Golfers will find the finishing holes on both nines quite challenging. On the front nine the par-3 Number 8 measures 225 yards off the back tee, with yawning bunkers left and desert right. Golfers who survive that hole face the difficult 9th hole, a par 4 that stretches to 470 yards off the back tee and calls for an approach shot over a lake.
On the original nine, the par-3 Number 17 measures only 144 yards but it’s guarded by a huge lake in front. Players usually find the prevailing wind at their backs, which makes club selection difficult. Those who hit it long wind up in the three-tiered waterfall behind the green.
Number 18 stretches out 456 yards off the back tee. Only the most accurate tee shot produces a level lie in the fairway.
The design of Torres Blancas is "traditional-links style" rather than "desert-target style." Four sets of tees allows players to stretch out their game to 6900 yards with a course rating of 71.6 and a slope of 125. Shorter hitters may enjoy the course from the 6400-yard tees or the 6000 yards tees and the forward tees play to 5100 yards. Known for its outstanding turf conditions and user-friendly playability, Torres Blancas is fun and challenging for golfers of all abilities.
The following illustrate the golf courses in the greater Green Valley area. For a more complete listing that includes Tucson and vicinity see available publications.
Torres Blancas Golf Club is an eighteen hole, par 72 Championship layout designed by Ocampo, Fernandez, and Lee Trevino. The course is situated on the banks of the Santa Cruz River and offers views of the Santa Rita, Rincon and Catalina Mountain ranges. The course offers numerous sand traps, 3 lakes, undulating greens and rolling fairways.
Tubac Golf Resort800-848-7893
1 Otero Road
Tubac, Arizona 85646
San Ignacio Golf Course(520) 648-3468
4201 South Camino Del Sol
Green Valley, Arizona 85614
Quail Creek Country Club(520) 393-5803
2765 East Quail Crossing Blvd
Green Valley, Arizona 85614
Rio Rico Country Club(520) 281-8567 1-800-288-4746
Canoa Ranch Golf ClubJust South of the Canoa Ranch homes.
5800 S. Camino del Sol
Green Valley, AZ 85614(520) 393-1966
Kino Springs Golf Club
187 Kino Springs Drive(800) 732-5751
Nogales, Arizona
Palo Duro Creek Golf Course
2690 North Country Club Drive
Nogales, Arizona 85621(520) 377-2708
Tubac Golf Resort was established in 1959. This is an 18 hole, par 71 championship course featuring a traditionally design, bentgrass greens, a few lily-filled ponds and mature cottonwoods nestled within a quiet, natural setting just south of Green Valley.
A few of the holes have homes/Condos bordering them but they should not come into play.
This course is where several of the scenes from the 1996 movie "Tin Cup," staring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo, was filmed.
This par 72 course offers visually interesting changes of elevation as the holes wind through mesquite lined arroyos. Homes that generally line each hole are not in play at all. The challenge is to remain in the fairway away from the overhanging trees.
The course is the oldest in the valley dating back to 1967. It is a relatively flat course that is the only one in the valley that permits walking. Haven is a good par 72 course for newcomers and the seasoned golfer. It's not a short course playing from the blue tees to 6867 yards and the white tees at 6351 yards. There are 7 holes where water comes into play.
This par 71 course is visually beautiful. The course has a mixture of fun/enjoyable holes as well as those requiring the best of your golfing skills.
The photo is of the 8th hole a par 5 that can be as long as 535 to 483 for the men. I need not point out the driving skill needed here.
The signature hole is the 13th, another par 5 that call be reached in two for those that are players. The tee is from the highest point on the course. The view looks down across the Santa Cruz Valley to the Santa Rita Mountains, bordered by water all down the left side and in front of the green.
Country Club of Green Valley (Private)(520) 625-8831
77 East Paseo de Golf
Green Valley, Arizona
The Country Club is one of the oldest courses in the valley. As a Private club the 18 hole course is well maintained with four sets of tees. You can play 6738 yards from the back tees to 5657 yards.
Many of the holes are boardered by homes but most are not in play due to the open design.
