Desert Canyon Golf Club

Fountain Hill’s Fun Favorite!

We all remember so fondly and so vividly our first car. It might not have been brand new, might not have had all the fancy options of the newest models we’d later aspire to, but it was also more fun and was host to more good times than any car we ever owned. You remember it, don’t you? Like it was yesterday. Desert Canyon Golf Club, the first golf course built in Fountain Hills back in 1971, has tha  same feel. Friendly, very functional, a whole lot of fun, and just 25 minutes from downtown Scottsdale.

Recently, Desert Canyon added 150 yards in distance to push the new championship tees back to nearly 6,500 yards, multiplying the diversity of shot options on this par- 71 design that has mountain-style characteristics, yet with the great natural vegetation indigenous to this area of the desert. Not only is  Desert Canyon “golferfriendly” between its many elevated tees and greens, it’s also very user-friendly to area residents and visitors (especially first-timers) as the most affordable course in the area.

But you came to Desert Canyon for the challenge. The John Allen design’s signature is elevation change. Built into the foothills of the mountains on the east side of the Valley of the Sun, Desert Canyon puts many of its greens and tees on a pedestal, literally, giving players dynamic vistas that threaten to distract them from the task at hand, navigating the numerous doglegs through valleys and arroyo  to the fairly flat, but often elevated greens. Yes, there are a few blind shots and forced carries, but at 6,489-yards from the black tees, and 6,171 from the blues, this is not going to be a course that will punish you with its distance.

You’ll also hardly ever see a “Cart Paths Only” sign as the drainage at Desert Canyon is exceptional. With that easy access to your ball, there’s no reason not to play on a 4:15-or-better pace, something the folks at Desert Canyon strive for every day. Something else you’re likely to notice early on that the newer courses in the area just don’t have: mature vegetation. The cottonwood and mesquite trees and flowering bushes that inhabit Desert Canyon are the result of 36 years of growth, and care, from an environmentally sensitive staff of groundskeepers.

Now for the fun of playing it. One of the trademarks of playing Desert Canyon is lining up by using the mountains in the distance. First Tee? Take aim at Red Mountain on the horizon and you’ll find the fairway on this tantalizingly short dogleg left. Number Two? Target the Four Peaks (a bit easier since there are four of them) and you’ll be in fine position to attack this slight dogleg right. At #3, Red Mountain is still the target, just from a different angle. Both front-nine par-5s (the third and fifth holes) are on the short side, but are bot  uphill. By now you’ve learned the lesson of Desert Canyon, when in doubt, use the bigger stick on the many uphill approach shots, or play one more club altogether and you’ll likely find yourself closer to the pins.

The sixth hole is the longest par-4 at Desert Canyon, and rated the toughest hole on the course. Nearly 425 yards from the tips, it’s all uphill, with out-of-bounds right and a fairway that doglegs to the left between the elevated tee and green.

Desert Canyon’s signature hole is the picturesque par-3 seventh. It’s not so much the 144-154 yard length of the shot, it’s the 150-foot drop from tee to green that makes the hole so unforgettable. Hit one less club here and you’ll at least avoid much of the trouble in front and beside the steeply-pitched green. You might even watch the ball descend within birdie distance. Birdies aren’t the only thing you should keep your eye on at the seventh. Among the rabbits, lizards and other abundant wildlife at Desert Canyon is a family of javelinas (wild piglike animals) that live in the desert near the seventh green. They’re not aggressive, just curious like most golf fans!

The smart play at the dogleg-right ninth is a long iron or wood to the expansive fairway at the bottom of the hill, setting up an uphill approach to the par-4. The decision on the tee box at the ninth might give you the confidence to “go for it” on the hole course general manager Karl Boettcher calls his favorite, #12. It is listed at 403 yards from the tips, but it is actually almost drivable if you can cut the corner of the 90-degree dogleg left with a smash in the 260-270 range (make it 270 to be safe) over desert terrain, to an elevated green. Daring because if you miss short, or left, it’ll be time to reload. But are you playing for a score, or for a story to tell for years to come?

The 15th, 16th and 17th holes (two par-4s and a par-3) might be the only relatively flat ones on the entire layout, setting up the grand finale 18th, one more uphill, dogleg right with a tree blocking you from cutting off too much of the corner.

We haven’t even mentioned the fountain. The 560-foot geyser that identifies Fountain Hills to the world is back up and spraying, most every hour, and is visible from many points on the course.

You’ve returned to the beautiful clubhouse that not only sports a fully-stocked pro shop with all the latest brand name equipment and apparel, but also locker and shower facilities and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Steakhouse at Desert Canyon is the only fine-dining steakhouse in Fountain Hills, making an afternoon round (when course traffic is lighter anyway) followed by dinne  with a view of the Verde Valley and the Four Peaks a very smart play.

Almost as smart as the Desert Canyon Club Card. For full-time residents, and even those just visiting the Valley seasonally, the Club Card offers the lowest possible prices on golf, discounts on pro shop merchandise and range balls. The card even rewards frequent players with free rounds.

Head Professional Ozzie Strand offers clinics and individual lessons. Desert Canyon’s price structure, catering options and user-friendly layout make it a popular choice for small and large group outings. Desert Canyon is also a featured course in many area hotel packages  or you can make your own Phoenix-area golf package including Desert Canyon at golfersguidetravel.com.

A handful of other great courses have sprung up in Fountain Hills in the last decade, yet Desert Canyon invites you to find out why it continues to be voted as the Best Public Golf Course in Fountain Hills for three consecutive years. For prime beef, prime views and prime golf, contact Desert Canyon at (480) 837-1173 or visit online at www.desertcanyongolf.com.