The Glum Tour: The Legacy Golf Club
Quick Take
This was the scrappiest round of the year. I shot ok but really struggled on the greens. 36 putts…56% greens in regulation…62% fairways in regulation…a 41 on the front nine! I had zero feel today. My hands might as well have been made of concrete. All that said, I managed to eke out a 70s score and that’s something to celebrate. Maybe today’s kids lesson of perseverance stuck…
The Glum Tour will be a blog series where I play and rank golf courses in and around Phoenix. I’m doing this mostly for me, but I’ll try to include some details for those stumbling in looking for course information. First stop: The Legacy Golf Club in South Mountain.
I’ve got a bit of a head start on this one. I’m volunteering and coaching with First Tee Phoenix at Legacy. So I’m here every Saturday morning with a bunch of kids looking to play some golf. After three rounds here I can say without hesitation this is the best value in South Phoenix, at least during the summer. Well manicured grass range…check. Large putting green with half a dozen holes and a lot of slope…check. Chipping and bunker area with a few different holes…check. This is truly a lovely course with great facilities. There is no reason to not make it a regular course.
Rating
Book It Again Tomorrow
Vitals
- Played: September 12, 2026
- Location: South Mountain / Ahwatukee area, Phoenix
- Green fee: $65 (afternoon rate)
- Tees: Black
- Weather: 105°F, sunny
- Pace: 3 hours solo
- Score: 79
Categories
Layout
Despite being located in a desert, The Legacy Golf Club doesn’t exactly play like a desert course. Desert trees, bushes, and other botanicals line every fairway instead of just framing them, and there’s shade waiting at nearly every tee box while you wait for the group ahead. Fairways are generous, with the desert far enough to the left and right that I rarely find myself in it. The property is greener than it has any right to be for the location.
Don’t let the scorecard fool you. The yardage doesn’t look like much, but it plays longer than the number suggests, and the green complexes have enough undulation and grain that even short putts make you think.
Conditions
Fantastic across the board. Greens were receptive and rolling true, tee boxes and fairways were in great shape, and the course recently finished a full bunker renovation. Every bunker I found today (and I found a few) was in excellent condition.
Value
$65 for an afternoon round in this condition is hard to beat anywhere in Phoenix. The practice facilities push it over the top: a large grass driving range with free range balls for players, a big, well-kept putting green, and a solid bunker/chipping area. It’s one of the better practice setups in the South Phoenix / Ahwatukee / Chandler area.
Vibe / Fun-Factor
It’s a resort course, and it plays like one: laid-back and friendly staff. Despite being reasonably priced, the golfers out there aren’t just out on their yearly round golf.
Conclusion
The Legacy Golf Club is the best summer value I’ve found in South Phoenix: a course that’s greener and tougher than a resort desert track has any business being, in excellent condition, for a fair price. If you’re in the area, play it. If you’re not, it’s worth the drive. And if you’re coming from out of the way, stick around afterward. Food is good, and the patio has a great vantage point to watch the course’s comings and goings while you eat.
Other Courses Like It
Raven Golf Club is right next to it. While I haven’t played it yet, my understanding is that it is very similar in layout, scenery, price, and feels. If you’re looking for something nearby that is a bit harder and a more stereotypical desert course, head out to Whirlwind about a 15 minute drive away.