Arizona National Golf Club

rizona National was designed by one of the most celebrated golf course architects of hie time, Robert Trent Jones Jr. , better known as the “Frank Lloyd Wright of golf course architecture – and what a fantastic course he created in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.  He sculptured 18 fun and challenging holes out of the mountain and designed Arizona National to blend in with and be in harmony with the natural setting.  

Arizona National meanders its way through the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains with:

• forests of giant and stately saguaros of all shapes and sizes, some of which are embedded with several golf balls
• rugged rock outcroppings
• several varieties of cactus and trees
• natural springs that provide water hazards not typical of desert golf courses
• several huge and beautiful homes dotting the hillside
• plenty of wildlife including rabbits, bobcats, javelina, birds, snakes, and more

You'll experience huge elevation changes, sloping and contoured fairways that cross mesquite-lined arroyos and natural areas, and panoramic vistas of several mountain ranges and the Tucson area.   Bottom line, Arizona National offers spectactular scenery but it also has some fun, unique, and challenging holes that will test your skills – all of which is one of the reasons that  Golf Digest named it as one of the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" and it was ranked in the "Top 20 Best Arizona Courses" by Golfweek and the "4th Best in Arizona" by Zagat!

Arizona National is one of those courses that on almost every hole you'll utter a "WOW" for either the scenic view or the challenge or layout of what you see and encounter on the way to the pin. Each and every hole is different and unique and a blast to play.  Some examples of holes that got our "WOWs" included:

• #2 is a 575 yard par 5 (number 2 handicap) with a tee shot to a fairway that runs oblong to the approach to the green and from there you'll have to cross a natural area with water on a fairway lined with 5 bunkers and the approach also chokes down as you cross a natural area to a well guarded uphill green with 4 bunkers
• #11 is 625 yards with a carry off the tee box and blind shot (typically into the wind) to an uphill fairway with six bunkers along the right side then downhill on a narrow left to right sloping and contoured fairway and finally an approach shot across a natural area to an oblong green surrounded by 5 bunkers
• #18 is one of the most spectacular holes we have ever played – a dramatic elevated tee box with a shot to a beautiful fairway with 6 huge bunkers and a sparkling blue lake on the left side of the sloping fairway – what a way to end an outstanding round of golf and the view from the top of the tee box is unmatched

The fairways at Arizona National were near perfect, ample size but with lots of contour (some will feel like a roller coaster ride), mounding, swales, and slope – all of which you need to carefully manage.  The rough was also in great shape and a little thick but very playable.  Make sure you check the wind and study the hole layout before you tee off – you'll need to manage each hole (wind, slope, hazards, elevation changes) and club selection can be critical if you want to score well.  You'll also need to deploy some of your best shot making skills.  With 4 sets of tee boxes plus a combo tee box, yardages ranging from 4414 to 6785 yards and a slope of 112 to 143, make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew.  Arizona National is very friendly for the ladies with manageable yardages and not as many forced carries.

The Arizona National greens were also in very good condition when we played.  The greens are about average size for the Tucson area, ran true and fast (around a 10 to 11), and have both slope and undulation which can cause some subtle breaks that are hard to read.  Remember, everything tends to slope toward the valley.  A number of the greens are elevated and turtle back, which can be challenging.  And most of the greens are well guarded. 

The bunkers range from small pot bunkers to some huge and treacherous monsters.  The sand is firm and the faces are pretty steep!

Arizona National is a must play if you're in the area – fun, challenging, very scenic, and some of the best holes and conditions in Tucson.