I'll start by saying I'm a 4 handicap, played from the tips. I was excited to play this course as it looked fun and challenging. Definitely a course you need to play a couple times to know where to hit it with multiple blind shots or tight dog legs. Not worth the $380. Greens were good for me however they appeared to be in rough condition as I did play in mid February. Mixed conditions throughout the course. Some areas were unplayable and others were great. I won't be back, there's plenty of good AZ golf.

The Boulders is as scenic as golf gets. Huge granite boulders rise above the fairways, creating a backdrop that makes every hole memorable. Both the North and South courses offer distinct challenges, with desert terrain that blends seamlessly into the natural landscape. The conditions are excellent, and the service is top-notch. Playing here feels more like an experience than just a round of golf—it’s equal parts challenging, relaxing, and awe-inspiring. Even if your game isn’t at its best, the views alone make it worth the trip.

Playing there first time a couple years ago in January. Despite a bit overcast weather, we enjoyed the layout & the view around the Boulders. For sure will play this course again next visit to arizona.

Played Boulders South Golf Course and had the most enjoyable round. The course is challenging but forgiving. The course was in good condition but the greens were a bit disappointing since it appears they were punched recently. The staff was friendly and the amenities were nice but aimed for resort guests more than golf guests. Would definitely play again.

ecently reopened after a period of renovation, the South Course has reemerged as one of Arizona’s premier golf experiences — and perhaps the best I’ve played yet in the state. From the first tee to the final putt, it’s clear that every detail of the restoration was executed with precision and respect for the game. The course conditions are nothing short of pristine. Fairways roll true, greens are pure and consistent, and the bunkering strikes that perfect balance between beauty and strategic bite. It’s a layout that rewards thoughtful play and punishes carelessness — exactly as a championship-caliber course should. You’ll pay a price for poor shots, but it always feels fair and well-earned. Service, too, matches the on-course excellence. Staff are attentive, professional, and genuinely welcoming — a hallmark of top-tier golf operations. The clubhouse, while comfortable and upscale, feels a touch dark and somewhat awkward in its layout. It’s a minor quibble in an otherwise first-rate experience. At a premium price point, the South Course delivers exceptional value. What you’re paying for is more than 18 holes — it’s a complete, elevated golf experience that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Arizona’s elite destinations. Final verdict: The South Course is back and better than ever. For serious golfers seeking a perfectly conditioned, fair, and memorable round, this is a must-play. Summary: Condition: Impeccable — best in Arizona right now Design: Demanding but fair; smart shot-making rewarded Service: Outstanding, attentive staff Clubhouse: Functional but could benefit from lighter design and improved flow Value: High-end pricing, but worth every dollar ⭐ Rating: 9.5 / 10 — A near-perfect Arizona golf experience

Played here on a GolfNow Tee time (Big Mistake). We had a 11:40 Tee Time on the South Course. No direction from the Pro Shop as to if we were paired etc, around our time we headed to the first tee box, wasnt a soul around so at our time we teed off. Things were great for the first eight holes (1 Hour 50 minutes, right on pace), ran into a couple other groups but things were moving along, that all changed. On 9 we rolled up as the group ahead of us (Foursome) was walking up to the Tee Box, on 10 there was a 2 Foursome wait, on 11 it was 3 groups, on 12 there was around 20-25 people waiting to tee off, this was now 3 hours 15 minutes total (around 1 hour 24 minutes to play 3 holes and losing pace FAST). We sat around for about 15 minutes on the 12th, our phones didn't work to call the pro shop and 1 group had cleared, another 4 some had shown up as well behind us to get in line). We had enough and called it, we drove ahead to the next tee box to see if maybe it was just one group, but that tee box had 2 on it, we circled and headed for the pro shop, it was now close to 3:30pm and found a group that had just teed off 18. I asked them what time their tee time was, they replied 10:00am..... Upon entering the proshop I was told there was no starter, no course marshall, but there were 3 guys sitting there waiting to clean clubs (efficient use of resources..). They knew it was slow but didn't do anything about it, told us they would have refunded us but it was a GN tee time so call them, of course GN works bankers hours and was closed. Thats when the fight began to try and get something back. GN said they would pro-rate it and give us like $50 bucks back on a $300.00 Tee time, I lost it with them and called the pro shop who said that wasnt at all the conversation they had with GN. I then got GN and Boulders on the line together and did end up with a refund after an hour of fighting. The ONLY reason this gets 3 stars and not 1 is that the Pro Shop backed up their mess and got things fixed (not without a fight unfortunately). Golf Course is very interesting, its too bad we didn't get to experience the whole thing, we might go back, but not without some assurances that we can finish before dark with a 6 hour to dark tee time.

One of my fav’s. I personally love the South Course. Great challenge, views, etc. Pricey but premium golf for sure!

Came here as part of my stay at Boulders Resort and was so disappointed. It kind of ruined the whole point of staying at a resort with a spa, honestly. My husband and I splurged $1k on two 90-minute massages and 50-minute body scrubs. The cost is already shocking — and then as I get called in for my massage, I realize the one request I made (for a female masseuse) wasn’t followed. I know a lot of people don’t mind that kind of stuff, but I was super stressed and uncomfortable the whole time. The masseuse himself was a total gentleman and nothing happened — but it’s just not something I’m personally comfortable with. And I didn’t want to make a scene in the moment and went to the front desk to mention this afterwards — and after much pressing, they offered 20% off just that service… that’s it. I spend a large chunk of my monthly salary for what should be a lovely relaxing morning with my husband — and instead it’s uncomfortable, disappointing, and pretty much just as expensive. I’d never come back. I honestly couldn’t wait to leave. And then the other general down sides: no one greeted us when we first came in or showed us around. Not much to see anyway: a pool no better than the one at the resort, a weird outdoor labyrinth that I can see why they didn’t show us, and a cafe with food just as bad as the rest of the resort.

I had an immaculate massage session with Celine! She hit the exact spots and I had so much relaxation. I came here with my husband and we got a couples massage. He enjoyed it very much as well!!! Highly recommended

I visited the Spa at the Boulders over the holidays and was very disappointed. Below are my detailed comments. If you are interested in visiting the Spa, know that I have no personal agenda and, in truth, really wanted to like it. The issues below made it impossible. 1. All equipment at the club is outdated. Machines and weights are decades old and plainly showing decay. Even the yoga mats are fraying from old age and shed onto the floor if used. 2. Properly functioning amenities are not prioritized. My wife and I visited the Spa for 2 whole weeks during Christmas and New Years - presumably some of the most popular times for Spa visitors. The sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi were ALL closed off and out-of-order for the entirety of our stay, with no discernable action being taken to get them back up and running. We inquired on numerous occasions when they'd be fixed, but we received no helpful response. 3. The gym layout is cramped and uncomfortable. If any more than 3 people try to lift weights at any one time, you are stepping on toes. The layout is not thoughtful and barely workable. My wife and I fortunately were only visiting the Spa and not staying at the Boulders. I feel deep frustration for the folks who spend so much on a room at the Boulders expecting a first-class Spa experience only to find worn-out equipment from the 90s, zero functioning amenities, and an exercise space roughly the size of a walk-in closet. The Boulders is an unbelievably beautiful property, but until management decides to invest in it, save yourself the expense and irritation and look elsewhere.

My wife had a deep tissue massage, but the experience fell far short of expectations. It was so disappointing she considered walking out halfway through. To make matters worse, the manager’s response to our concerns was underwhelming. For a resort known for its quality and reputation, this was a definite letdown.

Very clam peaceful space. People are self discipline, not going to make crazy noise, water sound at the lobby really setup a great vibe. Love the massage services, the staff really have the good technical skills to give me a good massage. A number of swimming pools to chill from, clean water, cold water beverages station all around. Nice and clean. The lockers are ample amount and clean. Highly recommend this place.

Definitely a disappointment. While the spa itself is beautiful and well thought out regarding design and comfort; the quality and price of the massages were lacking. It is quite expensive to book here but I went for it anyway. Biggest regret of my trip. We had a couples massage, mine was prenatal. Both of us felt as though the masseuse touch and pressure was entirely too light and no technique was used. The masseuse asked me where I felt discomfort or pain so that she could target it. I told her mostly my hips (as many pregnant women can attest to). When I say she did absolutely nothing… I mean nothing.. no prenatal massage techniques were used at all. I felt like I’d been touched with a feather. So weird for them to charge high prices for this level of service so I am guessing the cost is for the general ambiance.

Excellent spa, wonderful services. I love the boutique, spa pool with the waterfall and giant boulder piles, labyrinth and tipi. What an excellent experience.

