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In Southern Arizona, there's a plethora of golf courses worth playing. Yes, even in peak summer — hey, cheaper rates!

We've created a guide with 10 courses Southern Arizona golfers should play as soon as possible.

Here's the catch: no country clubs or courses that require memberships to play, which excludes sumptuous tracks like Tucson Country Club — the home course of the Arizona Wildcats — along with La Paloma Country Club, Skyline Country Club, The Gallery Golf Club and Stone Canyon Golf Club. 

Oh, and no putt-putt golf, although we don't discourage anyone from working on their short game at Golf N' Stuff, a longstanding Tucson staple.  

This week, we're featuring courses that should be on your golf to-do list in Southern Arizona. Quarry Pines, The Golf Club at Dove Mountain, Casino Del Sol's Sewailo Golf Club,ÌýThe Club at Starr PassÌý²¹²Ô»å Randolph Golf Complex kicked off the first half of the series. Arizona National Golf Club begins the second half of our list. 

Arizona National Golf Club

Location:

Length: 18 holes, 6,606 yards

Par: 71

Notable hole:

The rundown: Planted in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Sabino Canyon, Arizona National Golf Club is one of the most underrated — and most challenging — golf courses in the Old Pueblo. 

— previously known as Raven Golf Club at Sabino Springs — was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1996. Jones has designed over 500 championship-caliber courses worldwide.

The slope rating at Arizona National Golf Club is about 139 — 155 is the highest possible rating — so the home golf course of Sabino High School is considered one of the most unforgiving courses in Tucson. If you're a scratch golfer, the strategy at Arizona National Golf Club will test you. If you're a high-handicap golfer that's trying to break 100, Arizona National will push your patience. 

The most iconic hole at Arizona National Golf Club is the grand finale at No. 18. The tee shot is elevated above the fairway, and the visual is a panoramic view of the city of Tucson, saguaro cacti, the Arizona National clubhouse, the nearby neighborhood and mountains.  

Left of the 18th fairway are bunkers and Arizona National's lake; to the right of the fairway are bunkers and homes. A hook shot or slice could be costly. 

When it was known as The Raven Golf Club at Sabino Springs, it was the home course of both Arizona Wildcats men's and women's golf programs until 2002.

In 1996, UA golfer Ted Purdy — who often plays in Tucson's PGA Tour Champions event, the Cologuard Classic — beat Tiger Woods, who played at Stanford, to win the PING Arizona Intercollegiate.  

The course was also host of both the Pac-10 women's and men's golf championships.