The Desert Classic 2026

The Clubs at Dove Mountain (Marana, AZ)

Feb 26 - Feb 28, 2026

The annual Desert Classic, a fun yet competitive tournament where men and women combine for the right to claim the title of "Kings and/or Queens of the Desert." Four-person teams battle it out over two days at The Gallery Golf Club & The Golf Club of Dove Mountain. Teams can be all-men, all-women, or a co-ed combination. Teams may also be comprised of members and/or guests (each team must have at least one member). This event is a ton of fun where uniforms, costumes and shenanigans are fully encouraged.

The Clubs at Dove Mountain

The Clubs of Dove Mountain are made up of The Gallery Golf Club and The Golf Club at Dove Mountain and sit within the beautiful Dove Mountain community, surrounded by the Tortolita Mountains. With legendary designers like Jack Nicklaus, John Fought, and Tom Lehman – and a litany of honors, accolades, and high-profile professional events – the 63 holes of golf at The Gallery and Golf Club at Dove Mountain are truly second to none when it comes to total golf experiences in the Desert Southwest.

STAY

Marana and neighboring Oro Valley/Tucson present many lodging options at various prices and proximity to the club. See below for a few suggestions:

The Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain – Take advantage of the Icon preferred rate with the code T6253 use this link for our room block
Hampton Inn & Suites Marana – 5 miles
Holiday Inn Express – 7 miles
JW Marriott Starr Pass – 17 miles
Loews Ventana Canyon – 16 miles

There are multiple hotels and several rental homes through Airbnb & VRBO around or near Dove Mountain

GOLF

The Desert Classic will test your skills on both the Gallery Golf Club and the Golf Club at Dove Mountain. Two tournament rounds and one practice round will give you 54 holes to experience the greatness of these two clubs.

EXPLORE

Marana, Arizona, is a vibrant desert community just northwest of Tucson, offering a mix of outdoor adventure, culture, and relaxation. Visitors can explore the rugged beauty of Saguaro National Park and the Tortolita Mountains through scenic hikes and desert trails, or enjoy birdwatching at the El Rio Preserve. For a taste of local flavor, travelers can visit family-owned farms, sample Southwestern cuisine, or enjoy wine and craft beer tastings. Whether you’re seeking adventure, history, or relaxation, Marana offers a well-rounded desert experience.

Visit the Clubs of Dove Mountain Website

TRIP SCHEDULE

Practice Rounds

All Day

The Gallery Golf Club & The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

Registration Party

4:30PM-6:30PM

Gallery Driving Range | Come check in, say hi, have a beverage & a bite and compete in individual and team competitions. Optional Player's Pool ($200 per team) can be paid in cash

Warm-Ups & Gifting

11:00-1:00PM

Golf Club at Dove Mountain | Optional Player's Pool can be paid in cash prior to teeing off

Lunch

11:00 - 12:45 PM

Dove Mountain Members Grill

Round 1 Shotgun Start

1:00PM

The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

No Events Planned

Evening

Enjoy the night off to make own your plans and rest/strategize for round two

Warm-Up/Breakfast & Bar

7:30AM-9:30AM

The Gallery Golf Club

Round 2 Shotgun Start

9:30AM

The Gallery Golf Club (North Course)

Awards Reception

2:00PM-5:00PM

The Gallery Golf Club

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

36 holes of tournament play
Four-person teams; teams may be compromised of any combination of male and female players. And yes, all-male or all-female teams are just fine. Guests are also welcomed and encouraged, but every team must have at least one member.
The format for the entire event will be a shamble – each player will tee off from their respective tee box. Players will then select the best tee ball of the four, where each player will then play their own ball through the completion of the hole ; One stipulation – each player must have THREE of his or her drives selected during the round! All men’s play will be from the Yellow Tee markers. All women’s play will be from the Green tee markers.
Scoring during the two rounds of tournament play will be calculated by using TWO NET best balls for the group (all golf balls must be holed for a score to count)
GHIN handicaps or unofficial handicaps approved by Jeff Goodsell and the golf staff will be used for scoring purposes (each contestant will receive 80% of their handicap according to USGA calculation for the format of the tournament)
To be eligible for competition, each team must submit a TEAM NAME with their entry. If you so choose, team uniforms are also encouraged. There may be a prize for the most creative team name/uniform at the awards ceremony following play on Saturday
Members may sign up as singles, twosomes, threesomes, or as a full team. Any entries not part of a full team will be teamed up to the best of our ability – while we can almost 100% guarantee a good time, we shall not be held accountable for non-winning performance

COMPETITIONS & AWARDS

THURSDAY NIGHT WELCOME EVENT
Golf Skills Challenges

FRIDAY TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE
Longest Drive Ladies
Longest Drive Men

SATURDAY TOURNAMENT ROUND TWO
Closest to Pin
Longest Putt Made

TOURNAMENT AWARDS
Champions
2nd Place
3rd Place

OPTIONAL PLAYERS POOL

For those interested, each team can pay into a pot at $200 per team that will be distributed back to the top finishers after two days of golf (the number of teams that get paid depends on how many teams participate)

INCLUSIONS

Thursday practice round
Thursday Night Registration Event | Skills Challenges
Two days of tournament rounds – 36 holes (18 Friday / 18 Saturday)
Contests & prizes during tournament play
Golf cart for all three rounds
Unlimited use of practice facilities
Tournament gift
Tournament awards for Top 3 teams
The following Food & Beverage:
- Thursday night registration event
- Friday lunch
- Saturday morning Bevies & Breakfast before Round 2
- Saturday afternoon Awards Happy Hour

TRANSPORTATION

AIR – The recommended airport is Tuscon International – TUS (35 minute drive); Phoenix Sky Harbor – PHX is another option (90 minute drive)

GROUND – Upon landing, we encourage you to rent a car to get around easily. Do not forget to use our Icon Golf discount through National or Enterprise (CODE: XZ09F10). Note, when renting with Enterprise and National, your rate may not always be the lowest across all brands, but that’s because we’ve included full rental insurance and liability coverage so you can drive with no anxiety while traveling. Also, when traveling with National, all members are ELITE status, allowing you to choose from the best vehicles in the Emerald Aisle.

ACCOMMODATIONS