TPC Scottsdale — Champions Course

The Champions Course is the quieter sibling at TPC Scottsdale, sharing the same maintenance team, practice facilities, and clubhouse as the famous Stadium Course but operating at roughly half the green fee. Randy Heckenkemper designed the layout in 2007 at 7,235 yards with a slope of 140, and for golfers who want the TPC experience without the $500 peak-season ceiling next door, the Champions delivers a legitimate alternative.

The design is straighter and more conventional than the Weiskopf-Morrish Stadium routing, with less dramatic desert integration and fewer holes where the landscape creates visual drama. This is a solid, well-conditioned golf course rather than a memorable one, and there is nothing wrong with that distinction. It provides a quality round at a price that leaves room in the budget for a premium tee time elsewhere on your trip.

Green complexes are well defended without being punitive. Fairway corridors are generous enough to accommodate the mid-handicapper without losing interest for the low-handicapper. The par 3s are the strongest stretch of the routing, with varied lengths and directional changes that test different clubs and shot shapes across the round.