Golf in the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona is in a class by itself.  Besides over 300 days of sunshine per year, there are so many golf courses that every golfer is sure to find the perfect challenge.  Here are our Top Reasons to plan a golf vacation in Arizona.

Read more about Arizona golf vacations on the official Arizona Visitor’s Guide website.

We-Ko-Pa

Travelin’ Joe on Golf.com recently rated the Phoenix / Scottsdale area as one of America’s top golf destinations.  It’s also his hometown, so he may be somewhat biased.  All the same, we were happy to see some of our favorite Arizona golf course on his list of the best of the best.  Travelin’ Joe’s list includes:

Read more about these and other Arizona gold courses in the Phoenix / Scottsdale area on the Golf.com website.

The September issue of Golf Magazine has published a ranked list of the top Arizona golf courses for 2010.  The list was compiled by a senior editor named Joe Passov (nicknamed Travelin’ Joe) who is a resident of Arizona.  Joe has extensive knowledge about Arizona golf.

Here’s Golf Magazine’s Top 10 list of  the best golf courses in Arizona.  See the entire list on Golf.com.

1. Troon North (Pinnacle), Scottsdale
2. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla), Fort McDowell
3. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro), Fort McDowell
4. Troon North (Monument), Scottsdale
5. Grayhawk (Talon), Scottsdale
6. Boulders (South), Carefree
7. Gold Canyon (Dinosaur Mountain), Gold Canyon
8. Ventana Canyon (Mountain), Tucson
9. Grayhawk (Raptor), Scottsdale
10. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium), Scottsdale

One of the latest trends in golfing is a new twist on an old tradition – walking golf. Many high-end golf courses in Arizona, including Troon North, are supporting golfers who want to get more benefit from the game by walking between holes. Arizona is the perfect place for walking golf, with great weather throughout the year.

Golf equipment designers are paying attention to this new trend and coming out with lightweight golf bags that are perfect for walking golf. Golf bags that weight between 3 and 6 pounds, have double straps and a built-in stand are perfect for walking. The Nike Xtreme Stand bag shown here is a good choice for a walking golf bag.

Despite the proliferation of high-end golf carts, the U.S. Golfing Association has endorsed walking golf. David Fay of the USGA has stated that golf carts are actually detrimental to the game. Walking golf can be an important part of any golfer’s fitness program. To find out more about the USGA Walking Program, visit the U.S. Golfing Association website.

Troon North golf course offers the premier Arizona desert golfing experience. Located in the high Sonoran desert outside of Phoenix, Troon North’s Monument and Pinnacle courses are ranked as the top two daily fee courses in the state of Arizona. Troon North also features a Callaway Performance Center and a 37,000 sq. ft. clubhouse.

To get a better idea of what the Troon North experience is all about, check out this YouTube video of two junior golfers enjoying a round at Troon North.