Scottsdale’s top-ranked public golf courses: what Golfweek and Golf Digest say
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Golfweek's 2026 ranking of Arizona's best public-access golf courses puts TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course at No. 3 in the state, and five of its top 13 spots go to Scottsdale courses. Golf Digest's 2025-26 state ranking orders the same courses quite differently. If you want to live near a highly rated course you can play without joining a club, here is how the two lists compare, where the ranked courses sit, and what homes in those ZIP codes have been selling for.
What the rankings say
- Golfweek 2026, Arizona public-access courses: TPC Scottsdale Stadium No. 3, Grayhawk Talon No. 5, Grayhawk Raptor No. 7 (Golfweek's Best 2026, published June 15, 2026)
- Golfweek 2026, more Scottsdale courses: Troon North Monument tied for No. 9, Troon North Pinnacle No. 13, TPC Scottsdale Champions tied for No. 25, Camelback Ambiente No. 28 (Golfweek's Best 2026, published June 15, 2026)
- Golf Digest 2025-26, best courses in Arizona: Troon North Monument No. 21, Troon North Pinnacle No. 30, TPC Scottsdale Stadium No. 36, Grayhawk Raptor No. 38 (Golf Digest, published May 29, 2025)
- ZIP code 85255 (TPC Scottsdale, Grayhawk): median sale price $1,499,559, up 25.0% year over year, 76 median days on market (Redfin, three months ending September 2026)
- ZIP code 85262 (Troon North): median sale price $1,522,553, down 1.8% year over year, 134 median days on market (Redfin, three months ending September 2026)
The ranked courses, one by one
TPC Scottsdale: Stadium and Champions
The Stadium Course is a Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish design, according to Golf Digest. It has hosted the WM Phoenix Open since 1987, and Weiskopf led a renovation that began in April 2014 and finished that November, according to the tournament. The Champions Course, which Golf Digest notes was revamped in 2007, also makes Golfweek's 2026 list, tied for No. 25. Both sit at 17020 North Hayden Road in ZIP code 85255.
Grayhawk Golf Club: Talon and Raptor
Talon was designed by David Graham and Gary Panks and opened in 1994. It plays to par 72 and 6,973 yards from the back tees, according to GolfPass. Raptor is a Tom Fazio design, per Golf Digest, and stretches to 7,135 yards at par 72. Golf Digest notes Raptor hosted the Frys.com Open from 2007 through 2009 and the NCAA Division I Championships from 2021 through 2023. The club is at 8620 East Thompson Peak Parkway, also in 85255.
Troon North Golf Club: Monument and Pinnacle
Both courses wrap the northern slopes of Pinnacle Peak and operate as daily fee and resort courses, according to Troon. Golf Digest credits Monument to Tom Weiskopf. The club sits at 10320 East Dynamite Boulevard in ZIP code 85262. Its own site lists 2026 maintenance closures, including Monument closed from June 15 to September 12 for aerification and from October 4 to October 24 for overseeding.
Camelback Golf Club: Ambiente
Ambiente ranks No. 28 on Golfweek's 2026 list. Golf Digest notes it was renovated in 2013.
Why the two lists disagree
They measure different things. Golfweek ranks public-access courses on a list separate from private clubs. Golf Digest builds a single Arizona list of public and private courses from evaluations by its course-ranking panelists, so public courses compete for spots against private clubs. That is how TPC Scottsdale Stadium can sit at No. 3 on one list and No. 36 on the other. Golf Digest's top seven Arizona spots all go to private clubs, led by The Estancia Club in Scottsdale at No. 1. Grayhawk Talon, No. 5 on Golfweek's public list, does not appear among Golf Digest's 45 ranked courses at all.
The editions also differ. Golfweek's state lists came out in June 2026. Golf Digest's 2025-26 state ranking was published in May 2025 and is the newest edition we found. Panel opinions can shift between editions as courses renovate or as more panelists play them.
What it means if golf is part of your home search
Most of the ranked Scottsdale courses sit in two ZIP codes that have behaved differently this year. In 85255, home to TPC Scottsdale and Grayhawk, Redfin's median sale price rose 25.0% from a year earlier and homes sold in a median 76 days. In 85262, home to Troon North, the median slipped 1.8% and the median time on market was 134 days. Those are ZIP-wide numbers, not golf-home numbers, but they hint that the two areas are moving at a different pace.
A ranked public course nearby gives you a place to play without a club membership. It also brings tee-time traffic, maintenance schedules, and, at TPC Scottsdale, the WM Phoenix Open. Whether those matter depends on how close the home sits to the course and to its entrances.
Practical steps
- Map the course, not just the ZIP code. Check whether a listing backs to a fairway, a green, a tee box, or a cart path, and how far it is from the clubhouse entrance.
- Visit at the hours you would be home. Early morning maintenance and the first tee times are part of daily life on a course lot.
