JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa Announces Newly Designated Nine-Hole Course

Amid the natural beauty and stunning saguaro-filled mountains of Tucson National Park and honored by GOLF Magazine as one of the “Best Golf Resorts for Families”, JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa has given guests and golfers a reason to put down their iPads, pick up their clubs and experience its newly re-imagined 9-hole Coyote course. 

Already recognized for its 27-holes of championship golf designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer, and once home to the PGA Tour’s Tucson Open, the luxury golf club has combined its renowned Rattler and Road Runner courses into an 18-hole championship course and has repositioned its Coyote course into a 9-hole course that offers a relaxing and all-encompassing golf experience.

“Starr Pass Golf Club is thrilled to be able to offer two unique golf experiences to our resort guests, locals and members,” said Todd Howard, director of golf.  “By re-imagining the Coyote course, it allows an affordable and healthy walking alternative for golfers who enjoy the course’s scenic terrain and are looking to get ‘their steps in’ at the same time.  However carts are available on Coyote if they’d rather ride.” For guests of the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort, access to the Coyote course will be complimentary and included in the daily resort fee.                                       

The Coyote course is a par 36, ranging in length from 2,593 to 3,431 yards, with the same quality, bent grass greens as Rattler/Roadrunner.  The layout of the course offers ease and flexibility for players of all skill levels.  Seniors, ladies, beginners or someone just looking to get in a quick 9 holes after work, make Coyote a fun, easy-going alternative where guests can play at their own pace.

Coyote’s fairways will no longer be overseeded but will be colored with player- friendly and environmentally-safe dye to give the appearance of an overseeded fairway, ultimately reducing water consumption.  This demonstrates a high degree of quality environmental stewardship on behalf of Starr Pass Golf Club who is continually recognized for its conservation efforts and preservation of the desert.  The Club is also recognized as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, through its environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach, education, water conservation and water quality management.

Roadrunner and Rattler will remain a par 71 golf course, ranging in length from 4,777 to 6,627 yards.  Fairways and tees feature Tifway 419 Bermuda grass and are overseeded with perennial ryegrass, while the greens roll true with bent grass. 

Howard reiterated that the 9-hole, two-mile walking course alternative, is distinctly aligned with one of the most important of the JW brand pillars – wellness.  “As a company, we strive to create an authentic, healthy and enriching guest experience on every level,” he said.  

“The stunning scenery and serenity of the Coyote course combined with its mountain vistas and countless wildlife sightings, creates a sense of place, allowing our guests to connect to the environment around them in a mindful, healthy and peaceful way.”

Aside from getting a healthy dose of sunshine and vitamin D, the two-mile trek around Coyote’s 9-holes will also give families and guests an educational lesson on Tucson’s wildlife and an opportunity to explore the indigenous plants, flora and fauna that comprises area’s diverse ecological system.  As a result of the resort’s commitment to maintaining the natural corridors which allow wildlife to sustain their migration patterns, it’s not unusual for guests to see a variety of wildlife including mule deer, javelina, coyotes, gambel quail, road runners and raptors, to name a few.

Managed by Marriott Golf, Starr Pass Golf Club offers a championship driving range and putting green, a variety of membership options and golf instruction.  The Clubhouse features Catalina BBQ Co. & Sports Bar with indoor and outdoor dining and a full-service golf shop.  The golf club is located less than a mile from the resort, with a complimentary shuttle for resort guests. 

Holiday promotions at Starr Pass Golf Club include $25 for adults and $15 for juniors (18 years and younger) to walk the Coyote course; and Rattler/Roadrunner is extending its 2-for-1 special for only $109, now through December 31, 2020.