Best Private Golf Courses in Phoenix
Three researched private golf-course picks in and around Phoenix, with reasons to consider each, actual locations, access guidance and cited sources.
Looking for the best private golf courses in the Phoenix area? Start with Phoenix Country Club and Arizona Country Club: Arizona and Moon Valley Country Club. These three researched selections offer different reasons to consider a round, rather than a claim that one course wins for every golfer. The shortlist includes nearby communities where explicitly identified below.
Compare the Phoenix-area shortlist
| Course | Location | Reason to consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Country Club | Phoenix | Longstanding Phoenix golf history |
| Arizona Country Club: Arizona | Phoenix | Strategic bunkers and water hazards |
| Moon Valley Country Club | Phoenix | Championship golf plus a short-course option |
Plan around the actual location
This Phoenix shortlist is separate from the Scottsdale guide. It emphasizes Phoenix courses, contrasting Raven's pine-tree setting with Papago's municipal history and the private clubs' Phoenix Open connections.
This guide contains 3 selections supported by this source review, not a census of local golf. We have not filled the remaining places with courses whose identity, access or selection case we could not establish well enough. A shorter list does not mean the area has no other worthwhile courses. Use the locations in the table and the operator's address, not a directory URL's nearby-hub name, to plan your trip.
Phoenix Country Club
Phoenix Country Club — Phoenix. Phoenix Country Club traces its institution to 1899 and documents its place in Phoenix Open history from 1932 through 1986. That span should not be read as uninterrupted annual hosting: Arizona Country Club alternated during part of the period. It suits golfers comparing the city’s established private clubs.
Our selection focus: longstanding phoenix golf history. This is a reason to put the course on your shortlist, not a rating or a promise about the condition of the course on your visit.
Access and booking: Private Phoenix Country Club access requires membership or an authorized invitation; historic Phoenix Open participation is not current visitor access.
Arizona Country Club: Arizona
Arizona Country Club: Arizona — Phoenix. Positioned south of Camelback Mountain in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix, this course features over 70 bunkers and five holes with water hazards. The club served as an every-other-year host for the Phoenix Open from 1955 through 1973.
Our selection focus: strategic bunkers and water hazards. This is a reason to put the course on your shortlist, not a rating or a promise about the condition of the course on your visit.
Access and booking: Private Arizona Country Club; confirm golf membership or hosted guest permission. Do not confuse it with other Phoenix-area resort courses.
Moon Valley Country Club
Moon Valley Country Club — Phoenix. Moon Valley combines its Dick Wilson course, later redesigned by Bob Cupp and Associates, with the nine-hole Mini Moon and practice facilities. It suits families and golfers seeking shorter practice rounds within a club.
Our selection focus: championship golf plus a short-course option. This is a reason to put the course on your shortlist, not a rating or a promise about the condition of the course on your visit.
Access and booking: Member and authorized-guest play; the published guest information distinguishes playing with a member. Confirm your host’s booking arrangements.
How we chose these courses
We compared published course descriptions from golf publications and, where linked, official club, municipal and golf-association sources. Selection emphasizes a documented architectural feature, tournament connection, historical interest or a distinctive local option. This is desk research, not a first-person playing review or an exhaustive regional ranking. Directory completeness, paid placement and an invented scoring formula do not determine this shortlist. Course names distinguish individual layouts where relevant; a club's founding date is not automatically its current course's opening date.
What should you ask before visiting?
- Have the club or your host confirm your invitation and the procedure for registering guests.
- Ask about dress, arrival, walking or cart rules, guest charges and cancellation expectations.
- Do not assume a reciprocal arrangement, membership opening or hotel stay provides access.
Looking for indoor golf near Phoenix?
If weather changes your plans or you want an indoor practice session, explore indoor golf simulators in Phoenix. Compare the listed venues and their simulator equipment, then confirm current hours, pricing and availability with the operator. These are directory listings, not an extension of our outdoor-course rankings.