The second, newer golf course at Omni Tucson National, Sonoran Course is no one's second fiddle. Rather than try to mimic its PGA Tour-famous sister course Catalina, Sonoran Course gives golfers a completely different look and challenge.

It's all about the desert on this Tom Lehman design, with Sonoran living up to Tucson's reputation of being much more rugged and natural than the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. At times, you'll feel like you're in a man vs. beast matchup with the desert, especially on the hard-to-forget, straight-uphill-to-the-sky par 5 15th.

This marks the start of a great finishing stretch, that includes a par 3 where the green almost seems to be floating in the mountain air (No. 17). You'll also notice Tucson National's commitment to great course conditions with the green of Sonoran Course popping out in contrast with its stark desert areas.

If you want to play where golf's biggest names have played, you go to Omni Tucson National's Catalina Course in North Tucson. National's Catalina Course has hosted more than 30 PGA Tour events in its history, appearing on the TV sets of Midwesterners used to dealing with snow for years and years.

This built a certain aura around the course that remains today.

"You'd be amazed at how many people still come in and say they want to play the course they saw Arnold Palmer play," Tucson National director of golf Pat Miller said.

Tom Watson, Johnny Miller and Lee Trevino also all won here and John Daly once recorded a 10 on one of Catalina's devious water par 3s. Battling wet stuff in the desert is part of the fun on this parkland layout with trees and green everywhere. Eight holes have water, including 18, one of the most memorable finishers in golf with its fairway squeezed by lakes on both sides.