What are the best golf courses in Prescott, Arizona?

Introduction to Prescott

In this post we’re looking at the best golf courses in Prescott, Arizona. This is a wonderful city in Arizona’s central highlands. Surrounded by mountains and dense pine forests, this is an outdoor enthusiast’s heaven.

This is a city which has a rich history. Firstly it was a thriving gold and silver mining town in the nineteenth century. And it was also for a short period of time and on two occasions, designated the capital city of Arizona. But it was eventually assigned to the emerging Phoenix.

As mentioned, there are plenty of activities outdoors. Hiking and biking trails in abundance with kayaking and boating other popular pastimes. 

There aren’t loads of golf courses in Prescott, but there is a nice variety and real quality on offer. Let’s jump into them now.

See also: What are the best golf courses in Arizona?

The best private golf courses in Prescott, Arizona

Talking Rock Golf Course

Kicking off our list of the best golf courses in Prescott, is the outstanding Talking Rock Golf Course. This is a top class desert layout nestled amongst a private and luxury golf community.

The site is around a half hour’s drive north of downtown Prescott. To get there, you’ll drive through Williamson and enjoy views over the majestic Prescott National Forest to the west.

The impressive championship course is relatively new, having opened this side of the millennium in 2002. It was designed by the immensely gifted Jay Morrish and forms the centerpiece of the community. 

First things first, the condition of the course is excellent. Lush fairways and firm greens. Secondly, it is a modern-day desert course where you can walk quite easily. 

Generally desert courses aren’t conducive to walking, primarily due to the intense heat. But Prescott’s climate is relatively mild especially considering it is in the state of Arizona. So much so, you can play golf here pretty much all year round. 

Morrish designed the course to ensure it was walkable with tee boxes close to greens. He also designed it to be playable for higher handicappers and challenging for better players. The latter is achieved primarily through length, with the course measuring just shy of 7,400 yards from the backs.

But generally the fairways are wide and forgiving whilst there is a driveable par 4, the downhill 340 yard 15th. The 15th is one of a stretch of holes on the back nine, which are really superb. There is also much more change in elevation on the back nine keeping things interesting.

All in all a wonderful course to kick things off. It’s just a shame it’s private. 

The Club at Prescott Lakes

Next we move on to the wonderful Club at Prescott Lakes. Yet another course located north of the city, here the location is set amongst the Prescott Lakes premier community. This is a neighborhood with around 1,500 elegant homes.

The championship layout is a 210-acre Hale Irwin designed course which opened for play in 2000. It is just one of a number of amenities onsite, others which include tennis and pickleball courts, an athletic center and both indoor and outdoor pools.

But the course is what really stands out and is a signature Hale Irwin design. From the tips the course plays to just over 7,200 yards although there is the choice of six tee boxes on each hole.

Water comes into play on six holes, with the 18th particularly challenging. Water flanks the whole right-hand side pretty much from the tee box to the green. There is also a decent amount of elevation throughout the round, with the topography typical of the high desert of north Arizona. 

You also can’t help but be impressed by the stunning views across to the Granite Dells and the San Francisco Peaks. This is eye-watering stuff. 

The Club at Prescott Lakes is not open to the public, but we can live in hope. 

Capital Canyon Club

Prescott isn’t a mega-city. Quite the opposite. It’s a small and quaint city which can be easily walked around enjoying the many attractions. This is one of its many appeals and attracts tourists in flocks. 

Therefore within a few minutes drive, you can be out of downtown and enjoying the tree-lined suburbs. As you climb up into the hills to the south of the city, you realize what an idyllic setting it is. Surrounded by elegant Ponderosa pines with magnificent views back across to Prescott Valley and Flagstaff, with its San Francisco Peaks.

It is here where you’ll find Capital Canyon Club, a premier golf and social club which provides a number of facilities for its membership. Central to all of these is the superb Tom Weiskopf designed 18-hole championship layout.

Weiskopf was blessed with stunning natural topography to work with. The endemic beauty of the site is enhanced by a blanket of greenery and soothing streams. And for a bit of drama, there are a number of impressive rock outcroppings hidden within the many elevations.

