You're in luck, most courses should be under $100, even up in that neck of the woods where courses are more expensive than elsewhere. Keep your eyes peeled for specials at Boulders in Carefree and Troon North and Grayhawk in Scottsdale. All are top end facilities that you can normally get a break on during the summer. All three are 36 hole facilities and all courses are really nice. Those will be your big name courses to hunt down and you might catch a round for under $100 if timing is right.
If you're looking for good courses at more than fair price where you can save some coin and still get great value I would recommend Legend Trail. Really nice track, usually kept in good shape, and a good value. Rancho Manana is a good course but conditions can be spotty because of water issues. It is also tough and a true shot-maker's golf course. Check to see what conditions are before going, it can be spotty.
If you're willing to travel a bit here are the courses I would spend my money on.
Quintero in Peoria is fantastic. Always in good shape and a great layout. Makes you hit every club in your bag and hit them straight. It was supposed to be a private community for the rich, but it never rebounded when the economy went soft. The course is still waiting for the clubhouse to be built, but don't let that distract you. The place is a hidden gem.
Eagle Mountain in Fountain Hills is also a keeper. Wonderful layout and conditions are normally right up there. Usually get a great value and bang for your buck here, and some of the houses around the course are obscene. Worth the drive IMO.
We-Ko-Pa on the Fort McDowell reservation comes highly regarded and is surrounded by nothing but desert. Personally, I'm not a fan, but there are lots of people who love it. I think some of the holes are tricked up and it's gotcha golf, but that is my personal opinion/preference. The two courses are always in great shape and the value is usually quite good, so I would still put it on your list. I would recommend Saguaro over Cholla as the later features quite a few blind shots.
If you're not afraid of a long drive and want something really memorable, make the drive out to Gold Canyon and play Dinosaur Mountain. It is framed by the Superstition Mountains and every hole is a picture postcard. It is always well maintained and is a layout that is unforgettable. It features six par threes, but don't let that dissuade you
as each is unique and difficult. It is one of the best in the state and for good reason. It might be too much of a drive for you, but I always have to pump the tires on this one-of-kind track.
If you're looking for something for a round near the airport on arrival or departure, look at The Raven or The Legacy. Both are great courses and are close enough (15 minutes from car rental) that you can get a round in before a late afternoon flight out.
One last piece of advice, stay away from TPC Scottsdale. They will gouge the hell out of you and the course is not what you see on TV. By time you get down here the stands will be gone and the holes will look nothing at like you remember them on TV. Without the stands the course is pretty pedestrian and forgettable. I tried to convince some buddies to skip it and make the trip out to Wickenburg to play Wickenburg Ranch, but they insisted on TPC. It did not live up to their expectations and was one of the most expensive rounds they would play. We did get to Wickenburg on another trip and they were pissed I didn't take them there their previous trip down. It's a jaunt from where you're staying so doesn't make the list but something to put in your memory banks for another trip down.
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