Tucson, Arizona: Where the Pros Go to Play

Nearly three and a half centuries after golf began, Tucson officially got into the game when the Randolph North golf course opened for play in 1929.  Since that time, Tucson has become a desert golf mecca offering variety, views and value at more than 40 courses, making it a perfect place to host professionals.

Tucson’s rich golf tradition is embodied by Cologuard Classic, a Tucson PGA TOUR Champions Tour event played at the Omni Tucson National Resort each year (February 23-March 1). The exciting Cologuard Classic will host 78 of the best PGA players where they’ll compete for a cash prize and 255 Charles Schwab Cup points, but the real treat for the winner is having the opportunity to put on the conquistador-style Champions’ Helmet.

The Cologuard Classic also gives avid golf fans a more than just a look at the pros at the Jose Cuervo Pro-Am taking place ahead of the tournament. Fans can go from observer to playing alongside golf legends! That’s Tucson golf.

The 2019 Cologuard Classic may have been the most star-studded field ever! A few of the players who played: John Daly, a five-time winner on the PGA TOUR and a two-time major winner; Bernhard Langer, 39-time Champions Tour winner; Steve Stricker, last year’s Cologuard Classic champion; Tom Lehman, 2017 Cologuard Classic champion; Miguel Angel Jimenez, a Spanish pro golfer and 21-time winner on the European Tour; John Smoltz, Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame pitcher; Oscar De La Hoya, former world champion boxer; Alfonso Ribeiro, actor and comedian; and many more.

As host to the Cologuard Classic, the Omni Tucson National Resort provides a variety of courses, but if a challenge is the goal, do as the pros do and give the Catalina course a go, which is the official course for the event. With eight lakes and more than 80 strategic bunkers, the resort’s Parkland style layout provides a beautiful dare with gentle contours and tree-lined fairways.

Tucson has been home to professional golf tournaments like the Cologuard Classic since 1945 so you can rest assured that there are plenty of options to play where the pros have played, plus with a landscape as beautiful as the Sonoran Desert, social media photo ops abound in Tucson.

The 107-yard, hole 3 at the Mountain course at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon Golf & Tennis Club is one of the most photographed holes in the Southwest. Keep the play going and head to the base of scenic Pusch Ridge, for amazing view spread throughout its 45 holes of championship golf at the El Conquistador Golf & Tennis in Oro Valley.

In a place where the sun shines 300 days a year, it’s easy to see why pro golfers and PGA TOUR events have been coming to Tucson since 1945.

Learn more about the Cologuard Classic and Tucson golf at VisitTucson.org/Golf.

---

Want to read more articles on the top travel destination in Arizona? Visit our TRAVEL ARIZONA page.

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine 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.