The North Course at Boulders Resort in Scottsdale

Located just north of downtown Scottsdale, the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa is home to one of the Valley of the Sun's most luxurious golf and features two 18-hole championship golf courses: Boulders North and Boulders South.

Both designed by Jay Morrish and rated fairly similar by most magazines, the North Course at Boulders Resort plays 6,811 yards from the championship tees, while there are four other sets playing as close as 4,900 yards. Built in the 1980s, the golf course plays a little tighter and shorter compared to some of its well-known neighbors such as Troon North Golf Club and Grayhawk Golf Club. That said, the North still possesses a good amount of difficulty with a target-style design that requires strategic placement off the tee and approach shots into well protected, bentgrass greens.

While the North offers plenty of boulder and desert scenery, the South is considered the more scenic of the two, playing closer to some of the formations, including the famous, balancing "Rosie's Rock."

Both golf courses at Boulders Resort maintain a very high level of conditioning and have some of the area's best service. The resort is also home to one of Scottsdale's top practice facilities and golf academies, run by Director of Instruction Donald Crawley, a "Top 100 Teaching Professional" according to Golf Digest.

North Course at Boulders Resort in Scottsdale - No. 1

No. 1 on the North Course at Boulders Resort is a 513-yard par 5.

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North Course at Boulders Resort in Scottsdale - No. 4

The North Course at Boulders Resort's fourth hole is a straightaway 404-yard par 4.

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Boulders Resort - North Course - hole 5

The left side of Boulders North's 5th hole is guarded by a tree.

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North Course at Boulders Resort in Scottsdale

Boulders Resort is located north of downtown Scottsdale in a scenic piece of desert with 12-million-year-old boulder formations.

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Boulders Resort - North Course - hole 8

The North Course at Boulders Resort's eighth hole is a par 4 that features a boulder in the middle of the fairway.

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Boulders Resort - North Course - hole 10

Boulder formations serve as a frequent backdrop at the Boulders Resort, like on the North Course's par-4 10th hole.

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Boulders Resort - North Course - hole 13

The par-4 13th hole at Boulders North requires an approach shot over desert.

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Boulders Resort - North Course - hole 16

The par-4 16th hole on Boulders North requires a shot over desert to a slim green.

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Boulders Resort - South Course - hole 7

Rosie's Rock looms - or tilts - over every golfer who tees off on Boulder South's seventh hole.

Courtesy Boulders Resort

Golden Door Spa at Boulders Resort

The Boulders Resort is home to a wealth of amenities and off-course activities such as the full-service Golden Door Spa.

Courtesy of Boulders Resort