The Buzz: Nestled in the shallow ravines and rolling hills of the Santa Cruz River Valley, this course offers a combination of natural beauty and bentgrass greens that typically are among the best in southern Arizona. Canoa Hills, designed by Dave Bennett, plays to par-72 at 6,610 yards along contoured fairways with generous landing areas, which make it very playable for the average golfer.
After a straightaway, par-4 starting hole, Canoa Hills quickly gets interesting with another par-4, considered one of the better golf holes in southern Arizona. The 375-yarder is a risk-reward hole with an elevated tee to an ample lay-up area, which leaves a mid-iron shot into a green that slopes away and is well-guarded by bunkers. Hitting a driver off the tee leaves a much-easier short iron shot to the green but the tee shot is to a much narrower part of the fairway flanked by mesquite trees right and left. The front nine ends with an uphill par-4 at 362 yards, setting up a back nine that requires a variety of shots as it winds through the natural terrain with scenic mountain and valley views. Most memorable is the 15th hole, a 537-yard par-5 with a double dogleg. The course, which opened in 1984, is located about 20 miles south of Tucson near the retirement area of Green Valley, in a picturesque setting with the Santa Cruz River Valley being flanked by the Patagonia and Santa Rita mountains on the east and the Tumacacori and Sierrita mountains on the west. That combination provides an excellent setting for the 19th hole, otherwise known as Quail Grill in the Canoa Hills clubhouse. This area also is known for its birding and historic missions, including the San Xavier Mission, which is considered an excellent example of Spanish Mission architecture.
If you’re planning to spend a night or more in the area, consider The Inn at San Ignacio, which features villa rooms and condo-style luxury villa suites, along with the Coyote Grill, where the food and scenery are both first rate. Also nearby is the new Trivetti’s Piano Bar, which offers Italian and Continental cuisine, two happy hours a day (including one from 9 p.m. to close) and a large patio for outdoor dining. And if you have a taste for the bubbly, it’s well worth a visit to Sonoita Vineyards and Santa Cruz wineries to sample southern Arizona fare.