2018 Golfer’s Guide to Arizona Spring Training: Tucson

TUCSON: Swing for the fences with our annual golfer's guide to the Cactus League in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa, Peoria and more.

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The Southern Swing

FROM 1993 THROUGH 2010 the Rockies made their Spring Training home at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, which now serves the University of Arizona Wildcats baseball team. Less than a two-hour drive from Scottsdale, the city known as “The Old Pueblo” remains a hot spot for golf (see below) and other adventures. visittucson.org

SEWAILO GOLF CLUB (Tucson)

A spectacular amenity of the Forbes Four Star and AAA Four Diamond Casino Del Sol Resort, this Notah Begay-designed layout blends the native landscape with 14 acres of lakes, 70 bunkers and enough challenge to have the University of Arizona golf teams make it their home course. Troon Golf manages the 7,283-yard course for the Pascua Yaqui tribe, which owns and operates the resort. sewailogolfclub.com

OMNI TUCSON NATIONAL RESORT (Tucson)

For 30 years, the resort’s Catalina course hosted the Chrysler Classic of Tucson. The event’s gone, but the 7,262-yard parkland challenge remains, as does the Omni’s Sonoran course, a 6,552-yard Tom Lehman desert layout that opened in 2005. Throw in a Forbes 4-Star spa, 128 oversized guest rooms, four lighted tennis courts and myriad other amenities and you have an ideal destination. tucsonnational.com

THE GOLF CLUB AT DOVE MOUNTAIN (Marana)

The one-time host of the PGA Tour’s WGC Accenture Match Play Championship is a 27-hole expedition through dense desert foothills of the Tortolita Mountains. Access to its three nines—as well as to the two John Fought-designed 18s at The Gallery Golf Club (which also hosted two WGCs and a Tucson Open)—come via a stay in one of the 250 rooms at the adjacent, superlative Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain. The 850-acre resort blends seamlessly into its saguaro-studded surroundings ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain.com

WESTIN LA PALOMA RESORT AND SPA (Tucson)

Another 27 holes of Jack Nicklaus-designed golf highlight a stay at this majestic property nestled in the high Sonoran Foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains westinlapalomaresort.com

JW MARRIOTT TUCSON STARR PASS (Pictured Above)

Yet another 27-hole golf complex, this one authored by Arnold Palmer, Bob Cupp and Craig Stadler. The AAA Four-Diamond resort features 650 rooms and suites, a spirit-resurrecting spa and the soul-replenishing cuisine of Primo from James Beard Award-winning Chef Melissa Kelly. jwmarriottstarrpass.com


Tucson To-Dos

The Congress Hotel’s Cup Café

CONGRESS SESSION

Eat some of the best food in all Tucson at Cup Café. Based out of the historic Congress Hotel, it makes an art of three square meals, cocktails and bar food. Manadtory breakfast: the cast-iron baked eggs. hotelcongress.com/food

GASTRO INTENSITY

In 2015, Tucson became the First UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Discover the many mouthwatering stops on the “Best 23 Miles of Food” at visittucson.org/food-drink

DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON

What could be hipper than a craft cocktail bar in an old funeral home? Snug quarters, stained glass, and savvy barkeeps make Owls Club more than a hoot. owlsclubwest.com

LACE UP YOUR BOOTS

Hundreds of miles of scenic hiking trails zigzag through Sabino Canyon and Saguaro National Parks. The former features the Coronado National Forest, Sabino and Bear Canyon trails; the City of Tucson divides the latter into the Rincon eastern Rincon Mountain and Western Tucson Mountain District. nps.gov

View the full digital version as it appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Colorado AvidGolfer:

 


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