Desert Mountain: 8 Things to Know Right Now

For those who have been there, Desert Mountain is known as the original: the original slice of heaven in the high Sonoran Desert. But how does it maintain a high level of interest and excitement? It’s not just the higher elevation and cooler temps. Here are eight little nuggets of information that might compel you to join.

1. The most Jack Nicklaus-designed courses in the world. Hello? No other place in the entire world can boast six Jack Nicklaus Signature courses. What that means for members of Desert Mountain Golf Club is access to six courses for all levels of play. In fact, the Golden Bear and his team at the Nicklaus group – regarded as the world’s leading golf course design firms – recently visited Desert Mountain’s original Renegade course to wax nostalgic and address what could be enhancements to the course that could position Desert Mountain – what he describes as “the best golf complex in the world – as even more distinctive among its peers in the area.
2. A Director of Agronomy who is also a Hall of Famer. Desert Mountain’s Director of Agronomy, 25-year Desert Mountain veteran Shawn Emerson, takes his grass very seriously. Emerson surrounds himself with a prolific turf team of grass doctors (you read that right) – a dream team of turf grass consultants – to examine the turf regularly and keep the courses in pristine condition. Emerson was inducted into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame late last year.
3. A world-class golf training facility. There aren’t many places that can boast their own “Top Golf” in their back yard, but the Jim Flick Golf Performance Center at Desert Mountain is actually better than that. This incredible facility offers several bays overlooking the course and high-tech equipment that analyzes and dissects your golf game, with fitness pros who offer training advice and regimens to improve your performance. PGA Director of Instruction Rich Prange likes to remind club members that “what we’re all trying to achieve when swinging a golf club is CORRECT IMPACT. How we achieve this is of no consequence as long as it’s repetitive.” Need more advice than that? Join Desert Mountain and see how the Jim Flick Performance Center can ramp up your game.
4. An award-winning fitness and wellness clubhouse. Golf isn’t the only game at Desert Mountain….far from it. The award-winning 10-acre Sonoran Clubhouse serves as the hub of dozens of activities from Crossfit and Pilates to Croquet and Tennis (the grass and clay courts are known in the southwest tennis circuit as the “Wimbledon of the West”), and the most recent additions are six new pickle ball courts. The 42,000-sq.-ft. facility is also home to the Sonoran Spa, a respite that offers food for the soul. But why award-winning? Because the Sonoran, remodeled by PHX Architecture and built by Kitchell Custom Homes, was recognized with a Gold Nugget Award of Merit at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (the official show for the Leading Builders of America). The awards celebrate exceptional projects in design, planning and development.
5. The coolest kids camps in Arizona. Bet you didn’t know that Desert Mountain offers spring break and summer camps to members’ children and grandchildren? During the spring, children and grandchildren will enjoy five weeks of activities held at the Sonoran Clubhouse. Each week offers a new theme, new activities and entertainers. The Easter Bunny also plans a big visit with 4,000 eggs on the grass tennis courts.
6. A French chef who knows his stuff. There aren’t many people who can effectively manage nine unique restaurants and grills, but Desert Mountain’s very own legit French Chef Bertrand Bouquin does it seamlessly. Chef Bertrand came to Desert Mountain just last year, after serving as Executive Chef at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and winning accolades from Esquire Magazine and achieving the coveted AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star awards. He has honed his ability to craft distinctively different menus, which is why every one of the dining experiences at Desert Mountain’s six clubhouses is so unique, and every one special. And yes, he is from Burgundy, France, where he began his schooling and culinary apprenticeship.
7. A community that CAREs. The community at Desert Mountain is a tight-knit one, that believes in contributing to the place where they live, work and play. Twenty years ago a group of Desert Mountain members came together to create CARE (Cancer Awareness Research Education), and since that time, cancer research, detection and treatment has advanced by leaps and bounds and donors to CARE have been along for the ride. To date, CARE has contributed $6.3 million to Mayo Clinic and HonorHealth research efforts, playing a meaningful role in medical advancements.
8. More of Desert Mountain to love. Rumor has it (and the construction fences are a hint) that a new parcel of development is opening for prospective buyers. But if you’re in the market right now, luxury home tours of available homes take place every Thursday and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. –Sara Fleury