Phoenix, Arizona
The Adobe Course blends Golden Age design with approachable resort conditions and is a must-play for those drawn to Arizona golf history. Expect strategic bunkering, walkable ground, and a relaxed, welcoming vibe rather than a punishing championship test.
Arrive early to soak in the clubhouse patio overlooking the first tee, where historic photos and memorabilia evoke nearly a century of Biltmore golf lore.
The Adobe Course, shaped by William P. Bell and thoughtfully restored by Forrest Richardson, epitomizes the Golden Age approach—strategically placed bunkers, generous fairways, and subtle green contours. The 2023 rebuild preserved this spirit while modernizing routing, hazards, turf, and conditions to fit today’s expectations. Its flat, walkable terrain welcomes casual and serious golfers alike, rewarding tactical play and shot placement rather than brute force.
William P. Bell, a Golden Age legend, was known for artful bunkering and fair, strategic layouts; Richardson’s and Lehman’s modern touches honor this tradition.
A proper handshake with Golden Age parkland golf, this long, slightly bending opener features sharp bunker placement and a receptive yet well-protected green. Precision off the tee sets up a fair but demanding approach.
Favor the right center to open up the green and avoid fairway bunkers left.
Straying left brings bunkers and a tough angle for the second shot.
Resort-level with some seasonal variability; bunkers and greens updated recently but not private-club immaculate.
Generally moderate pace typical of a destination/resort course; plan for a relaxed round.
Welcoming, historic, with a casually upscale resort feel—great for both newcomers and scoring chasers.
Golf attire expected; check with the pro shop for any updates.
The Adobe is very flat and walkable, but most resort guests ride—request a walking loop if you want the classic feel.
Newly rebuilt greens can run firmer than expected; lag practice before heading out pays dividends.
Bell’s restored bunkers have crisp edges and fresh sand—practice from fairway and greenside before your round.
Arizona sun hits hard; bring extra water and your best hat, especially in the midday tee windows.
Opened as the third-oldest course in Arizona, designed by William P. Bell
Full ground-up rebuild led by Tom Lehman and Pro Turf International
Course reopens to the public as the Estates Course, replacing the historic Adobe layout
William Wrigley Jr. hand-picked William P. Bell to shape a classic course for the Biltmore Hotel’s resort guests, launching one of Phoenix’s earliest golf destinations. His vision brought Golden Age architecture straight to the Arizona desert and left a unique mark on state golf history.
Over multiple eras, the Adobe fairways hosted U.S. presidents, international heads of state, and legendary entertainers; the course’s reputation as Phoenix’s historic resort hangout only grew as word spread of its casual charm and strategic test.
After nearly a century, the course underwent a complete transformation in 2023, with new routing, greens, and water-wise turf, but it kept Bell’s ethos: a walkable, welcoming, strategically engaging round in the Biltmore tradition.
The Adobe is considered Arizona’s third-oldest continuously operating course.
William Wrigley Jr., of chewing gum fame, directly commissioned its creation.
Course legend holds that U.S. presidents and movie stars walked its fairways before it was common in the region.
The fairways once doubled as an unplanned social scene for Phoenix society.
After its 2023 renovation, it became the Estates Course but honors its historic past.
For quintessential desert target golf in a dramatic, natural setting
Two of Arizona’s highest-ranked public tracks with no houses in sight
Play where the pros compete at the Waste Management Phoenix Open
Tremendous bang for the buck and wide-open city panoramas
Scottsdale or central Phoenix near the Biltmore corridor
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: Met Links is a natural next stop after Arizona Biltmore Golf Club – Adobe Course: it has a similarly satisfying rhythm on foot.
Why it matches: What links these two? Moves through the round with the same walkable flow — a familiar feeling, expressed in Crane Creek Reserve Golf Course's own setting.
Why it matches: Amagansett Golf Club is a natural next stop after Arizona Biltmore Golf Club – Adobe Course: it has a similarly satisfying rhythm on foot.
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