Ventana Canyon (Canyon)

Although often underrated compared to Ventana Canyon’s Mountain course, Tom Fazio's Canyon course also offers a range of natural terrain features that make for an exciting round of desert golf.

The title canyon comes into play during the second half of the round, running between the fairway of the No. 12 par five and real estate on the right. Players will tee off across a pond but, even when the water ends, the fairway continues to play as a cape. The right side of the hole drops down into the native, so only the most assured golfers will flirt with its edge.

Another piece of rock comes into play right out of the gate on the second half of the course. Measuring just 336 yards from the back tees, the green looks gettable from the tee. The skinny hourglass green makes staying on the putting surface difficult, but the true highlight is an enormous rock formation behind the green, which can serve as an aggressive rebound for those who miss long. The final hole offers eagles to whomever can carry the waste area and thread two ponds alongside the edge of this 500-yard par five’s green.