Golf in Sun Lakes

Designed by golf course architect Red Lawrence, Tres Rios Golf Course plots a 6,846-yard path through the lush foliage of Estrella Mountain Park. The 18-hole course is populated with budding eucalyptus trees and relatively sparse groves of mesquite and pine trees. The 471-yard, par-4 13th hole presents a lengthy dogleg left where sentient tree branches gobble up tee shots that drift into the rough on the right. Golfers can prepare for the round by warming up swings at Tres Rios's grass driving range or putting and chipping balls at the practice green.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-71 course
• Length of 6,846 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.4 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 121 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• 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

Sculpted through the desert and framed by distant mountain peaks, Wickenburg Country Club's 18-hole course roams across 6,320 yards of dazzling terrain. Fresh off an October 2011 overseeding, the course's fairways, greens, and tee boxes blanket the arid terrain with a thick carpet of immaculately mown grass stitched by palm trees, intervening waterways, and tumbleweeds that generously lead golfers to wayward balls. The course bounds over naturally undulating terrain that creates numerous uphill and downhill shots, which gives an advantage to players who trust their yardages and can handle sidehill lies. After rounds, players can continue honing their game at the driving range, check out golf apparel at the pro shop, or drink in views of the rolling, sandstone-hued tundra amid the adobe accents of the clubhouse patio, where clubbers can recapitulate memorable shots or interrogate each other's 9-irons about the veracity of their owners' scorecard.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Length of 6,320 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 70.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 128 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options
• Link to scorecard

Foothills Golf Group’s four golf courses each carry the company’s signature: immaculately groomed sweeping landscapes. The 7,142-yard behemoth that is Club West Golf Club showcases this purity of the turf with a challenging course design filled with elevation changes and stunning views of the surrounding hillsides. The Duke At Rancho El Dorado and The Foothills Golf Club represent classic Arizona golf, leading players along a lush emerald carpet that winds through a desert landscape peppered with shrubs and cacti. The 6,713-yard Ahwatukee Country Club rounds out the portfolio with a fair layout that challenges all skill levels to keep the ball out of the desert sands haunted by the ghost of Peter O'Toole's caddy.

As head instructor at Grayhawk Learning Center, PGA Class A Member Jeff Yurkiewicz calls on more than 12 years of teaching experience to help players improve their individual games. Jeff perpetuates the thorough understanding of the sport he received from his mentors, both Golf Magazine Top 100 instructors: Paul Trittler, host of Golf Academy Live on the Golf Channel, and Peter Kostis, whose detailed commentary on CBS Sports telecasts keeps viewers informed as to each blade of grass’s exact length. In addition to his work with Trittler and Kostis, Jeff boasts an impressive playing resumé of his own, making appearances in both the 2003 Phoenix Open and the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol.