Sojourn in Scottsdale

	Desert Links at Troon North

Loyal readers of this column -- hi, Mom! -- know that two of my passions are for high-end golf and midcentury modern furniture.

If eBay ever listed a wooden driver designed by Herman Miller, no doubt I would be maxing out my credit card.

So for me Scottsdale, Ariz., might as well be Shangri-La.

That this desert town boasts as many great private and public courses as anyplace west of the Mississippi will come as no shock to serious golfers.

On the private side, there is Desert Highlands, Estancia Club, the Golf Club Scottsdale and Whisper Rock (Phil Mickelson's old place, and home club to umpteen PGA Tour pros), never mind the six -- yes, six -- Jack Nicklaus-designed tracks at Desert Mountain. For people who know people, these are all top-notch, if unnecessary, options, given the breadth of resort and daily-fee play.

Anyone with deep pockets who wants to be close to all the great shopping -- retro or modern -- that Scottsdale and neighboring Phoenix have to offer should stay at The Phoenician, the majestic, venerable resort in the shadow of Camelback Mountain.

It's as luxe as all get-out but also relaxed and personable, with amenities coming out its cacti (and the Funicians Kids Club means Mom and Dad can indeed make time for themselves). The on-site 27-hole course is one of the most charming, old-school layouts in town, not the aerial-focused "target golf" generally associated with desert-area designs. ...