5 Things to enjoy on a Scottsdale Golf Tour

Everything is locked in and you’re headed to Scottsdale for an amazing golf getaway. Great choice! With more than 200 courses in the area, there is plenty of great golf to play. Face the challenge of the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, home of the annual Waste Management Open every February, or enjoy the seclusion of playing Quintero, you really can’t go wrong with any of the amazing choices.

Eventually, though, the sun is going to go down or you might schedule some downtime to enjoy the area, so here are some other things to do in the area:

Enjoy Old Town Scottsdale

This vibrant urban downtown area located in the southern portion of the city is full of shops, museums, art galleries, and restaurants. The streets are pedestrian-friendly, so park in the copious free parking areas and walk, or rideshare to the area, and spend some time exploring all of the many offerings. Check out “Culinary Dropout,” a gastropub with a great outdoor venue with games like cornhole or ping pong, or go old school and visit “Rusty Spur,” famous for its live music and fantastic tamales. Don’t forget to top them with the pork green chili gravy!

Play Ball!

If you’re in Scottsdale in February or March – which is PERFECT golf weather – go see a Spring Training game. The San Francisco Giants call Scottsdale home for their Cactus League games before the Major League Baseball season. Not there in the spring? That’s OK, you can still catch some baseball action as the Scottsdale Scorpions take over in the fall for the Arizona Fall League, with MLB affiliations with the Angles, Phillies, Giants, Cardinals, and Nationals. 

Make a day trip to the Grand Canyon

The South Rim Visitor Center is just four hours north of Pheonix and is the closest of the three entrances to the national park and has more facilities than the other areas. Take in the majestic views of the canyon that has been formed by the Colorado River over the past 6 million years at Lipan Point, a promontory located on the South Rim, considered one of the best vantage points on the Tanner Trail. Bonus portion: make a slight detour to Winslow along the way to or from the canyon and get your picture along Route 66 at the corner made famous by the Eagles in the song “Take It Easy.”

Gambling games

Perhaps you’re flush with some extra cash after your buddies paid up at the course and you want to see if you can press your luck. With several casinos in the area, there are plenty of ways to see if the streak can continue. Head out to We Ko Pa, northeast of the city, and its newly renovated casino floor. Not only are there two great courses in Saguaro and Cholla at the resort, there are table games and slots galore in the smoke-free casino. If you win enough, have dinner at “Ember.” The fine dining establishment has a great selection of steak and seafood along with crafted cocktails, enough to satisfy any high roller.

Take a hike

Literally. The natural beauty and landscape of the surrounding desert lends itself to the outdoor adventurer. Take a leisurely walk on the Gateway Loop Trail. As the name suggests, the loop ends back where you started and measures 4.5 miles with nicely defined paths. If you want more of a challenge, then the out-and-back hike to Tom’s Thumb might be your speed. The 2.3-mile trail climbs more than 1,200 feet and features views of the popular rock-climbing site.

Bottom line: You’ll come for the golf, but there’s a lot more going on in Scottsdale than just teeing it up. From a lively nightlife scene to nature all around, make the most of your trip to Arizona and explore all it has to offer.