- Ask about the maintenance calendar. Desert courses close for aerification and overseeding, and Troon North publishes its 2026 dates. A fall showing may look different from the course in peak season.
- Read the HOA documents early. CC&Rs often address view fencing, walls, and landscaping on golf lots. Read them before your inspection period runs out.
- Ask your insurance agent about stray golf balls. Coverage for window, roof, and car damage varies by policy.
- Avoid this mistake: assuming a home next to a public course comes with playing privileges or resident rates. Ask the course directly, and get any program terms in writing.
The honest caveats
- Rankings are panel opinions from one edition. They are useful for comparing courses, not for judging a home.
- Golf Digest notes there are over 200 courses in the Scottsdale area. Plenty of well-kept, unranked courses sit near homes too, so a ranking is only one way to judge a course.
- Troon North's own website lists Monument at No. 10 and Pinnacle at No. 11 on Golfweek's 2026 Arizona list, which differs from the positions in Golfweek's published list. We used Golfweek's published list.
- Redfin's ZIP code medians cover every home type and every neighborhood in the ZIP code. A three-month median can swing with a handful of large sales, and golf-front homes can price well above or below it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best public golf course in Scottsdale?
It depends on which publication you ask. Golfweek's 2026 ranking of Arizona's public-access courses places TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course highest among Scottsdale courses, at No. 3 in the state. Golf Digest's 2025-26 Arizona ranking places Troon North Monument highest among Scottsdale's public courses, at No. 21, with the Stadium Course at No. 36. Both are open to public play, so the most useful test is to play them yourself.
Can the public play TPC Scottsdale?
Yes. Both TPC Scottsdale courses, the Stadium and the Champions, appear on Golfweek's 2026 list of Arizona's best public-access courses. Rates, booking windows, and seasonal closures change, so check with TPC Scottsdale directly before you plan a round.
Which ZIP codes are the ranked Scottsdale golf courses in?
TPC Scottsdale, at 17020 North Hayden Road, and Grayhawk Golf Club, at 8620 East Thompson Peak Parkway, are both in 85255. Troon North Golf Club, at 10320 East Dynamite Boulevard, is in 85262. Each ZIP code covers many neighborhoods, so confirm a specific home's distance to the course on a map.
What do homes cost near TPC Scottsdale and Grayhawk?
Redfin reports a median sale price of $1,499,559 in ZIP code 85255 for the three months ending September 2026, up 25.0% from a year earlier. That figure covers the whole ZIP code and every home type. Homes on or near a fairway can sell well above or below it.
Does living next to a public golf course let me play it?
Not automatically. Living next to a public course does not by itself give you playing privileges or discounted rates. Ask the course whether it offers any resident programs, and read the community's HOA documents before you buy.
The bottom line
Scottsdale has some of Arizona's highest-ranked public golf, but the two major lists do not agree on the order. Golfweek favors TPC Scottsdale Stadium and the two Grayhawk courses, while Golf Digest puts both Troon North courses ahead of them. For a buyer, the more useful questions are where the home sits relative to the course, what the HOA allows, and how the local market has been moving. In 85255 and 85262, median sale prices were around $1.5 million for the three months ending September 2026, with very different times on market.
Read more: Desert Mountain in north Scottsdale: seven golf courses, homes, and how membership works and DC Ranch in north Scottsdale: homes, prices, trails, and HOA basics
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Sources
- Golfweek (USA TODAY Sports), Golfweek's Best 2026: best public-access golf courses in every state, published June 15, 2026, via Yahoo Sports. Link
- The Arizona Republic, TPC Scottsdale among top Arizona public courses, June 16, 2026, via Yahoo Sports. Link
- Golf Digest, Best golf courses in Arizona, 2025-26 ranking, published May 29, 2025. Link
- Golf Digest, Best public golf courses in Scottsdale, February 5, 2025. Link
- Troon North Golf Club, Course page with accolades and 2026 maintenance dates, viewed October 27, 2026. Link
- Troon, Troon North Golf Club course page, viewed October 27, 2026. Link
- GolfPass, Talon at Grayhawk Golf Club, viewed October 27, 2026. Link
- Chronogolf, Grayhawk Golf Club, viewed October 27, 2026. Link
- WM Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale, viewed October 27, 2026. Link
- Redfin, 85255 housing market, three months ending September 2026. Link
- Redfin, 85262 housing market, three months ending September 2026. Link
- Count of Scottsdale courses in Golfweek's 2026 top 13 calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners from Golfweek's published list: TPC Scottsdale Stadium, Grayhawk Talon, Grayhawk Raptor, Troon North Monument, Troon North Pinnacle.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. This article is for general information only and is not financial, lending, legal, or tax advice. Arizona Luxury Partners | Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Fine Properties, 21020 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Brokerage License LC629808000. Equal Housing Opportunity.