Not really a “Botanical Garden”. More like a mini walking path and kids park. We were hoping for a larger garden as it advertised 4 acres, but we didn’t see that being true. It’s pet friendly with a few spots for dogs to do their business with pet cleanup bags. There’s a tiny kids playground, which is fine for probably 6-8 kids. There’s also a book nook for reading, plenty of spaces to sit down and relax while in the shopping center. The auditorium and stage next door did have some nice bluegrass music playing nearby, I think a speaker system that’s wired over to the play park area would be cool. Nothing much to see, but that’s my review. And yes, it’s free to enter lol.

Lovely area, pricey farmers market going on. Too hot to walk around for any length of time. Great landscape and statues and cacti.

Small but nice. Especially nice is the su dial with the time instruction. Day before Eastern Sunday, Care Free has beautiful weather and the desert is blooming. Nearby Spanish village is cute. Walked by the older building with antique shops which is a sharp contrast to the newer buildings and the architecture style of the botanical garden. Hope those old buildings will not be torn down so that the area showcases the evolution of Care Free.

Beautiful cactus gardens with many different varieties! The upkeep is impeccable and perfectly manicured. There is a designated dog friendly area and the also have a kids playground. Playground consists of slides, monkey bars, a small rock wall and jungle gym. This area is great to visit and there is plenty of awesome photo ops.

Lovely place for a stroll. Free botanical gardens with a large sundial. It is better in early to late morning when not a lot of people are there. They also have a great kids' park.

Great place to walk around. Beautiful walkways and water features.

Amazing farmer's/art market in Fridays. And the shops surrounding the address are great. Unique southwest and modern art asking with custom jewelry. It's about 60 miles from SE Mesa but I go up there about every other week.

Not really a “Botanical Garden”. More like a mini walking path and kids park. We were hoping for a larger garden as it advertised 4 acres, but we didn’t see that being true. It’s pet friendly with a few spots for dogs to do their business with pet cleanup bags. There’s a tiny kids playground, which is fine for probably 6-8 kids. There’s also a book nook for reading, plenty of spaces to sit down and relax while in the shopping center. The auditorium and stage next door did have some nice bluegrass music playing nearby, I think a speaker system that’s wired over to the play park area would be cool. Nothing much to see, but that’s my review. And yes, it’s free to enter lol.

Lovely area, pricey farmers market going on. Too hot to walk around for any length of time. Great landscape and statues and cacti.

Small but nice. Especially nice is the su dial with the time instruction. Day before Eastern Sunday, Care Free has beautiful weather and the desert is blooming. Nearby Spanish village is cute. Walked by the older building with antique shops which is a sharp contrast to the newer buildings and the architecture style of the botanical garden. Hope those old buildings will not be torn down so that the area showcases the evolution of Care Free.

Beautiful cactus gardens with many different varieties! The upkeep is impeccable and perfectly manicured. There is a designated dog friendly area and the also have a kids playground. Playground consists of slides, monkey bars, a small rock wall and jungle gym. This area is great to visit and there is plenty of awesome photo ops.

Lovely place for a stroll. Free botanical gardens with a large sundial. It is better in early to late morning when not a lot of people are there. They also have a great kids' park.

Great place to walk around. Beautiful walkways and water features.

Amazing farmer's/art market in Fridays. And the shops surrounding the address are great. Unique southwest and modern art asking with custom jewelry. It's about 60 miles from SE Mesa but I go up there about every other week.

Nice cigar lounge in the Carefree area! Good selection of sticks, full bar and plenty of seating! The service provided by Teshya made this a fantastic visit! Her hustle and attentiveness was top notch - probably the reason why folks keep coming back!!

Love this place - always a great experience! Good cigar selection, full bar, comfortable atmosphere, kind service. Great spot to kick back and enjoy yourself or some time with friends.

FYI, they are a full liquor establishment, not just cigars, beer and wine. Awesome atmosphere and the bartender doesn’t miss a thing. Great service.

The new lounge is beautiful. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. Larry is a gem! I highly recommend you give the place a try. Excellent array of cigars, my husband and I couldn’t be happier with the new and improved site. Well done!

The owner Larry was extremely pleasant to deal with. His staff was equally enjoyable to interact with!!

Have been to sticks now 4 or 5 times........always feel welcome. Great simple environment, with great people. The cigar selection is phenomenal and reasonably priced. Check it out, even if you don't have a cigar, they have great beer and wine selection.

Not only is this place an absolutely top-notch cigar lounge with a vast selection of cigars, it's also a great place to practice your golf game on their full-swing Foresight simulator. Play a round of golf on the sim, grab a cigar, and a beer. This place is great! The owner is a super nice guy, and very pleasant to chat with!

great frontline spa, restaurant, front desk and bar staff. Be darn sure you know exactly what you are getting and confirm it when you arrive and daily! Our all-inclusive group weekend was not all-inclusive after all. Some of our group were also double charged or charged the wrong amounts, or even for classes they didn’t attend. They were also prepaid yet they were charged the room rate each night as well. Make sure you keep all of your receipts and check your bill daily - some members of our group had errors on their bills. The room, pool, spa and grounds were excellent. The food was also good but adds up. The takeaway is that everybody is nice and helpful, the communication between different staff members is not clear, and from management to staff members as well. Also, our large group did not appreciate getting charged for bread when the first round of bread that came to our dinner table did not include even 1/2 piece for each of us. We were charged extra to get enough bread for everyone. If you enjoy snacks or energy bars, etc., bring your own which will save you some money…it all adds up. There is also a nice mini fridge in your room as well as a nice bottle of oat milk and pour over coffee packets to enjoy.

Have been trying to go here since Dec 2024...finally made it and loved it! Rented a car so that we could venture off property to enjoy local restaurants in addition to the on property choice. Rooms were very spacious, very quiet and full of great amenities - really loved having bathtub and looking out onto the spa side of the property. Two restaurants on property - one cafe which was great for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Could also order food while at the pool - which was also very good. The restaurant was great for dinner on site. Food was very good and service was great our second night because our server was so professional and went the extra mile getting us blankets to stay warm sitting outside. Best part of the hotel was the numerous classes they offered. All of the instructors were amazing from the stretch to more HIIT like classes to numerology. Highly recommend taking fitness classes from Jair and Mikayla...honestly my friends also raved about their instructors so I'm sure all of them are very good. If you are into wellness this is the place for you. The community feel was there, the variety of classes and very knowledgeable instructors! Can't wait to go back!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our stay at Civana Wellness Resort & Spa was absolutely wonderful! From start to finish, everything was thoughtfully designed to create a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. The food was incredible—healthy, flavorful, and beautifully presented. We loved that there were so many complimentary wellness classes each day, and the paid classes were well worth it, offering deeper, more personalized experiences. The Mala class was highlight as well as the sound baths. The Revive to Thrive spa treatment and facials were next-level amazing—so nurturing and restorative. We left feeling truly present, balanced, and zen. Civana is the perfect place to reset, recharge, and reconnect with yourself. We can’t wait to return! 🌿💆‍♀️✨

I bought the day pass as I am local. Staff is great, spa services very good and many relaxation areas not to mention stunning views due to this ideal location! Pools, aqua therapy and sauna are really nice! The place is a bit dated (it used to be Carefree Conference Center) but it still provides for a zen experience especially with such a fantastic location away from the city. Classes were full on great, this is an area where the resort truly shines (love the yoga outdoors)! What is causing my 4 star rating is the food situation. Seed is the small cafe /market on site. Unfortunately it is not an actual kitchen so everything is already prepackaged and squirreled away in a fridge only to be taken out once you order it. I wholeheartedly expected them to make my beautiful $18 kale salad fresh but in fact, it was already prepackaged in a small plastic container and very small with simply 3 ingredients Kale (eek, not even softened, so it was brittle and hard), pumpkin seeds, radishes. Hard to accept that price for maybe $2-$3 in actual ingredients. Overnight oats were $9 and was a small portion. I realize it is a resort but I expected better quality, larger portions and fresh made to order selections at the Cafe. I did not try the full service restaurant Terra, but while walking by, I did notice the portions were quite small and heard they were overpriced. My advice would be to take your own snacks and perhaps stop at Sptted Donkey (Mexican) on your way home). Staying on the topic of food, they offer water, chamomile tea and fruit, but the fruit was tasteless and the bananas overripe. I would strongly suggest they have some type of healthy crackers, snack mix or nuts in addition to the fruit. Overall, this is a lovely resort that has so much to offer if they could only improve on the food situation. You will see similar reviews, all pointing to the same area of weakness, which is around the food.

this was my third trip to civana and it somehow keeps getting better!! tia’s meditation and gratitude classes are my favorite and feel so grounding. in the past i’ve taken amazing classes like human design, numerology, and feng shui. also on this trip pattys chakra yoga felt more like a workshop and i was obsessed with it. aubrey’s breathwork literallllly felt life changing. janelle in the spa gave me the best ayurvedic massage i’ve ever had. everyone here is so kind and accommodating. the food is unreal too. the green smoothie and cauliflower tacos at the spa pool are my go-to every time. i can’t wait to come back again!!! i always come here solo and recommend this place to all my friends and family. tysm

