PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Troon North Golf Course — Monument Course

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Troon North Golf Course — Monument Course in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Troon North Golf Course — Monument Course

Scottsdale, AZ

Black tees · 7,039 yards

COURSE OVERVIEW

About Troon North Golf Course — Monument Course

Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish in 1990 and redesigned by Weiskopf in 2007, the Monument Course at Troon North Golf Club is a premier Sonoran Desert layout in Scottsdale, Arizona. Set among massive granite boulders, natural arroyos, and saguaro forests, the course combines classic British Open links concepts—such as open-front greens accepting ground-game approaches—with dramatic desert target golf.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Troon North Golf Course — Monument Course

Off the tee

Tee shots require target discipline, balancing wide landing zones on some holes with narrow desert-framed corridors, cross-cutting washes, and fairway-placed boulders on others. Positioning for the proper approach angle is frequently more advantageous than maximum distance.

Elevation & terrain

Perched in the foothills near Pinnacle Peak, the course features frequent tee-to-green elevation changes, including uphill climbs and downhill drops. Elevational shifts alter effective yardages and club selection, requiring accurate adjustments for downhill par 3s and uphill par 5s.

Approach play

Greens complexes are generally larger and more welcoming to running approach shots than typical desert courses, though approach angles matter immensely. Many greens are guarded by deep bunkers, fronting swales, or false fronts, while diagonal desert washes frequently bisect fairway approach corridors.

Around the greens

Greens feature heavy internal contouring, multi-tiered surfaces, and steep runoff slopes that repel mis-hit shots into collection areas or bunkers. Bunkering ranges from deep greenside traps to strategic cross-bunkers, making precise distance control on chips and putts essential.

Best way to play it

Manage the course with disciplined target golf by playing to wide fairway landing areas and choosing safe entry angles into greens. Take advantage of drivable short par 4s and scoring par 5s while exercising restraint on long par 4s interrupted by desert washes.

Key takeaways

Iconic 3rd hole features 'The Monument'—a massive 20-foot granite boulder sitting directly in the middle of the fairway landing area.
Incorporates British links design principles with open green fronts that accept bump-and-run approaches unusual for desert golf.
Features two distinct drivable short par 4s on Hole 6 ('Gamble') and Hole 15 ('Canyon Pass') that reward strategic risk management.
Irrigation ponds introduce rare desert water hazards on Hole 13 and Hole 18, requiring careful target line selection.
Diagonal desert washes and cross-bunkers test club selection off the tee on several par 4s, particularly Holes 8 and 17.

YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole

Par

Yards

HCP

Strategy

444

Aim for the wide section of the fairway on the right to avoid the left fairway bunkers and the fairway pinch at 170 yards from the green. On approach, hit plenty of club to clear the front bunker and target the center of the sloping green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~204 yards remaining by raw distance.

172

Focus purely on hitting the center of the putting surface while disregarding periphery desert trouble. Favor the left or front-center line into the green to stay clear of the deep bunkers along the right side.

556

Choose your path off the tee relative to 'The Monument' boulder: playing high over or to the right of the rock shortens the dogleg right, while going left offers a safer, wider landing zone. Lay up precisely on the second shot to navigate a narrowing fairway into the well-bunkered green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~316 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

420

Drive into the wide fairway while keeping clear of surrounding boulder hazards. On approach, target the flat center of the green to avoid the flanking greenside bunkers and sloped green edges.

Your 240 yd driver · ~180 yards remaining by raw distance.

464

Favor the right side of the fairway off the tee to establish the ideal angle of approach into the green. Take extra club on approach to clear the front-left swale and false front.

Your 240 yd driver · ~224 yards remaining by raw distance.

306

Decide off the tee whether to challenge the green or lay up short of the cross-bunkers situated 80 yards short. Aggressive drives must carry the cross-bunkers while avoiding the front greenside bunker.

Your 240 yd driver · ~66 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.

205

Aim directly for the center of the putting surface. The green is open in front, allowing ball flight or ground shots to reach safely while avoiding the large sand traps on either side.

408

Lay up short of the diagonal desert wash with a fairway wood or long iron, or play aggressively left of the wash off the tee for a superior approach angle. Clear the front bunker on approach to hit a green that slopes steeply from back to front.

Your 240 yd driver · ~168 yards remaining by raw distance.

530

Take driver off the tee into the generous fairway landing zone. Lay up or run your second shot up the open front of the green, making sure to avoid side bunkers guarding the green complex.

Your 240 yd driver · ~290 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

396

Shape a tee shot with a subtle fade down the fairway, avoiding the left fairway bunkers. Take enough club on the uphill approach shot to clear the lone greenside bunker on the right.

Your 240 yd driver · ~156 yards remaining by raw distance.

512

Drive up the fairway following the right bend of the hill, ignoring the visual tightness off the tee. On the second shot, note that fairway bunkers sit approximately 25 yards short of the putting surface rather than right at the green edge.

Your 240 yd driver · ~272 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

426

Opt for a positional tee shot short of the left fairway bunker and encroaching right desert. Approach the well-bunkered green from the right side of the fairway for the best stopping angle on the putting surface.

Your 240 yd driver · ~186 yards remaining by raw distance.

222

Select proper clubbing on this slightly downhill par 3 to carry the front bunkers and clear the irrigation pond running down the entire right side of the hole. Aim for the center of the wide green.

570

Grip and rip driver down the wide initial landing area off the tee. On the lay-up, contend with the dogleg left at 160 yards out by placing your ball right or short of the fairway bunker to secure a clean angle into the green.

Your 240 yd driver · ~330 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

299

Big hitters can go for the small green tucked in a rock notch, but must thread a narrow 20-yard entry corridor surrounded by desert and slopes. The conservative play is a fairway club layup short of the fairway bunkers at 200 yards, setting up a wedge approach.

Your 240 yd driver · ~59 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.

244

Account for the downhill drop off the tee with your iron or hybrid selection. Target the center of the deep green to avoid two front bunkers and a severe false front that repels short shots.

495

Check tee position and lay up short of the desert wash bisecting the fairway short of the 150-yard marker (~220 yards off tee) unless you can clear it. Take aim at the large contoured green on approach, avoiding the front runoff.

Your 240 yd driver · ~255 yards remaining by raw distance.

370

Hit a controlled tee shot with a fairway wood or driver aimed toward the 150-yard marker on this dogleg left, keeping well right of the left-side irrigation pond. Execute a short approach to a large green while avoiding the right-side green bunker.

Your 240 yd driver · ~130 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.