Arizona · Tucson
El Rio Golf Club
The Tucson Open's first home, where Babe Zaharias Monday-qualified in 1945. Tight fairways, small greens, two lakes and a walk under old trees.
- 18Holes
- 70Par
- 6,418Yards
- ArizonaLocation
About El Rio Golf Club
El Rio is Tucson's old-school city course: par 70, 6,436 yards from the Blues (69.4 rating, 124 slope), with tight fairways, small greens, mature trees and two lakes. It's short enough and flat enough to walk, and the city calls it walkable. The survey data backs up the trees: 14 holes are tree-lined, four have water, and there are 68 bunkers but only five doglegs, so it's mostly straight ahead and about hitting it where you're looking. The 13th is the little one, 117 yards from the back. Course character from OpenStreetMap contributors' survey data.
The history is the reason to play it. The Pima County Public Library says the El Rio Country Club opened on November 1, 1929, a week after the stock market crash, as Tucson's first grass course, and still signed up 250 members. The Tucson Open started here in 1945, when Ray Mangrum closed with a 64 to win the first one, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias Monday-qualified into the field. El Rio hosted the first 18 Tucson Opens before the event moved to Forty Niner in 1963.
The club stayed private until 1968, when the City of Tucson bought it and opened it to the public. Today it's one of five Tucson City Golf courses, with a full range open 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., a putting green and short-game areas it shares with First Tee Tucson.
It's one of 27 courses Yoink watches in the Tucson area, and the closest alternative is Silverbell Golf Course, about 3 miles away — handy when your first choice is booked solid.
What it's like to play El Rio Golf Club
A creek or river runs through the property and comes into play on 2 holes.
Course character from OpenStreetMap contributors' survey data (ODbL).
Booking a tee time at El Rio Golf Club
Book public, City Card or Troon Access rates online through the Troon booking site that covers all five Tucson City Golf courses, or call (520) 791-GOLF (4653). Mega Pass annual passholders use a separate booking button and get their rate applied at check-in. The El Rio shop is 520-791-4229.
How to get a tee time at El Rio Golf Club
Yoink
Prime tee times at El Rio Golf Club — weekend mornings, twilight in summer — tend to go fast, and the ones that open up later usually come from cancellations nobody announces.
Yoink watches El Rio Golf Club's online tee sheet around the clock. Tell it the day, the time window and how many players, and it sends you an alert the moment a matching time appears. You book direct with the course, so there's no markup and nothing to cancel with us.
- Pick El Rio Golf Club in Yoink.
- Choose your day, time window and number of players.
- Get an alert when a matching tee time opens — then book it directly with the course.
Golf courses near El Rio Golf Club
- Silverbell Golf Course · 3 mi
- The Club at Starr Pass · 3 mi
- Dell Urich Golf Course · 5 mi
- Randolph Golf Course - North · 5 mi
- Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa · 8 mi
- Crooked Tree Golf Course · 9 mi
- Rolling Hills Golf Course · 10 mi
- Dorado Country Club · 11 mi
El Rio Golf Club FAQ
Where is El Rio Golf Club?
El Rio Golf Club is in Arizona, in the Tucson area — about 3 miles from Silverbell Golf Course.
Is El Rio Golf Club open to the public?
El Rio Golf Club is municipal (City of Tucson, Tucson City Golf).
Can you walk El Rio Golf Club?
Carts must stay 30 yards from tees and greens.
How many holes is El Rio Golf Club, and what's par?
El Rio Golf Club is an 18-hole regulation course: 18 holes, par 70, 6,418 yards.
How do I get a tee time at El Rio Golf Club when it's booked up?
Set a watch for El Rio Golf Club in Yoink with your date, time window and group size. Yoink monitors the course's tee sheet and alerts you the moment a matching time opens, including cancellations. You book directly with the course.
What golf courses are near El Rio Golf Club?
Nearby options include Silverbell Golf Course, The Club at Starr Pass and Dell Urich Golf Course. Yoink watches 27 courses in the Tucson area.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.
- tucsoncitygolf.com · official
- library.pima.gov · government
- en.wikipedia.org · media
- tucsoncitygolf.com · official
- tucsoncitygolf.com · official
Never miss a tee time at El Rio Golf Club
Yoink watches the tee sheet so you don't have to. When a time you want opens up, your phone buzzes — you book direct.