Summary listing
Canoa Hills Golf Course(520) 648-1880
Canoa Ranch Golf Club (520) 393-1966
Country Club of Green Valley (Private) (520) 625-8831
Desert Hills Golf Club (Private) (520) 625-5090
Haven Public Golf Course (520) 625-4281
Kino Springs Golf Club (800) 732-5751
Palo Duro Creek Golf Course (520) 377-2708
Quail Creek Country Club (520) 393-5802
Rio Rico Country Club (520) 281-8567
San Ignacio Golf Course (520) 648-3468
Torres Blancas Golf Club(520) 625-5200
Tubac Golf Resort (800) 848-7893
For additional information see below .....................
The facility has a pro shop, lounge, driving range, chipping area (including a bunker) and a putting green. What makes this a great facility is that in addition it has a 9-hole par 3 course, Tortuga commonly known as The Turtle.
The Canoa Ranch Golf Club opened for public play on January 19, 2003. The design is by Schmidt-Curley and was built by Fairfield Homes.
Once you arrive at the clubhouse you immediately realize that this will be (if not already) the best course, facility and setting in all greater Green Valley for a golf course.
Once on the course you will be pleased with the maturity of this new course. While it is a par 70 layout, the five tees provide for many levels of play. All of the holes have ample landing areas. All greens are well protected with bunkers. All in all, this is a course you need to play and enjoy.
Five years ago, Texas-based golf course architect Charles Howard created the new 18-hole configuration from Red Lawrence’s original nine-hole layout. While the traditional character still shines through, Howard’s major greens renovation this year brings the front nine more in line with the overall design.
All new greens on the Canyon nine now match the larger, undulating putting surfaces of the Lakes nine. In the process, Howard also removed several of the original greenside bunkers to accommodate his larger complexes.
Still a cozy, traditional-style layout with turf tee to green, Palo Duro Creek makes exceptional use of the rolling landscape and elevation shifts, requiring a strategic approach.
The Lakes nine plays through the lower area of the property, where water comes into the equation on four holes near a rare wetland. Number 8 poses the greatest threat, where the lake skirts the fairway around the dogleg, cuts deep into the fairway past the turn, and slips behind the green.
The Canyon nine begins with a thrilling drive from elevated tees. Canyon Number 2 offers the most beguiling play on the course. This 405-year, dogleg-right par 4 plays uphill to a narrow cut in the ridge, then down to a double-tiered green. While the heroic shot stays in the fairway making use of the steep slopes and elevations. After the 3rd hole, the Canyon mellows into a pleasant romp through rolling terrain marked buy stands of mesquite and panoramic views.
This 18-hole course features four tees ranging from 5276 to 7005 total yards. Ken Kavanaugh designed Quail Creek’s original in the late 1980’s, one of his first architectural projects. He laid out the second nine almost a decade later.
Robert Trent Jones Sr. Was the driving force behind Rio Rico, which was built in 1971 at the height of the late architect’s career. Even though the course has undergone several facelifts through the years, the latest in 2003, Jones’ original masterpiece remains basically intact.
According to director of golf Rick Morreale, an expert on Jones’ work recently visited Rio Rico and confirmed that the course proved “pure Robert Trent Jones.”
“Rio Rico is in the best shape it’s been in for many, many years,” Morreales reported. “We redid the greenside bunkers—they’re nice and fluffy—and almost double our clubhouse and patio area. All we have left to do is plant about 100 to 200 trees that were in Robert Jones’ original routing.”
The old and the new still come down to every club in your bag, as a player is eased into the course with several wide-open holes before the courses take off at the par-3 Number 5. The storied stretch from Numbers 6 through 8, a wild ride up and over hills and past mesquite groves is unparalleled in Arizona golf. The back nine proves just as good, with two picturesque par 3s over water and a par-5 finisher that also can get you wet.
As one might expect, the signature hole is the 439-yard eighth, where a big tee shot cut down the middle of the fairway will set up a mid- to long-iron to a gorgeous green setting that also includes water. “Four” is a great score.
(520) 648-1880
