Paradise Valley is a 16-square-mile enclave wedged between Scottsdale and Phoenix, and it might be the most concentrated pocket of luxury golf in Arizona. The town of roughly 14,000 residents — many of them part-time — is home to multi-million-dollar estates, five-star resorts, and a handful of golf courses that sit directly at the base of Camelback Mountain. The mountain frames nearly every shot you'll hit here, and on a clear winter morning, the red rock face glows so bright it's almost distracting.
What makes Paradise Valley golf different from the rest of Scottsdale is the setting. There's no commercial development along the fairways, no strip malls visible from the tee boxes. The Town of Paradise Valley famously banned commercial zoning decades ago, so the only businesses allowed are resorts and a handful of grandfathered properties. The result is golf courses surrounded by manicured estates and undeveloped desert hillsides, with Camelback, Mummy Mountain, and the McDowell range forming a panoramic backdrop that no other area in the Valley can match.
Quick Reference
| Course | Type | Green Fees | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort (JW Marriott) | $120-$275 | 36-hole resort golf, stay-and-play | |
| Resort (Par 3) | $32-$90 | Date night golf, beginners, quick rounds | |
| Resort | $160-$275 | Luxury resort experience, redesigned layout | |
| Private | Members only | Arizona's top-rated private club |
The Courses
Camelback Golf Club (Ambiente & Padre Courses)
Address: 7847 N Mockingbird Ln, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 Green Fees: $120-$275 (dynamic pricing, varies by course and season) Courses: Ambiente — Par 72, 7,014 yards | Padre — Par 72, 6,903 yards
is the flagship golf facility at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, and with 36 holes it gives you something most Paradise Valley courses can't: variety. The two courses play completely differently, and both are worth your time.
The Padre Course opened in 1966 and was redesigned by Arthur Hills in 1999. It's the more traditional, parkland-style layout — mature trees line the fairways, multiple lakes come into play, and the overall feel is closer to what you'd find in the Southeast than in the Sonoran Desert. The bunkers are deep and strategically placed, and the greens are subtly contoured. This is the course for golfers who prefer green grass corridors to desert target golf.
The Ambiente Course is the newer offering, reopened in 2013 after a complete renovation by Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design. It was the first new golf course development in the Phoenix-Scottsdale-Paradise Valley area in several years, and it blends desert elements with parkland features. The Ambiente plays longer at 7,014 yards with a course rating of 72.6 and a slope of 122, but wider fairways make it playable for mid-handicappers despite the yardage.
Insider tips:
- The JW Marriott Unlimited Golf Package starts at $349/night and includes a casita-style room, breakfast for two, and unlimited golf on either course. During shoulder season (April, November), this package is a steal — you're effectively playing for free if you were going to stay at the resort anyway.
- Padre is the better course for walking. The Ambiente's desert sections make cart play almost mandatory.
- Midweek rates in January can run $70-$100 less than weekend peak pricing. Tuesday and Wednesday are your best bets for both availability and value.
- The practice facility is one of the better ones in the area — full driving range, chipping green, and putting green. Use it before your round; both courses punish cold starts.
The Short Course at Mountain Shadows
Address: 5445 E Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 Green Fees: $32-$90 Par/Yardage: Par 54, 18 holes (70-200 yards per hole)
Don't let the "par 3" label fool you — the is one of the most popular golf experiences in the entire Scottsdale area, and for good reason. This isn't your neighborhood executive course with token par 3s. It's an 18-hole layout with holes ranging from 70 to 200 yards, set directly at the base of Camelback Mountain with a 4.7-star rating from nearly 2,000 reviews.
Mountain Shadows Resort demolished the original full-length course and rebuilt this par-3 concept from scratch when the resort reopened. The holes are well-designed with real bunkering, elevation changes, and green complexes that test your short game. A full round takes about 2.5 hours, and the course is lighted for twilight play — sunset rounds with Camelback glowing orange behind you are something you won't forget.
Insider tips:
- Twilight rounds are the move here. The course stays open after sunset, and playing the back nine as the sky turns purple over Camelback is one of Scottsdale's best golf experiences at any price.
- At $32-$90, this is the most affordable resort golf in Paradise Valley by a wide margin. Summer twilight rates are absurdly cheap for the quality of the experience.
