Boulders Resort & Spa: North Course

Jay Morrish's 1985 North Course at The Boulders, a 6,811-yard par-72 championship layout set among massive granite boulder formations and rolling Sonoran terrain. Morrish (who worked with Tom Weiskopf on Troon North's Monument) routed several holes tightly within ancient rock formations, creating visual moments rarely seen in desert golf. The fairways provide room off the tee, but natural rock outcroppings and desert washes come into play frequently, rewarding accurate shot placement over pure distance. Bentgrass greens hold up through Arizona's peak heat. The routing climbs toward Black Mountain views on the back nine; the signature South Course (#5 and #7 'Rosie's Rock') gets more photographic love, but the North's rugged desert aesthetic is the stronger architectural argument. Recently (October 2025) reopened after a 5-month renovation that rebuilt green surfaces to their original shape/size and resurfaced them with TifEagle. A staple of any Scottsdale-Carefree golf itinerary, pair with the South Course for 36 at one of the Valley's most architecturally singular resort facilities.