Regardless of location in Arizona, the state is a golf haven.
In Southern Arizona, there's a plethora of golf courses worth playing. Yes, even in peak summer — hey, cheaper rates!
We've created a guide with 10 courses Southern Arizona golfers should play as soon as possible.
Here's the catch: no country clubs or courses that require memberships to play, which excludes sumptuous tracks like Tucson Country Club — the home course of the Arizona Wildcats — along with La Paloma Country Club, Skyline Country Club, The Gallery Golf Club and Stone Canyon Golf Club.
Oh, and no putt-putt golf, although we don't discourage anyone from working on their short game at Golf N' Stuff, a longstanding Tucson staple.
This week, we're featuring courses that should be on your golf to-do list in Southern Arizona.
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Quarry Pines, The Golf Club at Dove Mountain, Casino Del Sol's Sewailo Golf Club, The Club at Starr Pass, Randolph Golf Complex and Arizona National Golf Club started the series. And then there were four ... including El Conquistador.
El Conquistador has been one of Tucson's top golf courses since it first opened in 1992.
El Conquistador
Location: 10555 N. La Cañada Drive
Length: 45 holes, three courses — two 18-hole courses (Conquistador and Cañada) and one nine-hole course (Pusch Ridge) (16,195 yards)
Par: 72 (Par 33 for Pusch Ridge Course)
Notable hole: 8 on Cañada, Par 3 (183 yards)
The rundown: If you really wanted to do a golf marathon from sunrise to sundown and play a variety of holes without leaving the property, El Conquistador is arguably the best spot for that.
El Conquistador first opened in 1982 as the official golf course of El Conquistador Tucson, a Hilton-owned resort near the Santa Catalina Mountains in Oro Valley. Arizona golf designers Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin introduced the Conquistador Course in '82. Shortly after, the Cañada and Pusch Ridge courses were added to the property.
All three courses are near the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, so the experience at El Conquistador comes with postcard-esque views and awe-inspiring desert scenery.
The Santa Catalina Mountains rise in the background as a golfer putts on the practice area near the club house at El Conquistador Golf Course, 10555 N. La Cañada Dr.
Despite the nearby desert landscape and towering mountain vistas, Conquistador Course has wide fairways and is forgiving for the average golfer. However, playing aggressively and taking chances could do some damage on the scorecard.
Cañada is widely known as the most challenging course on the property, with sharp doglegs, dramatic changes in elevation and a stronger emphasis on shot selection. It's the definition of desert golf.
The most popular hole on the Cañada Course is the eighth hole, a 183-yard uphill Par 3 guarded by a large bunker. Any shot just short of the green will end up in sand. A snap-hook shot or a chunked shot will end up in the desert landscape. This hole is considered one of the most challenging Par 3s in Tucson.
If anyone is looking for a twilight round or a quick round during the work day, the Pusch Ridge Course is open from November through April.
Alex "AJ" Ramos, of Catalina Foothills High, watches a drive while taking practice swings at El Conquistador Golf Club, Sept. 9, 2025, in Tucson.
El Conquistador's three courses are also reasons why it's a popular choice to host charities and local groups' golf tournaments, along with junior and amateur golf events.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
