Expect plenty of doglegs and large , undulating greens well protected by bunkers on all three nines .
A new option is to rent a GolfBoard instead of a buggy . Like a surf board with wheels and a moveable steering column that doubles as a bag stand , they cost $ 30 to hire . GolfBoards can also be rented at Scottsdale ’ s Westin Kierland Resort .
Rooms at the Westin La Paloma are just a walk away from the golf clubhouse and courses , and the resort also offers a Red Door Spa .
GOLF CLUB AT DOVE MOUNTAIN
Host of the PGA TOUR ’ s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship event from 2009 until 2014 , Dove Mountain is another 27-hole Signature Jack Nicklaus design .
Its three nine-hole layouts – Saguaro , Tortolito and Wild Burro – all measure over 3,600 yards , giving three 18-hole combinations of around 7,250 yards from the back tees . Despite its length , the fairways offer wide landing areas and are not too penal .
The course lies in the High Sonoran Desert and you are likely to see lots of wildlife . During our round , my playing partners and I spotted a coyote loping across a fairway and came across a group of feral javelina – similar to wild pigs but members of the peccary family – by one green .
The upmarket Ritz-Carlton , Dove Mountain Resort & Spa is adjacent to the golf club .
OTHER TUCSON COURSES AND ACCOMMODATION
Tucson ’ s other golf offerings include several that are part of golf resorts , including the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort , Omni Tucson National Resort and the JW Marriott Tucson Resort & Spa .
Tubac Golf Resort & Spa , 45 minutes from Tucson , has a 27-hole course famous for being where the golf scenes from the Tin Cup movie , starring Kevin Costner , were filmed . Several plaques on the course mark memorable scenes from the film .
Close to the Westin La Paloma , the historic Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort is a former girls ’ boarding school that now offers rustic luxury and desert trail rides on horseback .
TUCSON ATTRACTIONS
Tucson was recently designated America ’ s first World City of Gastronomy by UNESCO , in recognition of Southern Arizona ’ s food traditions and culinary innovations . So it ’ s hardly surprising to know that the city has a myriad of restaurants serving a variety of cuisines , but with many influenced by nearby Mexico . Among noted Tucson restaurants is Downtown Kitchen , where creations include bizarre-sounding but tasty pork belly doughnuts .
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