South Course at The Boulders is one of Scottsdale's most dramatic desert golf experiences
CAREFREE, Ariz. -- The Valley of the Sun has roughly 200 golf courses, but none of them have the type of scenery as The Boulders, especially the resort's South Course.
Located at the northern edge of Scottsdale, it's easy to realize that you're close to this Waldorf Astoria Resort and club community: just look for the boulder piles in the distance and watch them get closer and closer until you've arrived.
The resort, set within granite rock and boulder piles estimated to be 12 million years old, is home to two 18-hole golf courses, the North and South. Jay Morrish designed each in 1984, helping to kick off the desert golf boom of the 1980s. Today, the two courses uphold a reputation for not only one of the most striking desert settings, but also fantastic playing conditions.
The North Course plays slightly longer than the South, but there's no debating which golf course is more dramatic, as the South plays closest to some of the property's most stunning rock formations. Most green settings sit beside boulder piles, but none quite the size of what's behind the par-5 fifth hole. This enormous structure towers over the green and can be seen from many points on the property. Another famous boulder is the balancing rock beside the seventh tee box.
The South features five sets of tees (plus a beginner set of tees) and plays 6,726 yards. Accuracy is required off the tee as this is a target, desert-style course, and precision around the greens is needed to handle slopes that are both dramatic and subtle.
A semi-private resort course that includes the Golden Door Spa and El Pedregal marketplace, The Boulders also allows a select number of non-resort play as well. It's also home to one of the better golf schools in the nation, led by Director of Instruction Donald Crowley.