Golf in Mesa

Augusta Ranch Golf Club’s first hole starts players off with a bit of misdirection. Measuring 379 yards from the back tees, the longest hole on the course calls for a zealous swing, while the rest of the course is designed to give irons a workout. The links feature a mix of par-3 and par-4 holes that invite newcomers to play around and test experienced players' short game play with shallow greens and treacherous bunkers. Instructors give lessons for all skill levels, and the staff organizes a variety of events throughout the year, from clinics and tournaments to Night Golf played with glowing golf balls. Players can convene beneath The Sunset Grille’s outdoor pavilion to snack on classic breakfast and lunch cuisine and keep an eye out for flocks of geese trained to abduct pitching wedges.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 61 course
• Total length of 3,846 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 59 from the back tees
• Course slope of 91 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Designed by Pete Dye, the golf course at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club boasts 6,653 yards of fairway portioned into 18 picturesque holes. Twosomes can rev up golf carts and dart down paths on a competitive quest to out-thwack opponents on the course and out-swim them in the water hazards. Scenic views of the valley and mountains surround the open landscape, which is accented with Scottish mounding and hazards such as the 11th hole's watery expanse and the 4th hole's sand bunkers.

Built by the U.S. Air Force before opening to the public in 1993, Toka Sticks Golf Club sports nearly 6,700 yards of playing area peppered with 18 recently declassified holes. As the silhouettes of mountains hold up "Quiet" signs in the distance, numerous trees serve as obstacles on the parkland-style course's narrow fairways and small greens. The course also challenges golfers and golf-cart chauffeurs with all-time course records of 60 strokes and 7 miles per hour, respectively. Players can prepare to beat this record with a token to the facility’s practice range, valid for approximately 40 practice balls that can be belted into the stratosphere or bartered for roadrunner eggs.

Like its neighbors Scottsdale and Tempe, Mesa belongs to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as the Valley of the Sun. Thanks to those suburbs, there’s no shortage of things to do within a 30-mile radius of the hotel. You can hike amid the towering saguaros on the McDowell Sonoran Preserve trails, or peruse the boutiques and art galleries of Old Town Scottsdale. In downtown Mesa, stop in the Arizona Museum of Natural History to learn about southwest history dating back 4.5 billion years. Admire dinosaur fossils, pan for gold in the History Courtyard, and appreciate the fence that separates you and the museum’s resident Gila monster.Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.Though Arizona Golf Resort sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available.

Shalimar Country Club's 2,417 yards of manicured golfing terrain are peppered with towering trees, slinking sand traps, and rolling hills. The design of the nine-hole, par-33 course masterfully incorporates its scenic assets—the fifth hole sits across a yawning lake, and the ninth hole's island green is flanked on all sides by water hazards, bunkers, and punks who steal golf balls for their solar-system dioramas. To be prepared to dodge these obstacles, players practice on a driving range and chipping-and-putting green. After their rounds, golfers can wander into the restaurant and lounge for a meal or a drink or peruse the golf shop to try on new apparel and test the mettle of name-brand equipment.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par-33 course

• Distance of 2,417 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 31.2 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

• Link to scorecard

Challenging course play tucked in the shadows of the Superstition Mountains characterizes Western Skies Golf Club, earning it the yearly honor of hosting the Gilbert City Championship. Players shepherd their golf balls over the 6,744-yard layout aboard carts equipped with GPS systems, which help them determine exact distances to the greens or how far the flagsticks can be thrown like javelins. Water enters play on five holes, including the 18th, where players must hit over a lake off the tee and avoid a second lake to the right of the green on their approach shot.

A lighted practice facility lets golfers pummel Pinnacle range balls into the night sky at the driving range or shore up short-game finesse at the putting and chipping greens. After a round, practice session, or bout of putter swordplay, players can visit the bar and grill to restore calories lost on the fairways and bunkers while watching 12 HD televisions.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,744 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.3 from the back tees
• Course slope of 125 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard