The South Course is our top pick at the Boulders resort.
The celebrated Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa, located in my favorite-named city of Carefree, sports two outstanding golf courses, but if you can only play one on your Arizona golf vacation, make it the South Course.
Like the North Course, the South was designed by Jay Morrish, and it’s the marquee layout here, particularly for resort guests, because it features many forced carries, water on three holes and elevated tees that show off the desert splendor. The more straightforward North Course is favored by members for its generous fairways and gentler greens.
The South’s front side is punctuated by some truly dramatic and awe-inspiring holes, particularly the stretch of five through eight. The back nine is no match for the celestial front, though the golf is still exquisite. A favorite hole is the short, scenic, par-four 12th, which may be reachable with a booming drive if it finds the extremely narrow landing area.
The South Course is routed through the resort and surrounding housing community but the houses are well integrated into the desert, or perhaps dwarfed by it. Some of the boulders for which this resort is named stand six-stories tall and are truly a sight to behold on your Arizona golf vacation.
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