Arizona AG Kris Mayes Tees Off on Golf: ‘Too Many Courses’ in the Desert

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is learning the hard way that telling a desert state full of golfers and winter tourists that it has “way, way too much grass” and “probably… too many golf courses” is a political hazard. 

In a late-October interview with Politico’s Zack Colman focused on water, data centers, and the Colorado River, the Democratic AG seeking re-election volunteered that the golf industry “is not going to like this” before declaring Arizona has too many courses.

The clip, amplified by Brian Anderson, went viral and left her in a political sand trap just days before the November election. 

YIKES: @KrisMayes pledges to get rid of golf courses if re-elected:

"We have way, way too much grass in Arizona. We probably frankly — and I'm sure the golf industry is not going to like this when I say this — we probably have too many golf courses in Arizona right now." #AZAG pic.twitter.com/MjrQfFxUuu

— Brian Anderson (@AZBrianAnderson) October 27, 2026

Mayes framed the comment as part of a broader conservation pitch—tax incentives to swap out lawns, more rainwater catchment, and a harder line on foreign mega-farms and data centers. She named no specific course for closure and offered no regulatory mechanism. That distinction did not keep the ball on the fairway.

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, her Republican opponent for attorney general, responded bluntly on X: “Kris Mayes is promising to get rid of golf courses. I promise to get rid of Kris Mayes. Save golf.” He later told Fox News Digital, “Kris Mayes thinks Arizona has too many golf courses. I think Arizona has too many radical politicians who believe government should dictate which industries get to thrive.”  Petersen argued the industry supports jobs, tourism, small businesses, and communities across the state. 

U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) added his own line: “We don’t have a golf course problem in Arizona. We have a dumocrat problem in Arizona.”

Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive Courtney Coolidge highlighted a widely cited industry study: roughly $6 billion in annual economic impact, about 66,000 jobs, $2.3 billion in wages, and more than $500 million in tax revenue, while accounting for only about 2% of the state’s daily water use. Much of that irrigation already relies on reclaimed wastewater, particularly in the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas.

Arizona's Golf Industry:
📈 $6 BILLION economic impact
⛳️ 66K JOBS
💰 $2.3B in WAGES
💲520M in tax revenue

💧All while using LESS THAN 2% of water statewide https://t.co/ENhZcTLWTv

— Courtney Coolidge (@CourtCoolidge) October 27, 2026

 Mayes later tried to recover from the rough. In a post quoting Petersen, she wrote: “Relax, nobody’s closing golf courses. ⛳ My point is we need incentives to help all Arizonans and major industries swap thirsty grass and catch rainwater, especially if our water situation gets worse— while I take on the foreign mega-farms and data centers draining our water. My opponent is making up false claims.”

Local reporter Brahm Resnik gave her a mulligan, noting that Mayes used the phrase “golf courses” only once in the full interview, and that questioning whether a drought-stressed state has an optimal number of courses is not inherently radical. The gallery shot back. Many pointed out that Arizona’s golf economy is a major driver of winter tourism, that tee times remain scarce and expensive in the Phoenix metro, and that the industry has already adapted with reduced turf, precision irrigation, and non-potable water sources for decades.

Maye’s campaign bogey arrives as Arizona continues wrestling with Colorado River allocations, growth pressures from data centers, and an AG race in which Petersen has made Mayes’ progressive record a central issue. 

Whether the comments were a poorly phrased aside about conservation incentives or a revealing glimpse of regulatory priorities is now a campaign argument. Arizona voters (and golfers) will decide which interpretation matters on November 3.