Tucson

It's hard to tell if Tucson is embarrassed or intrigued about its status as the state's second-largest city. Tucson natives will gladly explain to you how Phoenix is a new-fangled mess of freeways, subdivisions, and strip malls, and how their "Old Pueblo" is a bastion of good, clean living and liberal thinking.

Forgive native Tucsonans, however, if they are given to a bit of hyperbole when pontificating about their rival city. One need only attend the annual University of Arizona (based in Tucson), Arizona State University (Tempe, outside of Phoenix) football game to understand there's no love loss between these two desert dales. Truth is, millions of residents see Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa and the other municipalities of the Valley as a fine places to live, work and play. And they, in turn, savor every last second of peering down their noses at the little "college" town to the south, with its liberal attitudes and underdeveloped downtown.

Savvy Arizona golfers are also quick to remind anyone who asks that the Valley of the Sun is like the Old Pueblo on steroids when it comes to fairways available for public consumption.

But since the early 1990s, Tucson has made a respectable run in the realm of high-end resort and daily-fee golf.

If you are in need of more encouragement to forgo Phoenix for Tucson on your next Arizona golf trip, consider this: Tucson is not nearly as inundated with players as Phoenix or Scottsdale, and the Old Pueblo's lack of serious traffic issues will enable you to get from one course to another in a much more expedient fashion than in grid-locked Phoenix.

Tucson Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Tucson?
Bigger than you might think. While smaller than its neighbor Phoenix, Tucson has more than 800,000 residents and is the 35th largest city in the nation. It is still one of the most rapidly growing cities in America as well.

Where did Tucson get its nickname "Old Pueblo"?
Tucson was formally founded in 1775, about the time the nation's forefathers were signing the Declaration of Independence. Locally, the city is still called the Old Pueblo for the adobe fortress or "presidio" that marked its early borders.

I don't remember Tucson having this much golf. What happened?
The Tucson golf scene came into its own in the early 1990s with the introduction of a handful of high-end, daily-fee courses. Courses like Arizona National (formerly the Raven at Sabino Springs) and Heritage Highlands were added to a formidable lineup that already included Tom Fazio's Mountain and Canyon courses at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon, the TPC Starr Pass, and Tucson Omni National Resort.

What are some good museums in town?
It is worth seeing the Pima Air and Space Museum and the Old Tucson Studios. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is an incredible collection of live desert animals and plants. For aviation fanatics, the many Airplane Graveyards, with countless rows of abandoned airliners are stunning. To get a perspective of the area's history and for a real Southwestern sight visit the Mission San Xavier del Bac which has stood since the 1700s. Columbia University's Biosphere 2 is a half-hour north of Tucson as well.

How far is Tucson from Phoenix?
Tucson is 111 miles southeast or about a 2-hour drive on I-10 from Phoenix.

Is the city of Tucson just like a smaller Phoenix?
Absolutely not. Tucson is just far enough away from Phoenix to have its own identity. Its rich Spanish heritage is abundant to its Southwestern feel. Tucson is also much easier to get around than Phoenix.