SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (August 27, 2020) – Since you’ve been gone, a lot has happened in Scottsdale. After a long spring spent inside and travel restrictions limiting summer vacations, many restless travelers are eagerly awaiting their next trip, once conditions allow. Here to answer the call are Scottsdale’s famed golf clubs and resorts, looking forward to welcoming guests back with shiny and new offerings sure to put visitors’ minds at ease, and reignite the joy of golf travel.
Mountain Shadows – nestled between the iconic Camelback and Mummy Mountains in Scottsdale – is home to Arizona’s only par-3 course and offering two new exciting types of accommodations prime for a golf getaway. The Tower, Mountain Shadows’ exclusive “hotel within a hotel,” is ideal for longer stays or those looking for plenty of room to kick back and relax. These one- and two-story, desert modern designed suite accommodations feature private balconies, full kitchens, in-suite laundry, and ample living space.
Or perhaps, after a round of golf at The Short Course, guests might want to turn in for the evening in one of the resort’s new, equally chic Studio Plus guest rooms. Generously sized at 400 square feet with oversized tubs, floor-to-ceiling glass and wrap-around terraces, these accommodations are the perfect place to order in with contactless room service, catch the sunset over the mountains and take in the outstanding views of the desert surroundings. Guests who book the resort’s Slip Into Fall package* receive a $50 daily resort credit, bottle of wine arrival amenity, and 25 percent off cabanas.
Over at Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North, the resort and Troon Golf Vacations have partnered up to help visitors swing into savings this fall. The Best of Scottsdale golf package, starting at $217 per night, includes three nights’ accommodations and three rounds of golf – one each at the scenic Troon North Golf Club, The Boulders Golf Club and Quintero Golf Club – as well as an Avis full-sized rental car. Additional rounds can be arranged at any partner course, including Westin Kierland Golf Club, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, McDowell Mountain Golf Club and Eagle Mountain Golf Club, and for those looking for even more time spent in the great outdoors, the sprawling casita-style resort sits at the foot of Pinnacle Peak Mountain, one of the city’s most picturesque and beloved hiking areas.
Autumn also marks the 25th anniversary of Grayhawk Golf Club’s acclaimed and highly photogenic Raptor Course, as well as the opening of its clubhouse. Raptor has hosted some of the state’s highest profile competitive golf events, including the Tiger Woods’ Williams World Challenge and the PGA TOUR’s Frys.com Open. In spring 2021, Raptor will continue the tradition by hosting the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Golf Championship. Guests can get a preview of Raptor’s challenges, and play Grayhawk’s other stand-out track, Talon, with the club’s 36-Hole Special. Players can enjoy both courses within a five-day period – so they don’t have to be played on the same day – at a great value.
Beginning in late September, conditions permitting, Grayhawk has slated the return of its popular “Live at Grayhawk” to the Quill Creek Café patio, which features acoustic live-music performances by local artists as well as drink and appetizer specials. The open and expansive patio overlooks the stunning Raptor Course, making for an ideal spot to relish the season’s cool and crisp-air evenings.
Never one to miss an opportunity for innovation, Westin Kierland Resort & Spa has recently transformed its casita suites, remodeled its Adventure Water Park and added new ways to “surf the turf” while playing its spectacular 27-hole golf facility. Great for families or small groups of friends – or a “quaranteam” – the reimagined Casita Suites are a home away from home with all-new decor with upgraded living areas and kitchenettes. Guests also receive complimentary, on-demand resort transportation for outstanding access to the golf course, water park and resort restaurants. The Adventure Water Park has an expanded reserved seating area, a remodeled Tommy Bahama private island and enhanced waterslide, lazy river for socially distanced floats in the cool water and the iconic FlowRider surfing simulator.
Kierland Golf Club also makes it easy to maintain safe physical distance while having a blast by allowing golfers to choose their preferred mode of transportation, including Segways, GolfBoards, golf bikes and TurfRiders. For a great value, guests can book the Golf Escape for Two package, which provides outstanding accommodations plus one round of golf per person per night. **
Visitors hoping for effective game improvement will find just what the doctor ordered at Raven Golf Club. The club’s Tour Striker Academy is offering outstanding three-day golf schools with Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor Martin Chuck from mid-October through early-May 2021. Lessons include in-depth swing analysis, on-course guided play, and course-management techniques. Travelers can now also get their clubs dialed in for optimal play at Raven before hitting the links with an expert custom clubfitting from Scottsdale-based, outdoor clubfitting facility True Spec.
For the ultimate concentration and peace and quiet, golfers can seek the Afternoon on Course program at the Boulders Resort & Spa, unbeatable for those who want a quick tune-up before hitting the links. Donald Crawley, Boulders’ Director of Instruction and a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher, oversees the Afternoon on Course program, including a one-hour, hands-on full-swing diagnosis and correction, a one-hour short-game clinic, and nine holes of golf. ***
To learn more about new offerings at Scottsdale golf properties, as well as how Scottsdale golf courses are committed to the health and safety of visitors and players during the Covid-19 pandemic, visit ExperienceScottsdaleGolf.com and check out Experience Scottsdale’s health and safety protocols.
