And Tucson Too – Praising Arizona’s Second City

Colorado Avid Golfer

Many folks who choose Tucson for their golf vacation do so simply because it’s not as sprawling and crowded as Phoenix. Others tab Tucson for its own merits, which include dramatic mountain vistas in every direction, sybaritic spas, acclaimed museums and affordable, Tour-quality golf. While Tucson will never match Phoenix/Scottsdale for sheer quantity, it holds its own as one of the great—if perhaps most underrated—warm weather golf destinations.

Day 1:

Among the many worthy lodging options in Tucson’s northern fringes, including Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, the Lodge at Ventana Canyon and the Omni Tucson National Resort, it’s hard to beat the Westin La Paloma (3800 E. Sunrise Rd., Tucson; 520-742-6000, westinlapalomaresort.com) for its central location, Southwestern Mission Revival architecture and prime access to the private La Paloma Country Club. Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1984, when his layouts were inevitably beautiful but brutal, La Paloma’s three nines have been tweaked over the years to enhance playability, but they are no less striking now. Plan on losing golf balls—forced carries over dry ravines are numerous—and use an iron to poke around the desert. The prickly local flora can pierce like a fishhook.
With whatever daylight remains, head back to the Westin for some pool time (you can indulge the kid in you on their 177-foot Slidewinder water slide) or for a massage at the Red Door spa. Afterwards, wrap up the day at one of Tucson’s top-rated dining spots, the hotel’s Janos restaurant, named for owner and chef Janos Wilder, a James Beard Award winner. Menus change seasonally, but expect to find imaginative Southwestern accents on every dish.

Day 2

It’s sightseeing day, with a little golf thrown in. Our ultimate destination this morning is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson; 520-883-2702, desertmuseum.org), a slight misnomer for what is actually a garden and a cage-less zoo. If you’re looking for an up-close encounter with mountain lions, Diamondback rattlesnakes and Gila Monsters, there’s no better place to do it.
Eventually, we’ll make our way back north to sample the desert’s most venerable spread, the Catalina course at the Omni Tucson National Resort (2727 W. Club Dr.; 520-297-2271, tucsonnational.com). Host to the PGA Tour from 1965 through 2006, the 7,262-yard, par-73 Catalina is a desert/parkland hybrid that dishes out wall-to-wall grass, tree-lined fairways and elevated greens. While it’s hardly a pushover, you won’t lose a lot of balls—until you arrive at the fearsome, watery par-4 18th, which decided many a Tucson Open.

Day 3

Grab breakfast wherever you want—but make it snappy. We’re squeezing in 36 holes today, as well as checking out of the Westin. We’re headed further north, to the town of Marana where the jaw-dropping backdrops at the Gallery await. The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain (14000 N. Dove Mountain Blvd., Marana; 520-744-2555, gallerygolf.com) is home to two private courses, the John Fought/Tom Lehman-designed North and the South, a Fought solo work. Each is open to the public, on an every-other-day basis. If you have just one day, do the North, which offers more drama in the form of deeper bunkers and forced carries and more in-your-face encounters with the desert/mountain setting, notably on the back nine. Of course, to get to the back nine, you’ll have to survive the 725-yard, par-5 9th.
Better save some energy, though. There are 18 more holes to tackle, literally steps down the road at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain (15000 N. Secret Springs Dr., Marana; 520-572-3000, ritzcarlton.com), the current home to the PGA Tour’s Accenture Match Play event. This 27-hole expedition through dense desert mountain foothills displays the evolution of Jack Nicklaus’ design style, with softened features from tee to green. Ample landing areas, strategically placed fairway bunkers and a paucity of forced carries make for excellent playability, provided you stay away from the 7,814 tips on the Saguaro/Tortolita tournament nines. Where scores soar is on the greens. While their devilish interior contours have been toned down since their 2009 debut, they still vex the best in the game. Actually, Nicklaus’ favorite nine is the Wild Burro, which sits on the sidelines at tournament time only for logistical reasons.
After dueling with the desert for nearly nine hours, sit back and enjoy one of the Southwest’s outstanding dining experiences, the CORE Kitchen and Wine Bar, a sleek, stunning, glass-infused wonder, with innovative cuisine that matches the décor.

Day 4    

As tempting as the charms of the Ritz-Carlton are, from the superior spa to the inviting hiking trails, you can’t head back home without sampling the ultimate desert golf hole,  the 3rd at nearby Ventana Canyon Golf Club’s Mountain course (6200 N. Clubhouse Ln.; 520-577-1400, ventanacanyonclub.com). Crafted by Tom Fazio in 1984, the hilly Mountain course is often underrated, due to the overwhelming grandeur and reputation of one hole, the 107-yard, par-3 3rd. The requirements are simple: punch a three-quarter wedge over a yawning chasm to two-tier shelf of putting surface engulfed by a mountain full of Saguaro cacti. Maybe the hardest part of the hole is resisting the temptation to empty your bag of balls just to hit multiple shots to this one-of-a-kind target.
If you’ve got an evening flight home, it might be worth a side trip 30 miles north of Ventana Canyon for an abbreviated tour of Biosphere 2 (32540 S. Biosphere Rd., Tucson; 520-883-2702, b2science.org) one of the most ambitious and costly science projects ever funded. The 3-acre glass terrarium structure, was built as an airtight living lab to see how folks might function in space and to examine how life itself might evolve. Or so they said. No longer a sealed facility, it was taken over by the University of Arizona in late June 2007. Either way, it’s a unique experience in the desert—much like Tucson itself.

SIDE TRIP
Roughly halfway between Tucson and the Mexican border lies one of Arizona’s true hidden gems, the Tubac Golf Resort. In 1996, Hollywood discovered Tubac’s charms, filming key parts of the golf movie Tin Cup here. A thriving artists’ colony in the actual town of Tubac, just down the road, has long been a popular couples attraction, but for golfers, you can’t go wrong with the vintage golf ranch that Bing Crosby co-founded in 1959. With rustic holes zigzagging through Mesquite and Cottonwood trees and others hopscotching the Santa Cruz River, plus mountain views throughout, you’re transported to Texas and Montana in one Arizona round. Top off your day with the unforgettable flan at the resort’s Stables Restaurant and you’ll tip your hat to the fellow who told you to take this side trip. (1 Avenue de Otero Rd., Tubac; 520-398-2211. tubacgolfresort.com