Silverleaf Club

Located less than a 30-minute drive north of downtown Scottsdale, the course at the Silverleaf Club – named after an historic mining claim filed on the property in the late 19th century – is the centrepiece of an upmarket residential development, winding its way around both the Horseshoe Canyon and Upper Canyon in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains.

Designed by Tom Weiskopf and opened for play in 2002, this 18-hole layout makes the most of the natural landscape to blend in with its surroundings. In the words of the architect: “The spaciousness of the land allowed us to shape a course that follows very natural contour lines, while at the same time providing fun, challenges and views that are simply stunning.”

Highlight holes include the driveable short par four 9th; the water-laden par four 13th (where the green seems to sit below the level of the lake behind it); and the tough, 498-yard par four 18th, which shares a dramatically elevated tee with the 16th. All three par threes feature long, middle and short distance tee positions which are rotated daily to keep golfers guessing..