Briarwood Country Club

As a private club operating within the Sun City West community structure, Briarwood caters to members who play frequently and know the course well — the kind of regulars who carry strong opinions about every green and shortcut every pre-round conversation with a shared understanding of local conditions. Desert courses of this era and region tend to reward course management and a reliable short game over raw power, with the surrounding terrain and native vegetation making accuracy off the tee more consequential than length.

The Phoenix metro's golf season runs nearly 12 months, though summer temperatures regularly push past 110°F, making early morning tee times essential from June through August. Winters here are reliably mild and draw plenty of seasonal visitors alongside the full-time residents who make Briarwood their golfing home.