First of all, I have not played the Phoenix area so I will let someone else describe them for you. Second, I am bias because I'm from the SF Bay. I would come to Northern California and stay in the East Bay or South Bay.
Courses worth checking out:
1. De La Veaga Park, Santa Cruz - Course is about an hour from the Bay Area but a *must* play if you are a disc golf enthusiast. Many diverse holes, makes you use just about every shot in your bag.
2. Stafford Lake, Novato - Long course, lots of elevation changes, epic scenery, and wild life.
3. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco- Course is overrated but definitely worth checking out. Upheld well, sometimes backed up, but a cool spot.
4. Hellyer Park/ La Raza Park, San Jose - Two courses located right next to eachother. I learned in Santa Cruz and ended up moving next to these courses for a couple years, lots of friendly people there and fairly easy to navigate.
There are more courses in the area, but those are the ones I would try to go to if I had the time. If you want to drive further up North, there are a bunch of good ones. If you end up coming this way and need someone to show you a park, feel free to shoot me a PM~