Quintero Golf Club

Quintero Golf Club opened in 2000 in the foothills of the Hieroglyphic Mountains near Peoria, Arizona, designed by Rees Jones with associate Steve Weisser. Jones famously used helicopter flyovers to scout the routing through the desert canyon terrain. The original vision was a private club with two courses — Jones\'s "Founders Course" and a Greg Norman-designed "Charter Course" that was never built.

The remote location prevented the private model from succeeding, and by the early 2010s Quintero transitioned to public access — a gift to golfers, as a course intended for exclusive membership became one of the most celebrated public layouts in the Southwest. Troon now manages the facility.

In 2025, Jones and Weisser returned for the first major renovation in 25 years: greens resurfaced with 007XL creeping bentgrass, bunkers redesigned for public-access play, sightlines restored, and tees regrassed with Tifway 419 bermuda. Golf Digest ranks it No. 1 public course in Arizona; Golfweek alternates it at No. 1–2 with We-Ko-Pa Saguaro.

Quintero is routed through natural desert arroyos and canyons in the Hieroglyphic Mountains, roughly 45–60 minutes northwest of Scottsdale. Elevated tee boxes — sometimes dramatically so — present carries over raw desert. The isolation is part of the appeal: the setting feels untouched and removed from development.

Fairways are generous (often 60+ yards wide) but anything missing the short grass is essentially lost in the desert. The multi-level bentgrass greens are widely considered the finest putting surfaces in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area — fast, smooth, and recently resurfaced in 2025.

All four par 3s involve significant downhill elevation drops, creating the most dramatic collection of one-shot holes in Arizona. Mule deer and javelina roam the property.

Play the right tees. Five options span 5,043 to 7,249 yards (slope 148 from the tips). The copper and jade tees remove many forced carries and are significantly more enjoyable for mid-to-high handicappers.

Adjust for elevation on all par 3s (holes 6, 9, 13, 16). Take at least one club less than yardage suggests and trust the drop.

Keep it in the fairway. The penalty for missing maintained turf is severe — desert waste, cacti, unplayable lies. A reliable tee shot shape matters more than carry distance.

Wind is constant and often stronger than it appears in the canyon terrain. Check wind direction before every shot.

Favor the center of greens on your first visit. The multi-level surfaces are complex; chasing pins leads to three-putts.