Take a Scottsdale Mancation

Spring baseball, awesome golf and perfect weather await.

Photograph of We-Ko-Pa Golf Club by Lonna Tucker

Scottsdale is spectacular in March, not just because of the city’s nonstop energy, breathtaking beauty and ideal climate, but also because Major League Baseball’s Spring Training is back in town.

Time to schedule a Sonoran Desert golf mancation.

Fifteen MLB teams now compete in and around Scottsdale—including the Colorado Rockies and the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals—all played in 10 Cactus League ballparks, each one a splendid showcase for America’s Boys of Summer.

Spring Training is staged throughout metro Phoenix. Scottsdale alone offers two popular stadiums, including posh and expansive Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the 12,800-seat venue for the Arizona Diamondback and Colorado Rockies; and the 12,000-seat Scottsdale Stadium, home to the San Francisco Giants.

Both ballparks offer the easy convenience and comfort of the city’s renowned restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and—perhaps more important to winter-weary Coloradans—the more than 200 immediate-area golf courses. Resort accommodations also are singular and amazing, including this Fabulous Foursome:

The 648-room Fairmont Scottsdale Princess sets the high-bar standard. In the final weeks of a 12-month, multi-million dollar expansion, the AAA Five Diamond property will soon offer 102 new guest rooms, 7,000-square-foot pool with sand beach and splash pad, a Great Lawn and new 1880s-inspired Western town events space. In addition to five restaurants, world-class spa, tennis and six pools, guests also have privileged access to the 36-hole TPC Scottsdale, celebrated venue of the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open.

Another mainstay is Talking Stick Resort, which delivers walking-distance expediency to Salt River Fields and a trove of pleasurable amenities including a 300,000-square-foot gaming casino, Vegas-style live entertainment, Wine Spectator-awarded dining, open-air spa, fitness center and nightlife. Underscoring Talking Stick’s allure is a top-ranked, 36-hole golf complex crafted by legendary architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

On the cusp of its 10th anniversary is We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center in nearby Ft. McDowell. Located less than 30 minutes from Scottsdale Stadium and Salt River Fields, the 246-room property just launched four newly designed golf-themed suites—each of which accommodates four to five guests—that are ideally suited for baseball-and-golf buddy trips. Growing We-Ko-Pa’s well-earned celebrity are casino gaming, fine dining, spa, pool and an explosive 36-hole golf facility orchestrated by Coore/Crenshaw and Scott Miller.

About the same distance away near the Old West backdrop of Cave Creek is newly renovated The Boulders Resort & Spa, which in addition to earning a 2016 CAGGY Award (Best Resort Experience) is favored for its luxurious desert-inspired guestrooms, revamped main lodge with new restaurant dining, 33,000-square-foot spa, tennis, scrapbook-defining pool complex and a stunning 36-hole golf complex crafted by the late Jay Morrish.

RELATED LINKS

Snowbirds Score in Scottsdale

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Announces Expansion

Scottsdale National Gains Traction

2016 Caggy Travel Winners

Chris Duthie is a Durango-based contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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