Rounds
Three morning rounds estimated
Verdict
Scottsdale is selected for the best balance of public-access golf, late-November weather, origin fairness, and departure-day resilience. Every tee time, room, vehicle, flight, and quoted price remains unconfirmed until a human completes the booking sequence.
At a glance
Land budget
USD 1,600–2,450 per person; airfare excluded estimated
Club plan
Everyone brings personal clubs; no rentals estimated
Booking state
No inventory held or purchased TBD
Courses and clubhouse
Comparison and rationale
| Destination | Rationale | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale and Fort McDowell · 82.5 | Best overall combination of weather, public golf, social fit, and airport buffers. | estimated |
| Streamsong · 78.6 | The strongest pure resort portfolio, with materially higher golf cost and a longer airport transfer. | estimated |
| Portugal Silver Coast · 77.3 | Excellent value and strong golf, but weaker late-November weather and daylight resilience. | estimated |
| Mayakoba · 72.6 | Warm and operationally simple, but a less varied golf portfolio and residual November weather risk. | estimated |
Flight candidates by origin
| Origin | Suggested route | Status |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast USA | Prefer a United EWR–PHX nonstop when materially equivalent; target PHX by Thursday noon and depart after Sunday 17:30. Thanksgiving schedule, fare, and seats are TBD. | TBD |
| United Kingdom | Prefer the British Airways LHR–PHX nonstop, with American as the oneworld fallback; join at lodging Thursday evening and preserve the three-hour golf-bag drop guidance on Sunday. Thanksgiving schedule, fare, and seats are TBD. | TBD |
| Southern California | Compare practical LAX–PHX nonstops, starting with American; target PHX by Thursday noon and depart after Sunday 17:30. Thanksgiving schedule, fare, and seats are TBD. | TBD |
Course cards
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro
Friday 08:30 target. Public access and a 90-day reservation window are verified; the exact slot is TBD.
Review We-Ko-Pa reservation terms verified
We-Ko-Pa Cholla
Saturday 08:30 target, paired with Saguaro through the published two-round product. Exact inventory is TBD.
Talking Stick O'odham
Sunday 07:45 target with a conservative airport buffer. Public booking exists; the November opening window and slot are TBD.
Review Talking Stick tee times verified
Itinerary
| Day | Plan | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday · arrival | Domestic travelers target PHX by noon and collect the reserved vehicle; the London traveler joins at lodging after the Thursday nonstop. Dinner is deliberately unstructured. | TBD |
| Friday · Saguaro | 08:30–13:00 golf, lunch, and recovery. Verify a target-date screening before using The Hot Chick as the soccer-and-beers option; otherwise keep dinner unstructured. | TBD |
| Saturday · Cholla | 08:30–13:00 golf, an unstructured recovery afternoon, and a group dinner. | TBD |
| Sunday · O'odham and departures | Check out and load the vehicle before the 07:45–12:15 round, then lunch and PHX departures no earlier than 17:30; the London departure must also preserve the airline's three-hour golf-bag drop guidance. | TBD |
Lodging and transport
Use two rooms at Talking Stick Resort and reserve a minivan or extended three-row SUV. Confirm the selected room policy, load the vehicle before Sunday's round, and verify capacity for four travelers, four personal golf travel covers, and luggage.
Lodging research
Transport research
Costs
| Item | Planning amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| We-Ko-Pa two-round product | USD 448 per player plus tax for the published date band | verified |
| Talking Stick O'odham | Current Thanksgiving rate TBD | TBD |
| Lodging, transport, meals, and contingency | Included in the USD 1,600–2,450 land estimate | estimated |
| Club rentals | Not needed; everyone brings personal clubs | estimated |
Competition and pairings
Low-stakes team shamble using broad playing bands only; the group can finalize scoring treatment before departure.
- One four-player group · personal clubs
Booking timeline
| When | Action | Reference | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completed August 8 | Scottsdale and the November 26–29 window were selected for planning and publishing. The future card-guarantee owner remains TBD. | Review We-Ko-Pa seasonal rates verified | verified |
| August 29–30 | Secure the two We-Ko-Pa morning rounds on each published 90-day opening date; no exact release time is published. | Open We-Ko-Pa reservations verified | TBD |
| By September 1 | Call Talking Stick to learn its November booking window, then reserve O'odham when permitted. | Open Talking Stick reservations verified | TBD |
| After the golf spine is held | Book flights meeting the shared windows and verify sports-equipment rules for personal clubs. | Review British Airways sports-equipment guidance verified | TBD |
Contingencies
Call both golf shops 24 hours ahead for frost or wind guidance. Use Talking Stick Piipaash only if a verified slot exists and the group accepts any applicable cart-path restriction; otherwise drop the affected round rather than compressing the airport buffer. A target-date soccer screening is also TBD.
Weather and packing
Use late-November climate normals only for planning. Recheck the live forecast close to departure and bring morning layers, sun protection, and golf-bag travel protection.
Sources
- We-Ko-Pa rates and maintenance verified
- We-Ko-Pa booking and cancellation terms verified
- Talking Stick 2026 maintenance schedule verified
- Talking Stick Resort hotel policies verified
- PHX Rental Car Center guidance verified
- British Airways golf-bag guidance verified
- NOAA November climate normals verified