Sun City West has nine total golf courses: seven owned and operated by the Recreation Centers of Sun City West (RCSCW), all included with the annual recreation card, plus two additional courses — Briarwood Country Club (private) and Hillcrest Golf Club (public daily-fee) — both worth knowing about whether you play them or live near them. Four are regulation 18-hole courses (Pebblebrook, Grandview, Trail Ridge, and Deer Valley). Three are executive courses (Stardust, Echo Mesa, and Desert Trails) — shorter and faster, ideal for daily play. Most were designed by golf legends Greg Nash and Billy Casper. Below: every course, every yardage, and what makes each one unique.
Four full-length 18-hole courses — all par 72, ranging from 6,410 to 6,775 yards from the back tees. Pebblebrook is the original. Grandview is the longest (and an LPGA Legends Tour host). Trail Ridge is desert-target golf. Deer Valley is the newest and most player-friendly.
One of the first golf courses built in Sun City West, Pebblebrook features a parkland-style layout with wide-open fairways bordered by mature trees and challenging approaches to large sloped greens.
The longest of the seven RCSCW courses, Grandview hosted the LPGA Legends Tour tournament for several years. The contoured fairways, lakes and bunkers place a premium on well-placed tee shots. Home to The Crooked Putter full-service restaurant and the Golf Lab (instruction, custom club fitting, club repair).
If target golf is your game, Trail Ridge is the course for you. This fun course offers unique desert landscapes, lakes and bunkers. Accurate tee shots and approaches are always rewarded, and five different tees provide a challenge level for everyone.
A design collaboration between Greg Nash and Billy Casper, Deer Valley is the newest and most player-friendly regulation course in Sun City West. Wide fairways and large greens provide a more relaxed golf experience. Water hazards and bunkers increase the challenge, but Deer Valley is an excellent course to try for your personal best.
Three executive courses — shorter, faster, ideal for daily play, walking, or shaking off the rust. Don't be fooled by the short yardage: Echo Mesa from the blue tees is considered one of the most challenging courses in Sun City West.
The original executive course, Stardust's traditional layout features tree-lined fairways, subtle greens and deep bunkers with three tees on each hole. The back nine is considered the more difficult, with water coming into play on four different holes.
Echo Mesa is an exceptionally demanding executive course featuring lakes, sand and grass bunkers. From the blue tees, it is considered one of the most challenging of all seven courses — short distance does not mean easy.
A unique executive course offering seven par 4's — affording golfers the experience of using all clubs. The course provides three different tees on each hole.
Sun City West has two additional 18-hole courses that aren't part of RCSCW — meaning they're NOT included with your recreation card. Briarwood Country Club is the community's private (now hybrid) club, and Hillcrest Golf Club is a daily-fee public course that hosts professional tournaments. Both are within Sun City West and worth understanding if you're house-hunting around them.
Sun City West's only private country club, designed by Billy Casper and Greg H. Nash, ASGCA. Traditional, uncrowded par 72 with tree-lined fairways and tees from 4,553 to 6,600 yards. In 2024, Swing First Golf took over operations and added pickleball, fitness classes, a creative studio, and the Briar Bean Coffee Shop. Notable: Briarwood holds the only full liquor license in Sun City West, hosts an under-4-hour pace of play, and named "Best of the Desert" West Valley Golf Course by AZCentral in 2023. No community residency required for membership.
A public daily-fee course managed by Scottsdale Golf Group, Hillcrest is the longest course in Sun City West at 7,002 yards. Designed by Greg H. Nash, ASGCA, with championship-length pedigree — it has hosted the Senior PGA Tour five times, two LPGA competitions, and the Johnny Miller Pro-Am. Generous fairways with mature trees, palm-lined greens, and an absence of blind shots. The signature 13th hole — a 536-yard par 5 dogleg around a lake with an uphill approach to a green guarded by 8 bunkers — was rated by the Phoenix Gazette as one of the top 10 holes in the state.
All 7 RCSCW courses share the same starting tee time schedule, which adjusts seasonally to take advantage of cooler morning hours during the Arizona summer. Earliest tee times in summer (May–August) start at 6:00 AM — by the time it's 95° you can be at the 18th green.
A quick reference to RCSCW golf policies. Full rules at suncitywest.com/golfpolicies.