Myrtle Beach has its Grand Strand of more than 100 golf courses. Virginia Beach has, over the last several years, begun ramping up in order to give Myrtle Beach a run for the golf consumer's dollars. The state of Florida peddles golf to weather-weary snowbirds as much as it does sunshine and orange juice. None of those vacation destinations, however, can match what the greater Scottsdale area can offer: nearly 200 of the 350 courses that exist in the state of Arizona. Nor can they provide spectacular mountain ranges, mile after mile of barren desert landscape or arid climate the Valley of the Sun can. As was discovered earlier this month, early December is a wonderful time in that area of the Southwest if you like pleasant temperatures (the year-round average median in Scottsdale is 72.6 degrees) and wonderfully conditioned golf courses. According to those who live there year-round, that's the sort of weather you can expect nine months out of the year. The other three months• Well, it's hot, but what do you expect in the desert? Our headquarters for the week was one of the approximately 70 resorts and hotels in the area, Resort Suites. It bills itself as "Scottsdale's only golf resort without a golf course," but also as golf vacation masters. Resort Suites caters to golfers and their needs and features Golf Bank, a partnership program with some of the best Scottsdale courses, designed to provided dividends for the golfer. A tourism research company found that 31 percent of Scottsdale's 7 million overnight visitors play golf, spending $68 million just on golf and $488 million total while staying in Scottsdale alone. Once you've found your home-away-from home, it's off to the golf course and, oh, the golf courses. The area has not earned the tag of the "golf mecca of the Southwest" without reason. There are courses suited to the below average skill level of Joe Golfer as well as courses that provide plenty of a golfing test for the single-digit handicapper. The cost to play mirrors the difficulty of the courses up and down the list. There are plenty of clubs to join in the area, some with modest fees associated with joining and there are others that require a considerable outlay of cash for the privilege. Daily fee courses are plentiful and both kinds of courses have a couple things in common: they're in the middle of the desert and virtually any time your glance goes away from the green strips of fairways and greens, you see mountains. Breathtaking, amazing mountains. But back to the golf courses. In no particular order, a quick look at five of the area's best we were able to see (i.e., play): SunRidge Canyon Golf Club — Up into the mountains a bit from Scottsdale, this 7-year old beauty starts at the upper mouth of the canyon and winds its way to the bottom on the front nine. What goes down, must come up, however, and the back nine — while measuring 3,379 — plays considerably longer. The 432-yard, par-4 18th is a monster. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club — This spectacular creation is located on land owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Indian Nation. And other than the clubhouse and the casino, there is nothing else there except desert, tees, greens and fairways and those mind-boggling mountains. We-Ko-Pa is the Yavapai pronunciation for "Four Peaks Mountain," part of the range that overlooks this challenging course. TPC of Scottsdale — The home of the Phoenix Open, which was won in 1999 by Greensburg's Rocco Mediate, it's a typical Tournament Players Club: lots of yardage and lots of mounding for spectators. Since the Phoenix Open is held annually in February, we were fortunate enough to get to experience the nasty, unforgiving, three-inch rough that will become five inches by tournament time. Grayhawk Golf Club — Two courses make up this facility. The Talon is the more benign, while the Raptor — designed by famous architect Tom Fazio — is a toughie. The McDowell mountains form a postcard-like frame for the upscale facility. It winds over gentle hills and across some fairly deep natural arroyos. Desert trees and cacti are abundant once you get off the fairway. The Mirabel Club — If this one isn't the jewel of Arizona golf yet, the only reason it's not is because it's only been open a little over a year. Mirabel is what's known in the business as a "high-end golf experience." It's not for everyone. A membership is $95,000, but it's an invitation-only club, which expects to have 350 members. The golf course is another Fazio masterpiece and you'd never know it's only been there a year. Don't be surprised if you hear a lot more about Mirabel in the future. Admittedly, we saw the best of the best on our visit there. That's called putting on your Sunday best. There are so many others, recognizable names in the golf community like Desert Mountain, Troon North, the Phoenician, that the area really does become a golf oasis. It has been calculated that 18 percent of the 6.5 million visitors to Scottsdale last year came from the Northeast to soak up some of those more than 329 days of sunshine there. If that's the case, if you're one of that number and even if you're not playing the top of the line courses and spending top dollar, you're still playing golf in the desert when you might be shoveling snow back home.

If You Go

Getting There: America West recently started service from Pittsburgh to the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which is about 25 minutes from Scottsdale. US Airways flies there from Pittsburgh, too. As is the case in many instances, more affordable fares are available from cities within driving distance of Pittsburgh, like Cleveland and Columbus. Weather: Most people head there during the winter and they would be advised to pack a variety of clothing. It's very comfortable during the day, but once the sun sets behind the mountains, a sweater or jacket is a very good idea. Information: Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, 480-421-1004 or 800-782-1117.

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