It’s not the longest measuring 6,660 yards from the tips. But what it arguably lacks in length, it makes up for in deftness and strategy. You need to plot your way round this fine course, knowing when to attack and play safe. There are also a number of carries from the tee putting a premium on accuracy.

This fine course is without doubt one of the best golf courses in Prescott. Unfortunately, you’ll need to befriend a member to play here. Or alternatively, why not consider a membership!

See also: What are the best public golf courses in Arizona?

The best public golf courses in Prescott, Arizona

Antelope Hills Golf Courses (North & South)

Just a 15 minute drive north out of Prescott, located right next to the Prescott Regional Airport, is the only 36-hole golf facility in the city, Antelope Hills Golf Courses.

Antelope Hills has been a mainstay on the Prescott golfing scene for well over half a century. This is because its North Course opened in 1956 and was designed by Lawrence Hughes.

Hughes isn’t the most recognised name in golf architecture circles. But he had a fine career designing a number of layouts, many of which remain popular today. Amongst these are La Quinta Country Club and Thunderbird Country Club, both in California. 

Much of Hughes’ design influence came from working closely with Donald Ross, which he did at Holston Hills Country Club. No surprise then that the North Course has a traditional layout, which is also slightly longer at 6,539 yards. 

There are elegant tree-lined fairways and a handful of water features, all the time enjoying fantastic views. 

The South Course came much later, opening for play in 1992. This time the club called upon Gary Panks, who was assisted in the project by PGA Tour player David Graham. 

Like Hughes, Panks had a modest design career. But those courses he did design, likewise remain incredibly popular today, with many in Arizona state. The likes of Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale and The Golf Club at Chaparral Pines are two great examples.

The South Course is definitely the more forgiving of the two, with large fairways and generous greens. It is also much shorter measuring 6,129 yards from the backs. 

With a great clubhouse in the Manzanita Grille, which has a great menu, I’d thoroughly recommend staying to fit in 36-holes!

StoneRidge Golf Course

Just a short drive out of the city past Diamond Valley and towards Prescott Valley, is the fine StoneRidge Golf Course. It is located high in the Stoneridge neighborhood with a great vantage point over the surrounding valley and mountains. 

This is definitely the best public golf course in Prescott although be warned, it is also one of the most challenging.

The course was designed by Randy Heckenkemper, opening for play in 2002. Heckenkemper has done a sterling job routing the course across the vast elevations and maximizing both playability and views.

There are four sets of tees on each hole and this is one of those courses where being confident could really backfire. Choosing the right tee box could really make or break your round at StoneRidge. I would even suggest this is a course where the driver really should stay in the bag. Take a long iron and keep it in play. Even the rough can be brutal. 

But the variety of holes are great, the par 3s are sensational and the views just keep you engrossed.

It is also great value with a number of tee times around the $50-60 mark. Make the driver up here and take plenty of balls!

Prescott Golf Club

The last on our list of best golf courses in Prescott, but by no means the least, is Prescott Golf Club. 

This time we’re just over a twenty minute drive due east out of the city. Heading past Prescott Valley and towards Dewey, Prescott Golf Club is within easy reach of the main road. This is another lovely spot, nestled between two impressive mountain ranges; the Mingus and Bradshaw.

The club was established in 1971 with the course being designed by Milton Coggins. Most of Coggins’ designs were within Arizona state, with Prescott Golf Club being one of his finest achievements. 

This is a traditional layout which from the tee is fairly open. Unlike StoneRidge, Prescott definitely encourages you to pull out the driver.  But with fast undulating greens, picking the right spot on the fairway to approach the green is the difference between scoring well or not. 

If you’re playing from the back tees, the course reaches 6,800 yards. This will put a bit more emphasis on ensuring you avoid the trees lining the fairways. 

The club is semi-private, so has a number of tee times available to the general public. If you’re looking to play twilight times, you could pick up a rate in the $30 bracket. 

What is the best golf course in Prescott, Arizona?

The best golf course in Prescott, Arizona, is the superb Capital Canyon Club. The course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and opened for play in 1998. The course is set within a vast Ponderosa pine forest with stunning views back across to Prescott Valley.