2016-2017 Travel Guide: Tucson

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

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See more from the Fall/Winter Travel Guide:

Scottsdale/Phoenix
Tucson
Las Vegas
Mesquite
St. George

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More Than 40 golf courses dot the picturesque Tucson region. Highlights include the 36 holes at Omni Tucson National Golf Club, home of a Champions Tour event; Sewailo Golf Club, the Ty Butler/Notah Begay opus at Casino Del Sol Resort; the breathtaking Tom Fazio courses at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort (pictured above); Tom Weiskopf’s magnificent Golf Club at Vistoso; the 27 Jack Nicklaus Signature holes at La Paloma Country Club; and the two former Tucson Open courses, Randoph North and El Rio, managed by OB Sports for the City of Tucson. visittucson.org

Golf and More

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the 6,785-yard  Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed Arizona National Golf Club nestles in the Santa Catalina foothills and abuts Coronado National Forest. The OB Sports-managed course routes around mesquite-lined arroyos and craggy outcroppings. Play and stay at the nearby Casitas at Sabino Springs.  arizonanationalgolfclub.com

The 3.9-mile Sun Link Tucson Streetcar route rolls through the heart of Tucson, starting at Main Gate Square at the University of Arizona. Check out the hip restaurants and shops of Fourth Avenue. Venture into Downtown Tucson and the Mercado San Agustin, Tucson’s newest public marketplace. visittucson.org

Downtown Tucson guide
Downtown Tucson

Explore Earth’s largest living research center beneath the 6,500 panels of glass at the ultra-cool Biosphere 2, which features interactive displays, multimedia presentations and a unique indoor trail system that takes visitors to the tropical rainforest, savanna, coastal fog desert and million-gallon ocean. biosphere2.org

A latticework of hiking trails crisscrosses the  the many mountains that surround Tucson. Find the right one for your endurance level at visittucson.org/hiking


Outside the Old Pueblo

Tubac Resort & Spa
Tubac Resort & Spa

TUBAC FOR SURE: A 45-minute drive south of Tucson brings you to the 500-acre Otero Ranch, home of historic Tubac Resort & Spa. The vintage feel of Tubac’s 27 tree- and water-lined golf holes mesh perfectly with the Hacienda-style architecture and rustic appointments of its 98 luxurious casita suites and guest rooms. Stables Ranch Grille serves up hearty fare and views of the Santa Rita Mountains and the island green on the Anza nine’s ninth hole. A fitness center, heated pool and spa are just some of the many amenities. tubacgolfresort.com

RITZY COMPOUND: 25 miles north of Tucson in Marana spreads the 800-acre Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Community, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Golf Club at Dove Mountain and the 253-room 5-Star hotel, voted Arizona’s top resort by Travel + Leisure. ritzcarlton.com


Going 110 on I-10

JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson Guide
JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa

HIGHWAY RUN: 110 miles on Interstate 10 links the greater Phoenix and Tucson areas—the latter of which also boasts an abundance of golf riches, including 36-hole resorts and a number of current and former stops on the PGA, LPGA, Champions, web.com and Symetra tours. visittucson.org

STARR AND STRIPES: Between 1987 and 1996, the 27-hole Starr Pass Golf Club hosted the PGA Tour’s Tucson Open. The 30-year-old course—originally a TPC co-designed by Arnold Palmer, Bob Cupp and ’82 Tucson Open winner Craig Stadler—showcases the majestic Catalina Mountains and serves as a prime amenity of the AAA Four Diamond J.W. Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort and Spa. The sumptuous 575-room resort features six lighted tennis courts, fitness center, three signature restaurants (even one called Signature Grill), the Hashani Spa and a “water collection” including multilevel pools, waterslide and lazy river. marriottstarrpass.com


This article appears in the Fall 2016 issue of Colorado AvidGolfer. Subscribe today!

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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