My actual stay at Civana was pretty good. The resort delivered on its promise of a wellness experience; the facilities were serene, the atmosphere was conducive to relaxation, and I genuinely enjoyed the peace I found while I was there. This makes the subsequent experience with their billing department all the more disappointing. Unfortunately, the post-stay process has been an absolute nightmare. I was overcharged by a few hundred dollars and promptly contacted the resort to request a refund. What followed was a frustrating and confusing ordeal. Instead of issuing the necessary credit, the accounting team somehow managed to charge my card again, compounding the initial error. Dealing with Civana on the backend has been a profound disruption to the very peace I was supposed to leave with. It is highly ironic that a place dedicated to wellness and tranquility operates with such "funny" and incompetent monetary practices. The excessive effort and stress required to resolve a simple billing mistake has completely overshadowed the positive memories of the retreat itself. My mother, also experienced issues with additional charges be added to her stay. The lack of financial integrity and professionalism on the administrative side is a non-starter. Due to this experience, I will unfortunately not be returning. I am still waiting for this to be resolved as of 1:19 PM 11/21. Note that I checked out on 11/16.

When I first got to Civana on Friday night, I was disappointed. I was given a ground-floor room with absolutely no view. Knowing that I was there to write a book proposal and that I was looking for inspiration, it wasn't working. I went to bed thinking that I might cancel my stay all-together. But the next morning, I discovered what a gorgeous place this is. It's not too big, so it feels intimate. The spa is wonderful, and the landscape is breathtaking. But what makes this a truly special place is the staff. Every single interaction I got turned into a lovely conversation, and the class instructors are world-class. I will be back, and this time, I'll ask for a room with a view on the spa (and the mountains). :)

I'm a little biased, I personally know Holly and am saddened to see her sell her exquisite art gallery that she has owned and operated for 25 years. The Wild Holly Gallery has offered such a variety of art that the industry has to offer. From local to world renowned artist have had their art sell. Be sure to keep visiting because the next chapter for this building is set to add even more to Carefree AZ.

Spectacular pieces!!! Eye-catching and well thought out!

Interesting place, I was hired to set a mountain lion sculpture at the entrance of gallery.

Top of there game! Well run and always someone new. Great eye on what is art

Really nice gallery and owner!

Love this place

I love going to the artist events, especially when artist, Jennyfer Stratman is in town and showing her work!

This is a stunning gallery with exquisite art, not your typical run of the mill boring stuff. This is beautiful and tasteful as well as unique. Not inexpensive.

Very nice Gallery. The manager is knowledgeable and the art is varied. It was a delightful experience.

Wow!

We (Advanced Dentistry & implant Center) have been part of the Chamber for a few months now. This is such a rewarding group to be a part of and have in our community! Every member is so warm and welcoming, we feel like we've been a member for years. The Chamber is so involved in bettering our community and helping local businesses grow.

Time to PRAISE an Employee! Thank you, AVA! Every time we come in, we look for you because you know what to do to get our PIZZA ordered w/o any difficulty. Our favorite pizza is in the computer, we give you our phone number, & BRAVO, you find it. AND YOU DELIVER! Literally, YOU ALSO DELIVER THE PIZZA, LOL! Refreshing! You make our time there enjoyable and we are grateful for you. Ava has a Super People Focus, great humor, very task focused, and she delivers, effectively and efficiently! Keep up YOUR great work! And, thanks for keeping us loving the Delicious Barro's Special! We so Love it!Be back again soon! Maybe next time we will have my birthday party here! It is coming up soon in April! If your manager needs to talk to us, have he/she call...our number is in the computer, lol! Love ya, Kiddo!

Maybe this is unwarranted toward the Chamber, however.... I've been visiting here for years and (as someone who was raised in Scottsdale then moved to CA as an adult) decided to actually buy and move here. Then as my friend and I drove through Cave Creek we saw a Filibertos. WHAT? Really? Who okayed that revolting eye sore? Did someone say "we need some sleaze in this town? Or "let's have the local wart?" What's next? A string of Burger King's, Taco Bell's, and McDonalds'? Then a Hooter's for good measure, followed by a gazillion ugly cellphone towers (like the now sadly awful Scottsdale)? I was thinking these towns will maintain their "small town" appeal and remain upscale. Oops. I'm now rethinking if this is a good investment both financially and as a charming, peaceful place to put down my roots.

Great organization. Very friendly and active.