Scottsdale at Its Best: May 2026

May has been a good month to be a Scottsdalian. From a high school diamond to the global dining stage, the city collected some headlines worth celebrating.

Sabercats Clinch Another 4A Baseball Crown

Saguaro High School’s baseball program claimed the 4A state championship on May 18 at Tempe Diablo Stadium, defeating ALA-Gilbert North 11-4 to seal the title. Under head coach Gerald Laird, the Sabercats have built one of Arizona’s most decorated prep programs; the 2026 crown adds another chapter to a tradition that includes multiple state titles across multiple sports. For a school rooted in the Scottsdale Unified District, the run reinforces what the city’s athletic culture can produce when community and program invest in each other.

COURSE Earns a Spot Among the World’s Best Cocktail Programs

Photo Credit: Experience Scottsdale

COURSE restaurant was awarded an Excellent PIN from The Pinnacle Guide, a global recognition system for the world’s finest cocktail bars, placing it among just 30 venues worldwide alongside celebrated names in Paris, London, Hong Kong, Rome, Chicago, and New York City. What makes the recognition especially notable is that COURSE is not a cocktail bar; it is a fine dining restaurant whose beverage program has evolved into one of the most inventive in the country. The distinction is a reminder that Scottsdale’s culinary identity now competes on a genuinely global stage.

HonorHealth: A Best Place to Work in Arizona

AZ Big Media’s annual ranking named HonorHealth among Arizona’s 100 Best Places to Work and Live for 2026, determined strictly through public voting. More than that, it ranked first amongst the state’s health care facilities in this poll. The Scottsdale-based nonprofit healthcare system encompasses nine affiliated hospitals, more than 30 primary care offices, and 24 urgent care locations across the greater Phoenix area. Landing on that list signals the kind of workplace culture that retains clinical talent in a competitive labor market: a win for HonorHealth employees and for the broader community they serve.

Camelot Homes Takes Top Honors at the 2026 MAME Awards

The Edge at Joy Ranch, a gated North Scottsdale community by Camelot Homes, was named both Community of the Year and Home of the Year at the 2026 MAME Awards, presented by the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona. The dual victory marked back-to-back wins in both categories for 2025 and 2026, an achievement rarely seen in the industry. Set against the Sonoran Desert north of Pinnacle Peak, the 52-homesite enclave blends contemporary architecture with expansive lots and indoor-outdoor living aimed at the luxury market.

Month after month, Scottsdale demonstrates that it is not merely a place to live: it is a city that leads; in athletics, in hospitality, in healthcare, and in the quality of the homes it builds.