson National. As one might expect, some quality golf comes along with the word ‘National’ at Tucson National. There are 36 holes to play and The Catalina course is the truest test of the pair. Every year it hosts the Cologuard Classic, a PGA Tour Champions event. The Sonoran course was added in 2005 by Tom Lehman and provides a more fun and scenic golf adventure.
Bonus Tucson course! Even the legendary Arnold Palmer has ties to Tucson and he has provided us with 27 holes of golf at Star Pass. Great views and several dramatic elevation changes await the visiting golfer. Star Pass was a last minute addition to the RGV Tour’s Tucson lineup and I was glad that it snuck onto the agenda.
Most of these courses fly under the Arizona radar for no other reason other than their location in Tucson. The value is solid and most of these courses will outshine a large number of courses in the Phoenix area. Do yourself a favor on your next visit to Phoenix and give Tucson a try.