12 Best Golf Courses near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport – 7 Minutes Away

We found the best golf courses near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport so that you can get off the plane and right to golfing (or get in a quick round right before you leave).

If you’re stranded in the middle of the desert, surrounded by swirling winds and cacti, don’t worry—relief is just around the corner.

The best golf courses near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport are waiting, their greens perfectly manicured and their sand traps more treacherous than they look. The Phoenix golf scene is one of the country’s best and will take you from towering pines to swaying palms, from rolling hills to flat expanses that deceive your every swing. Here’s the countdown of golf courses near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, perfect for anyone who can’t resist the call of the clubs before or after a flight.

Methodology

We first focused on each course’s proximity to the airport, of course. But beyond that, we evaluated the layout, difficulty, and those all-important “X-factors” that make each course special. Was the fairway designed by a mind unhinged? Is the clubhouse a welcoming place with good amenities? All this and more played into our calculations.

• Distance: How fast can you race from terminal to tee time? Essential for the jet-lagged golfer on a tight schedule.
• Course Quality: The trickiness of the greens, the audacity of the bunkers, and the satisfaction (or frustration) of every stroke.
• Amenities: Food, drinks, views, strange landscaping choices. These golf courses had to offer more than just a walk through the desert.

The 12 Best Golf Courses near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

12. The Raven Golf Club

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 15 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Imagine walking through a forest—except you’re still in Phoenix, and it’s somehow green here.

That’s the paradox of The Raven, with its pines towering like misplaced sentinels. The course defies the surrounding desert, offering lush fairways among the nearby cacti. And at only 15 minutes from the airport, you can be swinging in no time, in a realm that feels like it shouldn’t exist.

11. Legacy Golf Resort

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 12 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Legacy Golf Resort is where the desert kisses the mountains, and you’re just a tiny dot trying to tame the landscape with a little white ball. The fairways open up, beckoning you in, only to laugh as water hazards wait patiently to ruin your day.

A 12-minute drive brings you into this zone where desert heat meets the cool challenge of well-maintained greens and devious bunkers.

10. Papago Golf Course

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 10 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Papago Golf Course rises up, red and dusty, like the Buttes that loom in the background—alien, almost prehistoric in their jagged stillness.

But as soon as you start your round, you’re more concerned about the greens than the rocks. Just 10 minutes from Sky Harbor, Papago delivers desert golf at its finest, with dramatic views and unexpected challenges that seem to emerge from the earth itself.

9. Arizona Grand Golf Course

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 12 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Think you know what to expect from desert golf?

Arizona Grand teases you with flat stretches, only to throw a sudden rise or plummet into the mix, keeping you off balance at every turn. Twelve minutes from the airport and you’ve entered an alternate dimension of undulating greens, where even the cactus might seem to shift when you aren’t looking.

8. Rolling Hills Golf Course

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 9 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Rolling Hills, they said. Just a casual round, they said. But this place is a trickster. Deceptively simple at first glance, but those hills? They’re lurking, just waiting to roll your ball somewhere you didn’t plan for.

Only 9 minutes from Sky Harbor, it’s a quick escape into something that feels far away, until you realize you can still hear the hum of airplanes overhead.

7. Phoenix Country Club

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 13 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

If you ever wanted to rub elbows with Phoenix’s golfing elite, Phoenix Country Club is your scene. Palms sway overhead as you navigate this iconic course, where every blade of grass seems carefully combed into place.

Thirteen minutes from the airport, and you’re suddenly in a different universe, a private oasis where the troubles of the world don’t matter—except for the putt you’re about to miss.

6. Karsten Golf Course

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 11 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Home of the Sun Devils, Karsten Golf Course is like a rebellious teenager—it’s open, it’s wide, but don’t be fooled. The bunkers here? They’re like quicksand. And don’t even get us started on the wind.

Only 11 minutes from Sky Harbor, Karsten has that youthful, bold energy, with its bold contours and sneaky greens. You may think you’re in control, but you never are.

5. Tempe Golf Course

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 7 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

In a world where you’re always rushing to the next flight, sometimes you need a quick fix of fairways. Enter Tempe Golf Course, the 7-minute miracle.

No need to overthink it—just step up, swing, and marvel at how this unassuming course can humble even the mightiest golfers with its simple, straightforward charm. Plus, it’s practically right next door to Sky Harbor.

4. The Phoenician Golf Club

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 18 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Imagine a golf course where each blade of grass is more luxurious than your entire vacation. That’s The Phoenician, an 18-minute ride from the airport, but it feels like a lifetime away in its lush, secluded world.

Golf here isn’t just about sinking putts; it’s about basking in the glory of a desert escape, where the greens are greener than anywhere else in Phoenix.

3. TPC Scottsdale

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 25 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Welcome to TPC Scottsdale, where golf becomes a spectacle, and the crowds roar as you try to sink that putt on the famous 16th hole.

Even if it’s a bit farther—25 minutes from Sky Harbor—it’s worth the trip just to say you played here, where champions are made (and dreams are crushed). The slick greens and enormous bunkers make for a course that tests your patience, skill, and maybe your soul.

2. Talking Stick Golf Club

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 22 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Talking Stick Golf Club is a tale of two worlds: the Piipaash course with its rugged desert feel, and the O’odham course, with open fairways that invite a good ol’ fashioned duel between golfer and wind.

Only 22 minutes from the airport, it’s the perfect course for those who like options, whether it’s a desert mirage or a calm, wide fairway.

1. The Short Course at Mountain Shadows

Minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 18 minutes
Location: Check on Google Maps

Prepare yourself for an adventure that redefines the meaning of “short.” The Short Course at Mountain Shadows may sound like a quick romp, but every hole is a great challenge for both amateurs and pros.

At 18 minutes from the airport, you’ll find yourself in the shadows of Camelback Mountain, tackling a par-3 course that offers more twists and turns than a mystery novel.

Small but mighty, this course is all about finesse and strategy, rewarding accuracy over distance and testing your short game skills with cleverly designed greens and strategically placed bunkers. It’s a playground for golfers who crave a challenge that doesn’t rely on brute force.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to these golf courses from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport?

Each course is within driving distance—between 7 and 25 minutes. Most are accessible by rideshare or rental car from the airport. Just punch in the address and off you go!

Which course is the closest to the airport?

Tempe Golf Course is the closest, clocking in at a speedy 7-minute drive from Sky Harbor. Perfect for those pressed for time but still craving a round.

Do I need to book in advance?

It’s always a good idea, especially for the more popular courses like TPC Scottsdale or The Phoenician. These spots fill up quickly, especially during peak seasons!