PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Arizona National Golf Club

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Arizona National Golf Club in Tucson, AZ.

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Arizona National Golf Club

Tucson, AZ

Black tees · 6,606 yards

COURSE OVERVIEW

About Arizona National Golf Club

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1996, Arizona National Golf Club is an 18-hole championship desert layout carved into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson. The course navigates mesquite-lined arroyos, natural spring-fed wetlands, craggy rock formations, and dense saguaro forests, demanding precise shotmaking and strategic distance control.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Arizona National Golf Club

Off the tee

Tee shots require target accuracy through narrow desert corridors bordered by saguaro cactus, rock outcroppings, and arroyos. Elevated tees feature dramatic elevation changes or blind carries across desert washes where positioning often supersedes distance.

Elevation & terrain

Foothill terrain creates severe elevation changes affecting club selection and lies. Steep uphill approaches on holes like 2, 9, 10, and 16 require adding extra clubs, while plunging tee shots on holes 11 and 18 offer dramatic downhill distance.

Approach play

Approach shots regularly demand carrying native desert washes or avoiding deep bunkers protecting undulating green complexes. Distance control is crucial when playing into elevated greens influenced by mountain surroundings.

Around the greens

Bentgrass greens feature subtle undulations where putts break noticeably away from the Santa Catalina Mountains. Greens are well protected by strategic sand traps, collection areas, and tight desert borders.

Best way to play it

Prioritize accurate tee positioning to keep your ball out of native arroyos and desert washes. Respect the dominant mountain break on the putting surfaces and manage severe elevation changes with smart club selection.

Key takeaways

Putting reads are heavily dictated by the Santa Catalina Mountains, pulling putts away from the peaks.
Severe elevation changes demand frequent adjustments in club selection for steep uphill approaches and drop-shot drives.
Target-style desert routing punishes off-target drives with mesquite arroyos and saguaro forest hazards.
Strategic layups are essential on short par 4s and par 5s guarded by tight bunkering and water hazards.

YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole

Par

Yards

HCP

Strategy

382

Use a driver or fairway wood off the tee to hit the broad fairway, leaving a clear approach to a flat bentgrass green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~142 yards remaining by raw distance.

550

Lay up short of the desert ravine on your second shot to set up an uphill wedge into a wide, shallow green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~310 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

316

Favor the left-center of the fairway off the tee and keep your approach shot below the hole for an uphill birdie putt.

Your 240 yd driver · ~76 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.

181

Focus on precise club selection to navigate the downhill drop and avoid bunkers flanking the green on both sides.

501

Drive onto the downhill fairway and favor the left side on approach shots to keep the right-hand lake out of play.

Your 240 yd driver · ~261 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

172

Take dead aim at the green with a short iron, ensuring you take enough club to clear the front desert carry.

383

Aim left of center off the tee to shorten your approach shot into an accessible green complex.

Your 240 yd driver · ~143 yards remaining by raw distance.

327

Lay up short of the bunker complexes with a fairway wood or hybrid to leave a clean 100-yard wedge into the green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~87 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.

216

Take an extra club to compensate for the steep uphill slope and attack the large, bunkerless green site.

429

Hit a powerful tee shot over the wash while avoiding the pinching left fairway bunker and right-side cactus arroyo.

Your 240 yd driver · ~189 yards remaining by raw distance. The green may be within range for your second shot depending on lie and conditions.

599

Aim just over the edge of the rock outcropping on your drive, then lay up short of the desert ravine 60 yards in front of the green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~359 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

186

Select enough club to carry the desert canyon and clear front bunkers guarding the putting surface.

462

Drive over the crest of the hill, then play an accurate approach shot into the sunken green site below.

Your 240 yd driver · ~222 yards remaining by raw distance.

402

Aim for the central fairway landing area and add extra club on your approach shot to handle the uphill incline.

Your 240 yd driver · ~162 yards remaining by raw distance.

402

Thread your tee shot through the rock gap off the tee to secure a clear angle into a well-defended green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~162 yards remaining by raw distance.

365

Target the right side of the fairway off the tee to miss left bunkers, and play your approach precisely onto the proper tier.

Your 240 yd driver · ~125 yards remaining by raw distance.

217

Commit to a confident tee shot over the desert carry, taking advantage of the small fairway apron in front of the green.

516

Take advantage of the elevated tee shot, then favor the right side on layups and approaches to keep away from the water and long sand bunker on the left.

Your 240 yd driver · ~276 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

Course information and strategy are provided for planning purposes. Yardages, course setup, hazards and playing conditions can change. Always confirm current course information before your round.