PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Silverleaf

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Silverleaf in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Silverleaf golf course

Silverleaf

Scottsdale, AZ
Pink tees · 7,392 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Silverleaf

Designed by Tom Weiskopf and opened in 2002, Silverleaf Golf Club is an exclusive private 18-hole championship course set in the canyon foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona. The course weaves through Horseshoe Canyon and Upper Canyon, combining sweeping fairways, desert wash crossings, strategic bunkering, and heavily contoured TifEagle greens with dramatic canyon elevation changes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Silverleaf

Off the tee

Fairways are generous by desert course standards, but strategic fairway bunkering and native Sonoran scrub demand precise line selection. Drive placement often determines whether players have a manageable approach angle across crossing desert washes.

Elevation & terrain

Elevation plays a major role, particularly on the back nine, which climbs deeper into the canyons. Elevated tee boxes provide clear sightlines and sweeping drop shots, requiring adjusted club selection for downhill carries and uphill approaches.

Approach play

Approach shots frequently require carrying diagonal desert washes or avoiding large, deep greenside bunkers. Distance control and correct tier target selection are essential due to firm green speeds and severe green contours.

Around the greens

Greens complexes feature pronounced undulations, multi-tiered surfaces, subtle swales, and steep false fronts. Misplayed approach shots into greenside bunkers or runoff areas leave difficult recovery shots to fast putting surfaces.

Best way to play it

Success at Silverleaf relies on smart course management rather than raw power. Golfers must respect crossing desert hazards, target the proper fairway angles off the tee, and play conservatively to the safe centers of undulating greens.

Key takeaways

  • Tom Weiskopf design featuring a unique routing of 12 par-4s, 3 par-3s, and 3 par-5s.
  • Significant elevation changes with scenic drop-shot tees on the back nine.
  • Multiple holes feature wide desert washes cutting diagonally across fairways.
  • Fast TifEagle Bermuda greens feature steep false fronts and severe multi-tiered slope.
  • Hole 9 offers a signature Weiskopf drivable short par-4 risk-reward decision.
  • Hole 13 provides a unique visual with a green positioned lower next to a lake hazard.
  • Holes 16 and 18 share a dramatically elevated tee box overlooking the McDowell Mountains.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
419
8
Decide off the tee whether to play conservatively left of the central fairway bunkers or challenge the right side to shorten the approach angle.
Your 240 yd driver · ~179 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
4
406
10
Favor the generous fairway landing zone to keep clear of surrounding desert scrub and set up an unimpeded approach.
Your 240 yd driver · ~166 yards remaining by raw distance.
3
5
544
6
Aim for the wide portion of the fairway off the tee to navigate around granite outcroppings and establish a clear angle for your layup or approach shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~304 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
4
4
375
12
Control your approach distance precisely because the green surface slopes away from the player, making landing spot selection critical.
Your 240 yd driver · ~135 yards remaining by raw distance.
5
3
254
18
Take enough club to clear fronting bunkers and target the center of the green surface to avoid deep greenside sand.
6
4
423
2
Driving down the left side shortens the hole and yields a superior angle into the green, but requires carrying the desert waste area and clearing fairway bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~183 yards remaining by raw distance.
7
3
217
14
Focus on precise distance control to land on the correct putting tier while clearing fronting bunker hazards.
8
5
569
4
Long hitters can attempt the green in two. For a layup, favor the left side of the fairway before the wash; taking the right fairway shortens the wash carry but creates a difficult approach angle over green-guarding bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~329 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
9
4
313
16
Aggressive drives toward the green offer birdie opportunities but require pinpoint placement to clear guarding sand traps and desert; laying up off the tee provides a safe angle for a wedge shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~73 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
10
4
477
1
Commit to a strong drive to carry the wide diagonal wash, then select extra club on the approach to clear the prominent false front guarding the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~237 yards remaining by raw distance.
11
4
388
15
Aim down the center of the fairway to clear the dry wash, leaving a straightforward approach into the contoured putting surface.
Your 240 yd driver · ~148 yards remaining by raw distance.
12
4
418
9
Position your drive on the wider side of the fairway to clear the wash comfortably and open up sightlines to the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~178 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
4
418
13
Favor the safe side of the fairway away from the water hazard off the tee, and exercise strict distance control on approach to avoid the water.
Your 240 yd driver · ~178 yards remaining by raw distance.
14
5
576
7
Maintain disciplined alignment off the tee and lay up short of deep fairway bunkers to set up a clean third shot to the elevated green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~336 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
15
4
427
5
Target the wider section of fairway off the tee to avoid bunkering, setting up a mid-iron approach shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~187 yards remaining by raw distance.
16
3
234
17
Adjust club selection downward to account for the dramatic elevation drop, aiming for the center of the putting surface to clear front sand traps.
17
4
436
11
Avoid pushing tee shots right into the trio of fairway bunkers; long hitters on that line risk running into a wide wash. Play to an elevated green that slopes back-to-front and right-to-left.
Your 240 yd driver · ~196 yards remaining by raw distance.
18
4
498
3
Drive accurately down the left-center of the narrowing fairway to avoid three right-side bunkers. Approach shots must clear a crossing desert wash to reach the green set below the clubhouse terrace.
Your 240 yd driver · ~258 yards remaining by raw distance.

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.