Golf in Tempe Itself
Tempe no longer has a signature golf course of its own. Karsten Golf Course, the Pete Dye-designed course that sat on Arizona State University's campus for decades, closed in May 2019 to make way for the university's Novus Innovation Corridor and Athletic Village development. ASU's golf programs now play and practice out of Papago Golf Course, a City of Phoenix municipal course a short drive from Tempe. For golfers based in Tempe, that means the city's real golf advantage is its position in the middle of a much larger regional network of courses across the Phoenix metro area rather than an in-town course. Check each course's official site directly for current tee time availability and rates rather than relying on older listings, since both change seasonally.
What Desert Golf Is Like
Courses across the Phoenix area, including those near Tempe, are generally built around the desert terrain rather than against it, which means fairways often run between natural desert washes, rock outcroppings, and native cactus rather than the tree-lined layouts more common in other parts of the country. Missed shots can end up in genuinely difficult desert rough, so course management and accurate targeting matter more here than on a typical parkland course. Greens tend to be fast, and many layouts take advantage of elevation changes and mountain backdrops that are distinct to the region. First-time desert golfers often find the visual layout intimidating at first, since carries over desert terrain look more daunting than they play.
Nearby Valley Courses
Because Tempe sits centrally within the Phoenix metro area, dozens of additional courses are within a short drive in nearby cities including Scottsdale, Mesa, and Phoenix proper. Scottsdale in particular is known for a dense cluster of well-regarded desert courses, many of them a reasonable drive from a Tempe base. The range spans everything from casual municipal courses to higher-end resort layouts, so options exist across a wide range of budgets and skill levels. Since green fees and availability vary significantly by course, season, and time of day, checking each course's own booking system directly is the only reliable way to plan a round. For a broader look at exploring the surrounding area from a Tempe base, see the Tempe day trips guide.
Best Season to Play
Winter through early spring is generally considered the strongest stretch for golf in the Tempe and greater Phoenix area, when daytime temperatures are mild and comfortable for a full round. This window also happens to be peak tourist season regionally, so course demand and pricing both tend to rise accordingly, and booking tee times further in advance is worth doing. Summer brings intense heat that makes anything beyond an early-morning round genuinely difficult, and many courses adjust their hours or rates seasonally to account for it. If flexibility allows, checking a course's seasonal rate calendar before booking can help balance comfort against cost.
Planning a Golf-Focused Visit
If golf is a primary reason for your trip, staying somewhere central in Tempe keeps you within reasonable driving distance of ASU's Papago Golf Course in Phoenix and the wider cluster of Valley courses in Scottsdale, Mesa, and Phoenix. Morning tee times are generally easier to book and more comfortable temperature-wise than afternoon rounds, particularly outside the winter months. The where to stay in Tempe guide covers lodging options that work well as a central base for day trips to courses around the Valley.
Heat safety on the course: Phoenix-area summer heat is dangerous, not just uncomfortable. Heat exhaustion (heavy sweating, weakness, cool/clammy skin, dizziness, nausea) calls for moving to shade, loosening clothing, and cooling down right away. Heat stroke is a medical emergency — confusion, slurred speech, fainting, or loss of consciousness means the body has stopped regulating its temperature. Call 911 immediately and do not give fluids to someone who is confused or unconscious. If the National Weather Service has an Extreme Heat Warning in effect for the Phoenix metro (the current product name; NWS retired "Excessive Heat Warning" in March 2025), treat that as a signal to play early morning only or skip the round.
Pairing Golf With the Rest of Tempe
A golf trip to Tempe doesn't have to be golf-only. Tempe Town Lake, Mill Avenue, and the ASU campus are all close enough to fill non-golf hours without much additional travel, and the milder winter and spring months that suit golf also happen to be comfortable for walking, hiking Hayden Butte, and other outdoor activities. The things to do in Tempe guide and the 3-day Tempe itinerary are useful starting points for building out the rest of a trip around a few rounds of golf. For a wider regional view of the Phoenix metro area's golf and travel options together, the Phoenix guide is a good next stop.