Estrella Mountain Ranch Golf Club

Overview: The Golf Club of Estrella is the public 18-hole course at the former Estrella Mountain Ranch community in Goodyear, west of Phoenix. Nicklaus Design credits Jack Nicklaus II with a par-72 course measuring 7,102 yards. Fairways follow the natural contours of the site, elevated tees reveal the Sierra Estrella Mountains and native desert vegetation gives the course a strong western Arizona identity. The design aims for a classic golf experience that is challenging but forgiving, allowing golfers to use the full range of clubs without turning every missed shot into a lost ball.

History: The course opened in 1999 as a daily-fee facility and quickly received recognition, including a place among Golfweek and Golf Magazine’s top daily-fee courses in 2000. Its design story is significant because it is one of Jack Nicklaus II’s early Arizona projects, showing his effort to develop an independent identity within the Nicklaus Design tradition. The course remains separate from the community’s residential amenities: owning a home at Estrella does not automatically include golf, and the operator continues to present the course as its own public destination.

Did You Know? The signature 17th is a 189-yard par three set into rocky terrain. Nicklaus Design describes it as one of the few strong birdie opportunities late in the round, so the hole combines a memorable setting with a genuine scoring decision.