Hut Hut Hike! Phoenix and Scottsdale are full of fantastic sports teams, and places for just about anybody to enjoy a round of golf, sporting event or spring training game. Here you have it, the best sports picks in the Valley of the Sun.
These are the winners of Best Of Our Valley 2013 in the Sports category – the best of the best in Arizona. The winner each category this year will be featured in the March 2013 issue, a tell-all guide to the coolest people and places in the Valley of the Sun, as chosen by its residents. The winner with the most total votes will be featured on the cover of Arizona Foothills Magazine’ s Best Of issue (but we aren’t telling who won the cover just yet!). All those who won this year can download their 2013 Winners logos here.
To nominate a business, person or item for the 2014 contest, e-mail bestof@azfoothills.com by September 1, 2013.
Best 19th Hole – Golf
WINNER: Bernard’s Restaurant at Ocotillo Golf Resort
Encanterra
Brittlebush Bar and Grill at Kierland Golf Club
Phil’s Grill at Grayhawk Golf Club
The Thirsty Camel at The Phoenician
Mirabel
Talking Stick Resort and Golf Club
The Grill Seafood and Chops at TPC Scottsdale
Greenwood’s Bar and Grill at Gold Canyon Golf Club
The Dynamite Bar and Grille at Troon North
We-Ko-Pa Grille
Best AZ Cheerleaders or Dance Team
WINNER: Arizona Diamondbacks Rallybacks
Arizona Rattlers Sidewinders Dancers
Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders
ASU Cheerleaders
The Phoenix Suns Dancers
Phoenix Mercury Dancers
Best CLubhouse Spa – Golf
WINNER: Encanterra
Mirabel
Silverleaf
The Pine Canyon Spa
Arizona Country Club
Paradise Valley Country Club
Best Custom Golf Clubs
WINNER: Krank Golf
Arizona Custom Golf Clubs
Condor Golf
Ace of Clubs
Cool Clubs
Best Golf Clothing and Shopping
WINNER: PGA Tour Superstore
Vans Golf Shop
Hornaceks House of Golf
Bobby Jones
In Celebration of Golf
Nike
Golfsmith
Golf Galaxy
Best Golf Community
WINNER: Encanterra
DC Ranch
Mirabel
Silverleaf
Desert Mountain
Best Golf Course View
WINNER: South Course at The Boulders Resort
Encanterra
Kierland Golf Club, Westin Kierland
Troon North Golf Club
Mirabel
Estancia
The Phoenician
Silverleaf
Desert Highlands
Fire Rock
Gold Canyon Golf Resort
Outlaw Course at Desert Mountain
Wildfire, JW Marriott Resort & Spa
Best Golf Instructor
WINNER: Chris Fry, Expert Golf AZ
Donald Crawley at The Boulders Resort and Spa
Mike and Sandy LaBauve at Kierland Golf Club
Kostis McCord Learning Center
Stan Utley at Grayhawk’s Short Game Guru
The Tour Academy at TPC Scottsdale
Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson, Vision 54
Mike Malaska at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club
Best Private Golf Club
WINNER: Encanterra
Mirabel
The Country Club at DC Ranch
Whisper Rock Golf Club
Desert Mountain
Silverleaf
Desert Highlands Golf Club
Paradise Valley Country Club
The Golf Club Scottsdale
The Estancia Club
Best Pro Golf Shop
WINNER: Encanterra
Kierland Golf Club
The Boulders Resort
Mirabel
Troon North Golf Club
Desert Mountain Golf Club (Chiricahua Course)
Grayhawk Golf Club
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
TPC Scottsdale
Best Pro Sports Team
WINNER: Arizona Rattlers
Phoenix Coyotes
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Cardinals
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Roadrunners
Best Public Golf Course
WINNER: TPC Scottsdale
Grayhawk Golf Club
Troon North Golf Club
Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Best Sporting Event
WINNER: Waste Management Open (Phoenix Open)
NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway- November
Fiesta Bowl
Insight Bowl
NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway- April
Kobalt Tools 500
Best Sports Venue
WINNER: Jobing.com Arena
Chase Field
University of Phoenix Stadium
US Airways Arena
Sun Devil Stadium
Wells Fargo Arena
Best Spring Training Field
WINNER: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick
Camelback Ranch
Scottsdale Stadium
Surprise Stadium
Hohokam Park
Peoria Sports Complex
Goodyear Park
Maryvale Stadium
Tempe Diablo Stadium
Phoenix Municipal Stadium
Best Arizona Cardinals Player
WINNER: Larry Fitzgerald
Patrick Peterson
Beanie Wells
Calais Campbell
John Skelton
Michael Floyd
Favorite Arizona Coach
WINNER: Dave Tippett-Coyotes
Kevin Guy-Rattlers
Ken Whisenhunt – Cardinals
Todd Graham-ASU Football
Tim Esmay- ASU Baseball
Alvin Gentry – Suns
Kirk Gibson – Diamondbacks
Clint Myers-ASU Softball
Corey Gaines- Mercury
Favorite Arizona Diamondbacks Player
WINNER: Aaron Hill
Paul Goldschmidt
Miguel Montero
Justin Upton
Gerardo Parra
Daniel Hudson
Chris Young
Ian Kennedy
J.J. Putz
Favorite Arizona Rattlers Player
WINNER: Nick Davila
Marcus Pittman
Virgil Gray
Odie Armstrong
Arkeith Brown
Chris Carter
Favorite Female Arizona College Athlete
WINNER: Macey Gardner- ASU Volleyball
Dallas Escobedo- ASU Softball
Elizabeth Caporuscio-ASU Softball
Guilia Molinar- ASU Golf
Carlota Ciganda- ASU Golf
Macy Bricks- ASU Cross Country
Favorite Female Golfer
WINNER: Paige Mackenzie
Cristie Kerr
Grace Park
Amanda Blumenherst
Cheyenne Woods
Favorite Male Arizona College Athlete
WINNER: Brandon Magee-ASU Football
Trevor Williams-ASU Baseball
Levi Cooper- ASU Wrestling
Brady Rodgers- ASU Baseball
Max Rossiter-ASU Baseball
Favorite Male Golfer
WINNER: Phil Mickelson
Bubba Watson
Aaron Baddeley
Todd Dempsey
Tom Lehman
Andrew Magee
Billy Mayfair
Aaron Oberholser
Joey Snyder III
Ricky Barnes
Hale Irwin
Favorite Phoenix Coyotes Player
WINNER: Shane Doan
Keith Yandle
Mike Smith
Martin Hanzal
Radim Vrbata
Lauri Korpikoski
Penny Taylor
Diana Taurasi
Alexis Hornbuckle
Candice Dupree
Samantha Prahalis
Nakia Sanford
Krystal Thomas
DeWanna Bonner
Briana Gilbreath
Alexis Gray-Lawson
Charde Houston
Dymond Simon
Avery Warley
Favorite Phoenix Suns Player
WINNER: Grant Hill
Jared Dudley
Goran Dragic
Shannon Brown
Marcin Gortat
Channing Frye
Louis Scola
Most Challenging Golf Course
WINNER: The Gold Course at Wigwam Golf Club & Spa
North Course at The Boulders Resort
The Golf Club Scottsdale
Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Pinnacle at Troon North
Desert Highlands
Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club
Stadium Course at TPC
Most Philanthropic Athlete
WINNER: Kurt Warner, First Things First
Larry Fitzgerald, First Down Fund
Channing Frye, The Frye Family Foundation
Kevin Kolb, Pass it 4ward Foundation
Calais Campbell, CRC Foundation
These are the winners of Best Of Our Valley 2013 in the Sports category – the best of the best in Arizona. The winner each category this year will be featured in the March 2013 issue, a tell-all guide to the coolest people and places in the Valley of the Sun, as chosen by its residents. The winner with the most total votes will be featured on the cover of Arizona Foothills Magazine’ s Best Of issue (but we aren’t telling who won the cover just yet!). All those who won this year can download their 2013 Winners logos here.
To nominate a business, person or item for the 2014 contest, e-mail bestof@azfoothills.com by September 1, 2013.
