Why it matters
Troon North's Monument Course opened in 1990 — a Tom Weiskopf design with Pinnacle Peak on the horizon and saguaros down every fairway. The 3rd hole, where a 50-ton granite monument sits in the middle of the fairway as an unintended hazard, is the course's signature. It is the round that defined north Scottsdale desert golf, and remains the spectacle the area is sold on.
How to play it
Cart standard. Best Oct-April; mid-summer is brutal. Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) is 45 minutes. Pair with the Pinnacle Course (next door) or with We-Ko-Pa for a north-Scottsdale two-course day.