- Perfect for couples. The short holes level the playing field between experienced golfers and beginners, and the resort setting makes it a genuine date-night option.
- The resort's Hearth '61 restaurant is right there for dinner after your round. Get a patio table — the Camelback Mountain views pair well with anything on the menu.
- Walking is the way to play here. The course is compact enough that a cart slows you down more than it helps.
Phoenician Golf Club
Address: 6000 E Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Green Fees: $160-$275 (dynamic pricing, peak in January-March) Par/Yardage: Par 71, 18 holes
The sits on the Scottsdale side of Camelback Road, technically just across the Paradise Valley border, but it's deeply connected to the Paradise Valley golf corridor. Phil Smith redesigned the course in 2018, converting the old 27-hole layout into an 18-hole championship design, and the result is one of the most visually dramatic resort courses in Arizona.
Smith spent 24 years working alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf before going solo, and his design philosophy at the Phoenician is transparency — everything is visible from the tee, no blind shots, no hidden hazards. You can see exactly what you're up against on every hole, which sounds simple but makes the course incredibly enjoyable to play. Strategic bunkering creates legitimate risk-reward decisions, and the Camelback Mountain backdrop on holes like the par-3 16th is the kind of view that makes people put their driver down and reach for their phone.
Managed by Troon Golf, the conditioning is consistently sharp. Complimentary range balls are included with your green fee through 2026 — arrive 30 minutes early and use the practice facility.
Insider tips:
- Resort guests at The Phoenician get 30-day advance booking privileges. If you're staying at the resort, book your tee time when you book your room — peak-season morning slots disappear fast.
- Midweek rates can drop $80-$100 below weekend pricing. The course plays the same on a Tuesday as it does on a Saturday.
- The 2018 redesign is genuinely excellent. If you played the old 27-hole Phoenician layout years ago and dismissed it, the new 18 is a completely different experience worth revisiting.
- The course sits at the base of Camelback Mountain's south face, which means it gets shade earlier in the afternoon during winter months. Late afternoon rounds in December and January can get chilly once the mountain's shadow reaches the back nine.
Paradise Valley Country Club
Address: 7101 N Tatum Blvd, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 Par/Yardage: Par 72, up to 6,898 yards (14 tee combinations from 5,212 to 6,898)
is the old-money centerpiece of Paradise Valley golf. Established in 1953 and opened on April 10, 1954, this invitation-only, member-owned club has been serving just over 1,000 members for more than 70 years. It was voted best private club in Arizona by the Club Leader Forum, and unlike many Scottsdale private clubs that lean on dramatic desert design, PVCC is a genuine parkland-style course — lush fairways, mature trees, elevated tees and greens, and water hazards that feel more like Georgia than the Sonoran Desert.
The Lawrence Hughes design (with consultation from PGA Tour pro Johnny Bulla) has been refined over the decades by Keith Foster, Geoffrey Cornish, and Gary Panks. The 12th hole stands out — a 191-yard par 3 to a postage-stamp green that demands precision. Walking is permitted with or without a caddie, which sets it apart from many Arizona private clubs that are cart-only.
Access: This is strictly invitation-only. No public play, no resort guest access. You need to know a member willing to extend a guest invitation. Prospective members must be sponsored by existing members, and the club maintains its exclusivity carefully.
Why Paradise Valley for Golf
The Mountain Views Are the Best in the Valley
Every course in Paradise Valley shares one thing: Camelback Mountain dominates the skyline. From the Padre's 9th green to Mountain Shadows' 14th tee, the mountain is right there — close enough to see the individual rocks on the face. Mummy Mountain flanks the east, and on clear days you can pick out Four Peaks and the Superstitions to the northeast. No other golf area in the Valley puts you this close to the mountains.
Resort Golf Done Right
Paradise Valley's resort courses aren't afterthoughts bolted onto a hotel property. Camelback Golf Club has been operating since 1966, the Phoenician underwent a $10M+ redesign in 2018, and Mountain Shadows built its entire resort identity around the Short Course. These are golf facilities first, resort amenities second.
Stay-and-Play Is the Move
Unlike North Scottsdale, where you drive 20-30 minutes from your hotel to the course, Paradise Valley puts you on property. The JW Marriott, Mountain Shadows Resort, and The Phoenician all have courses steps from your room. Book a stay-and-play package and you can walk to the first tee — no rental car, no navigation, no parking lot.
