Tuscon Spring Training Golf Trip

Golf Magazine, 2/10 & 3/09

For fans of the:  Rockies and Diamondbacks

Best Public Course: Ventana Canyon's Mountain Course (520-577-1400, www.ventanacanyonclub.com; $100-$175) is famous for its par-3 third "Hole in the Wall," which calls for a drop shot to a tiny green in a cactus-studded canyon. The other 17 holes aren't bad, but the 107-yard third will linger.

Best Bang For Your Buck: Randolph North (520-791-4161, www.tucsoncitygolf.com; $41-$72) is a classic muni that has hosted the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours over the years. It's not exactly classic desert terrain, but plenty of water hazards, a walk-on rate of $44 and next-door access to Hi Corbett Field, where the Rockies prep for those crazy late-season surges, make Randolph a good buy.

Best You Can Play That You've Never Heard Of: On the northwest side of town at the base of the towering Santa Catalina and Tortolita Mountains, Vistoso Golf Club (520-797-9900, www.vistosogolf.com; $89-$145) is a Tom Weiskopf design full of natural washes, deep bunkers and risk/reward options. If you wait until 1 p.m. to play, it's $89.

Tour Stop: Play Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa Catalina Course (Tucson, 7,262 yards, par 73; $180 800-528-4856, www.omnihotels.com). Golf MVPs like Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson all won PGA Tour events on the Catalina, but fans of the Diamondbacks, Rockies and World Champion White Sox should check out the new Tom Lehman-designed Sonoran course, too.

TravelGolf.com digs:

Best bet: Arizona National located at 9945 E. Snyder Road is a favorite of Diamondbacks players during Spring Training. This Robert Trent Jones design is routed through arroyos, rock outcroppings and a sea of saguaros. On a clear day, golfers can see all the way into Mexico. It's known as one of the toughest courses in Tucson, but the scenery softens the blow.

Solid seconds: The 27 holes at Tucson Omni National (2727 West Club Drive), which hosts the PGA Tour's annual Tucson Open, and Fazio's two 18-hole courses at Loews Ventana Canyon (7000 North Resort Drive), are two high-end, daily-fee clubs with pizzazz. Searching for value? Check out Del Lago, located at 7000 North Resort Drive in Vail, where the high-season rates top off at $50. And for convenience and value, check out the Randolph Golf Complex (600 S. Alvernon Way), home of an LPGA event with quality practice facilities just down the street from Hi Corbett where the Rockies play. For stay and play golf packages or tee times, call (800) 877-0664.

Where to stay: The Clarion Hotel Randolph Park (877-526-7737) offers 157 rooms with prices ranging from $49 to $129 per night. The Lodge on the Desert (800-456-5634) is a more upscale hotel in the same vicinity. Both are solid choices for being close to either ballpark. But if you want to step it up a notch, Lowes Ventana Canyon Resort and Spa (800-887-0664) is the way to go.

Where To Booze & Grub:  See Tucson AZ Golf Weekend