America's best golfing destinations: Tucson
By Ceri Mobley, PGATOUR.com Associate Site Producer
The PGA TOUR has enjoyed its six-week love affair with the Pacific coast -- Hawaii, California, Arizona -- but it now heads to its final Western event prior to taking a hard swing to the East. The World Golf Championships -- Accenture Match Play Championship just outside of Tucson, Ariz., will be the TOUR's last stop on this coast before it kicks off a four-week stint in the Sunshine State.
The Gallery at Dove Mountain, this week's host to the world's top 64 players (65 if you count J.B. Holmes who qualified by way of Brett Wetterich's injury withdrawal), is located in southern Arizona -- also known as the Sonora Desert. And it's a haven for exploration. But first, a hotel.
SOMEWHERE TO SNOOZE
Conquer the desert -- with value: Would you believe me if I told you that you could stay in a four-star Hilton resort 20 minutes from the course starting at only $161 a night? Well, you should because you can. Book a stay at the Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort, and you'll sleep, eat and save in a four-star hotel at two-and-a-half star prices. In addition to the fabulous deal you'll get here, remember that you're not just getting a bed and a bathroom; El Conquistador has its own golf courses, spa and water park to boot. Sounds like fun to me.
Other options
Miraval Resort: If you love the convenience of all-inclusive resorts but didn't know you could find them outside of the tropics, then you will love this: Miraval Resort -- five stars and only 30 minutes from Dove Mountain -- has you covered for desert elegance, all inclusive, starting at $1,000 a night.
Desert hideaways: The Sonora Desert has vacation rentals galore from one-bedroom haciendas to grand, desert mansions. If you feel like experiencing the desert sans room service, find yourself a home for the week. Rates start around $250 a week.
SOMETHING TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT
You might think after five-straight weeks on the West coast that I would run out of things for you to do -- or at least things I haven't suggested before -- but Tucson offers just as much entertainment as the next town, all with its own style. The first outing you need to make is to the AMARG Boneyard. Located at and run by Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the boneyard is literally a huge field where military planes go to rest in piece. You can take a tour and learn all about aircraft and spacecraft from all throughout America's long and proud aviation history. This was always a favorite stop of my late father in law whenever he was on one of his many business trips to the Tucson area, and he always knew how to have fun.
More things to keep you busy
• If museums are your thing, then don't stop at the Airplane Boneyard. The Sonora Desert plays a very specific and important role in Southwestern America's ecosystem, and you can discover the ins and outs at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
• Some people prefer a little more action than listening to tour guides rattle off facts and figures. These people might prefer to, perhaps, listen to the sound of a ball hitting a leather catcher's glove. That's right, baseball season's almost back. And for those of you who can't wait, check out the pitchers this week at the Cactus League Spring Training for the Rockies, the Diamondbacks and the White Sox in Tucson Electric Park.
• Finally, get a taste of the Old Wild West at Old Tucson Studios, where many Western movies and TV shows have been filmed. Take a walk down the dusty saloon-lined street at high noon or take some pictures in old-fashioned dress. If you can't be Tiger Woods, then try your hand at Clint Eastwood.
THE MAIN EVENT
The Gallery at Dove Mountain actually has two full courses -- the North Course and the South Course. The South Course, host of this week's event plays very differently to the North Course, which was co-designed by British Open winner Tom Lehman. While the North Course plays through canyons under the shadows of the Sonoran peaks, the South Course plays links style. Both courses invite golfers from the pros to the high-handicappers to enjoy the challenging yet beautifully landscaped layout.
While the South course will rattle your game with hazards like the long stretch of water that lies between the tee and the green, hugging the fairway on No. 4, players should also watch out for the cactus plants dotted all over the course. Hitting around a plant that can impale you is much more frightening than navigating standard, prickle-free greenery. However, despite the obstacles to your game that a desert setting presents, the look of landscape makes up for it. The contrast of the citrus-green course to its dry, dusty cowboy-colored sidelines almost displaces a player in his mind. Imagine trying to hit the ball in what looks like the backdrop of a John Wayne movie; OK there are no tumbleweeds blowing through your lie (or guns to draw for that matter), but the course feels distinctly Western. And that's what playing in Arizona is all about.
STICKING AROUND?
Southern Arizona boasts ancient culture, modern fun and darn good golf. So if you have some more time to explore, check out what else this part of the country has to offer.
• Chiricahua National Monument: Often referred to as a forest of rocks, this national monument was born out of a volcanic eruption tens of millions of years ago. As the ash eroded, stone spires were left behind over an almost 12,000-acre area. Like nothing you have ever seen, Chiricahua will remind you how inspiring the earth's natural phenomena are.
• Drive to Mexico: Tucson lies only an hour north up the road from Nogales, the main port of entry into Mexico. Unlike Tijuana, California's Mexican border town, Nogales is a little more welcoming and a little less of a culture shock to travelers. Experience just a small portion of life south of the border, or use Nogales as a starting point for your Mexican adventure.
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