Getting There
| From | To Paradise Valley | Drive Time |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport | Via SR-51 north to Lincoln Dr | 20-25 min |
| Old Town Scottsdale | Via Camelback Rd west | 10-15 min |
| North Scottsdale (Kierland) | Via Scottsdale Rd south to Lincoln Dr | 15-20 min |
| Tempe/ASU | Via Loop 202 west to SR-51 north | 25-30 min |
Paradise Valley sits right between Phoenix and Scottsdale, making it one of the most centrally located golf areas in the Valley. Lincoln Drive and Tatum Boulevard are the two main arteries — Lincoln runs east-west along the base of Camelback, and Tatum runs north-south through the middle of town. Traffic is rarely an issue since Paradise Valley has almost no commercial zones generating commuter volume.
Seasonal Planning
| Season | Months | Conditions | Green Fee Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | Jan-Mar | Perfect 65-80°F, peak conditions | $160-$275 |
| Shoulder | Apr, Nov-Dec | Warm days, cooler mornings | $90-$200 |
| Summer | May-Sep | 100°F+, value pricing | $32-$120 |
| Overseed | Sep-Oct | Some courses closed or limited play | Varies |
Peak season tip: February is the most competitive month for tee times in Paradise Valley. The at nearby TPC Scottsdale draws a massive influx of golfers, and Paradise Valley courses fill up with visitors who want a round before or after the tournament. Book 30-60 days in advance for peak-season morning times.
Summer tip: Mountain Shadows at $32 for a twilight par-3 round is arguably the best summer golf deal in the Valley. The short format means you're done in 2 hours, and teeing off at 5 PM keeps you out of the worst afternoon heat.
Pair It With Nearby Courses
Paradise Valley's central location makes it easy to combine with courses in every direction:
- — 15 minutes north. Home of the WM Phoenix Open and the most iconic public course in Arizona.
- — 15 minutes south in Phoenix. Municipal course with surprisingly strong conditioning and $40-$80 green fees.
- — 20 minutes north in North Scottsdale. Two Tom Fazio designs that are among the state's best public courses.
- — 25 minutes north. Premium desert golf on two Tom Weiskopf layouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best course in Paradise Valley for a first-time visitor?
Camelback Golf Club gives you the most complete resort golf experience with 36 holes, strong practice facilities, and the JW Marriott backing. Play the Padre if you prefer a parkland layout, or the Ambiente for a desert-parkland blend. For something completely different, play Mountain Shadows' Short Course at sunset — it's cheaper, faster, and one of the most memorable golf experiences in Scottsdale.
Is Mountain Shadows a real golf course or just a gimmick?
It's the real thing. Yes, it's par 54 and every hole is a par 3, but the layout is thoughtfully designed with legitimate bunker complexes, water hazards, and elevation changes. Holes range from 70 to 200 yards, so you'll use everything from a lob wedge to a hybrid. The 4.7-star rating from nearly 2,000 Google reviews isn't an accident.
Can I play Paradise Valley Country Club?
Only if you know a member willing to invite you as a guest. There's no public access, no resort play, and no reciprocal arrangements with other clubs that would get you on the course. It's one of the most exclusive clubs in Arizona.
Are there stay-and-play packages in Paradise Valley?
Yes. The best value is the JW Marriott Unlimited Golf Package starting at $349/night, which includes a casita room, breakfast for two, and unlimited golf on either Camelback course. The Phoenician and Mountain Shadows also offer resort guest rates and package deals — check each resort's website directly for current pricing.
How does Paradise Valley golf compare to Scottsdale?
Paradise Valley courses tend to be more intimate and resort-focused, while Scottsdale offers a wider range from budget municipal courses to premium desert layouts. The mountain views in Paradise Valley are closer and more dramatic. If you want variety and value, spread your rounds across both areas — a day at Camelback followed by a day at gives you the best of both worlds.
What should I do after my round in Paradise Valley?
Lincoln Drive is lined with excellent dining. El Chorro is a Paradise Valley institution — it's been serving Southwestern fare since 1934 and the patio at sunset is hard to beat. LON's at the Hermosa Inn specializes in Arizona cuisine in a 1930s hacienda setting. For something more casual, head east into Old Town Scottsdale, which is a 10-minute drive from any course in Paradise Valley.
