The question I hear most is whether Troon North is a private club community. It is not. The golf club is public-access, and what residents receive is a discount, not a membership that comes with the deed. That one distinction changes how you should budget and which questions to ask before you tour.
What Does the Setting Feel Like?
Troon North is visually specific: boulder outcrops, saguaros and fairways cut through Sonoran Desert rather than soft, irrigated parkland. That scenery is the product. It is also why outdoor living design, landscape maturity and western-sun exposure come up so often when buyers compare homes here.
This is North Scottsdale, so expect to drive for most errands. Buyers relocating from walkable districts should map a typical week of trips before they fall in love with a lot. For orientation, use the Troon North neighborhood page and live inventory on our home search.
Is Golf Membership Required to Live in Troon North?
Treat golf as adjacent infrastructure, not a free HOA perk conveyed by deed. Here is what the club and the association publish:
- Public access. Troon lists Troon North Golf Club as a daily-fee/resort facility, and tee times are bookable online by the public. The club has two 18-hole courses, Monument and Pinnacle.
- Resident discount. The Troon North Association calls the club semi-private because residents receive a discount on green fees. It also notes that residents can play as a member or with a Troon Card.
- Memberships. Troon North also sells separate memberships. The club's website does not publish a price or availability, so I am not quoting third-party fee numbers.
Confirm the current resident program and any priority tee-time benefit directly with the club at 480-585-7700 before you underwrite "we will play three times a week" into a purchase decision. Listing remarks are marketing, not membership terms.
The two courses are Tom Weiskopf-designed. Golfweek's 2026 Best Courses You Can Play list places both among Arizona's top 15. The club's website lists Monument at No. 10 and Pinnacle at No. 11, while other published copies of the list show slightly different positions, so check the current list before you quote a number.
What I Tell Buyers
In my view, Troon North is similar to Legend Trail, with two courses I rate among the best in Arizona. For the buyer who wants high desert living without being tied to a private club and its fees, I think it is worth a look. Compare it with our guide to buying in Legend Trail.
That is my opinion from working with buyers, not a club rate sheet, a published ranking or a promise of tee times. The section above still applies: confirm current access and costs with the club, and do not fold golf into the HOA.
What Does the Association Offer?
The Troon North Association lists a four-acre Community Park with tennis courts, pickleball courts, ramadas, a tot lot and a turfed play area. It sits at the northwest corner of 93rd Street and Dynamite Boulevard. Court access takes a key fob, and owners are entitled to one complimentary fob through the community manager. Reservations are managed through the association's court system and are for owners.
The association says the park connects to Troon North's network of bike paths and trail easements, and the community sits near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Confirm the specific amenities, rules and costs for each neighborhood association when you get a tour sheet, since sub-communities can add their own.
What Home Types Should You Expect?
Troon North includes condominiums, attached and lower-maintenance homes, single-family homes and larger custom homes. Some sub-communities, such as The Ridge at Troon North condominiums, run their own association on top of the Troon North Association.
- If lock-and-leave ease is the priority, start with lower-maintenance product. Our Troon Village second-home guide covers the empty-home questions that apply to any desert second home.
- If architecture and view corridors are the priority, you will spend more time on lot utility, boulder constraints and outdoor rooms than on interior finishes.
Practical shortlisting tip: stop comparing a remodeled condo to an unrestored custom home on a steep pad. Same community name, different asset class. Ask for the association name and its current assessment on every tour sheet.
Trails, Heat, and Daily Logistics
Trail access is part of why many owners choose this map. The City of Scottsdale describes the McDowell Sonoran Preserve as more than 30,500 acres with over 230 miles of multi-use trails (scottsdaleaz.gov, accessed Oct 18, 2026). Nearby trailheads include Brown's Ranch and Pima Dynamite, and Pinnacle Peak Park is also close. The city's preserve page shows current trailhead status, so check it before you plan a hike. Brown's Ranch was listed as closed for improvements when I checked.
Summer heat is as real as the trails. The city advises visiting the preserve early in the day, and early-morning habits are not optional if hiking is part of your plan.
Also plan for:
- Guest and gate procedures that vary by neighborhood
- Parking and trailer rules if you own recreational vehicles
- Service-vendor access for pools and landscaping
- Evening wildlife awareness typical of desert-edge living
How Does Troon North Compare to Nearby Options?
Troon Village shares part of a name but is a separate community. See Is Troon Village the right fit for a desert second home?
Legend Trail also has a public daily-fee course. See our Legend Trail buyer guide and the Legend Trail neighborhood guide.
Desert Highlands and Whisper Rock are private golf club communities, which is a different ownership model from Troon North's public-access course. Confirm membership terms with each club. See the Desert Highlands guide and the Whisper Rock guide.
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
Look elsewhere if you need sidewalk retail and nightlife, if you refuse any HOA structure, or if a northern commute would sour your weekdays. If private club membership is essential to you, Troon North's public-access course is not that model, and a club community such as Desert Highlands or Whisper Rock would suit you better.
FAQ: Living in Troon North
Is Troon North Golf Club public or private? It is a public-access course. Troon lists Troon North Golf Club as a daily-fee/resort facility with public online tee-time booking, and the Troon North Association describes the club as semi-private because residents receive a discount on green fees. Residents can also play as a club member or with a Troon Card. Confirm current access and rates directly with the club at 480-585-7700.
Do Troon North homeowners get golf benefits? According to the Troon North Association, property owners qualify for discounted green fees. The club also sells separate memberships, but its website does not publish prices or availability. Confirm the current resident program and any priority tee-time benefit directly with the club at 480-585-7700.
Do I have to join the golf club to buy in Troon North? I did not find a published requirement that a buyer join the golf club. Membership is a separate, optional purchase with its own terms, so ask the club for current membership options and do not fold golf into the HOA budget.
How are the Monument and Pinnacle courses ranked? Monument and Pinnacle are two Tom Weiskopf-designed courses. Golfweek's 2026 Best Courses You Can Play list places both among Arizona's top 15. The club's website lists Monument at No. 10 and Pinnacle at No. 11, while other published copies of the list show slightly different positions, so check the current list before quoting a number.
What amenities does the Troon North Association list? The association lists a four-acre Community Park with tennis courts, pickleball courts, ramadas, a tot lot and a turfed play area. Court access requires a key fob, which owners can request through the community manager. Neighborhood-level associations may add their own amenities and rules.
Is there trail access near Troon North? Yes. The City of Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve has more than 30,500 acres and over 230 miles of multi-use trails, and trailheads such as Brown's Ranch and Pima Dynamite are close to the community. Pinnacle Peak Park is also nearby. Check the city's preserve page for current trailhead status and hours.
Is Troon North the same as Troon Village? No. They are separate communities with different golf and ownership structures. See our guide: Is Troon Village the right fit for a desert second home?
Where can I see current listings or get help? Browse current listings in our home search, or call Darren Tackett at (602) 622-1226.
Author Bio
Darren Tackett is the founder of the Tackett Team at eXp Realty, based at 20551 N. Pima Road, Suite 185, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Troon North is a setting purchase first. Get the setting right, then negotiate the house.
Photos: ListerPros