Nestled amidst the stunning Sonoran Desert landscape in Scottsdale, Arizona, The Boulders Resort & Spa is a luxurious retreat offering a perfect blend of natural beauty and upscale amenities. This award-winning resort is renowned for its dramatic boulder formations, which provide a breathtaking backdrop for relaxation and adventure. Guests can choose from elegant casitas, suites, and villas, all designed with Southwestern charm and modern comfort, featuring private patios to take in the serene desert views.
Golfers are duely impressed with the resort’s two championship courses, designed by Jay Morrish, offering challenging play amid spectacular desert scenery. And Boulders Golf Academy, catering to players of all skill levels, only enhances the experience.
The resort also boasts a world-class spa, where guests can rejuvenate with holistic treatments inspired by the desert environment. With fine dining, hiking, and exclusive amenities, Boulders Resort promised an unforgettable escape for relaxation and recreation.
The opportunity to be outside in a beautiful setting is one of the great allures of golf for me. The game also presents a chance for socializing, a modicum of exercise, and the challenge of making par, even when those who decide what par should be have sadistic tendencies. But give me unforgettable vistas, a memorable signature hole and some wildlife to share the course with me and I’m a lifer!
The South Course at the Boulders had me at hello. There is no obvious signature hole because it’s impossible to pick a favorite among 18 beauties. As mentioned, Boulders is in the Sonoran Desert, set amidst rock formations no artist could duplicate. The views are distant, the cacti formidable, and the resident javelinas, roadrunners and quail enchanting. The golf course is like an oasis, appearing more green than it actually is because of the arid surroundings, although even in this climate, there is an ongoing fight to repel invasive grasses. All of this to be savored beneath cloudless blue skies and 69 degree dry weather every day, at least during December when I was there.
Playing the Boulders South Course (the North Course is exclusively for members living on the 1200-acre property), I gazed out from the tee boxes in wonderment at how fortunate golfers are to be part of the beauty of the natural world. This happened hole after hole. Enjoy the challenge of the course, but don’t overlook the scenery. Give additional thanks to the parched Arizona setting which doesn’t allow for water hazards. You’ll just have to contend with the sand traps, which are very much at home!
Golf is justifiably the main attraction at Boulders, along with the spa and multiple and exciting dining options. I took a hot-air balloon ride. And had a pickleball lesson from the resident pro, only to learn that my very rusty tennis skills, were I to apply them in pickleball, are simply wrong. The pickleball courts are brand new, and easily accessible via chauffeured golf carts provided by Boulders at a moment’s notice.
A visit to the Sonoran Desert would not be complete without hiking, and there are well maintained trails at the resort not to be missed. I also climbed 1000 feet up challenging Tom’s Thumb, a City of Scottsdale park which is a short drive from the property, and was rewarded with distant views of wilderness and some of nature’s best handiwork 100 miles away.
After hiking, I was relieved to relax in my luxury casita, facing the golf course and a seemingly endless parade of rabbits. A reminder that this fabulous resort is one with nature on and off the golf course.