Scottsdale, Arizona
Troon North’s Monument Course delivers the Sonoran Desert at full cinematic strength, with huge rock outcroppings and unforgettable holes. This Weiskopf-Morrish creation is the textbook definition of ‘target golf’—visually spectacular and tough but fair, with conditions and service to match the premium price. If you’re after the prototypical Scottsdale golf experience, you won’t do better.
Snap a photo on the third fairway with Monument Rock—the epic boulder is one of Arizona golf’s most iconic backdrops.
Monument is pure desert target golf: green fairways cut through cactus, dramatic granite outcrops frame shot after shot, and every forced carry feels cinematic. The routing leverages elevation and native terrain, with holes weaving among boulders and saguaro, challenging players to commit to bold lines and smart angles. Weiskopf and Morrish give you room from the tee, but always a demand—play tentatively at your peril, but aggression is punished without precise control. Tighter landing areas reveal themselves as you play, and risk-reward decisions abound, particularly on short par 4s and dramatic par 3s.
Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish fused British Open-inspired ideas with the Sonoran Desert’s raw grandeur, creating a unique visual and strategic identity.
The third hole is a par 5 defined by Monument Rock, a massive granite boulder in the center of the fairway, forcing a mental and strategic test on the tee. Drive placement is crucial to avoid being blocked by the rock, with a bold second needed to set up a birdie—but the desert and waste areas loom on every side.
Favor the correct side of the fairway depending on your length; shorter hitters should lay well back or favor the side that gives a clear layup, while big hitters can challenge the rock and open up a realistic birdie look.
A misjudged drive leaves you stymied behind the boulder or flirting with desert waste; a forced approach out of position quickly balloons the score.
Superb greens, manicured rye fairways, firm desert turf, and country-club-level course presentation.
Can run slow in peak hours; book early or late for a brisker round.
High-energy resort style with top-tier service and enduring Sonoran Desert vibes.
Traditional upscale golf attire: collared shirts, no denim, proper shoes.
The desert waste areas eat mis-hits and errant drives like nowhere else—arrive stocked and ready.
The Sonoran sun is fierce and the dry air sneaks up on you over 18 exposed holes.
Escape peak heat and slower play for the best pace and most dramatic desert lighting.
Knowing where desert lines pinch and opening up approaches can save you strokes on key holes.
Course opens, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish
Hosts Merrill Lynch Championship (pro event)
Hosts first of three LPGA Mitsubishi Championships
Hosts Arizona Mid-Amateur Championship
Complete redesign and reconfiguration by Weiskopf
Course enhancement/refinement by Despain & Anderson
The iconic Monument Rock—a giant granite boulder sitting in the middle of the third fairway—has become the defining visual marker and namesake of the course, turning an ordinary drive into a brag-worthy brush with desert lore.
When the Monument Course debuted in 1990, Troon North set a new standard for premium daily-fee golf in Arizona, instantly wooing both serious players and traveling golf junkies with its Sonoran scenery and tough-but-fair shotmaking demands.
Tom Weiskopf’s architectural fingerprint is seen in strategic short par 4s like the 6th and 15th, where player temptation meets punishing surrounds—offering the bold a chance at glory while carding plenty of double bogeys for the careless.
Within three years of opening, Monument hosted pro-level and amateur championships, including three years of the LPGA Mitsubishi and the state's Mid-Am, cementing its place as a proving ground for Arizona’s best.
The club was designed and launched as the original flagship of the Troon golf brand.
Monument Rock, a true granite monolith, is actually in play for many tee shots on the third hole.
Tom Weiskopf’s 2007 redesign brought a British Open-inspired flavor to the routing.
The course regularly features in Arizona’s top-10 you-can-play lists.
Short par 4s are a Weiskopf signature: Monument’s sixth is remembered as either a gift or a trap.
Play where the pros do at the WM Phoenix Open—stadium atmosphere and risk-reward dramatics.
Premium conditions, fun routing, and a strong tournament pedigree.
No homes, pure desert golf with jaw-dropping views—among Arizona’s most pure modern 36-hole tests.
Accessible, friendly, and two walkable layouts with real architectural merit.
Classic muni, consistently ranked and minutes from Sky Harbor Airport.
Stay in North Scottsdale near Troon North or at the Four Seasons for resort walkability and best access to top courses.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Cascata shares a memorable sense of place and offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to Troon North Golf Club - Monument Course.
Why it matches: What links these two? Makes the landscape part of the experience — a familiar feeling, expressed in Black Desert Resort's own setting.
Why it matches: Pebble Beach Golf Links is a natural next stop after Troon North Golf Club - Monument Course: it shares a memorable sense of place.
Early Scottsdale Weiskopf-Morrish collaboration
Rocky Mountain landscape with dramatic holes
Mountain pine scenery and creative routing
Former PGA Tour stop set on rolling Texas terrain
Community Sentiment
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