Desert Highlands – the original home of The Skins Game and acclaimed luxury golf club and community in the stunning Sonoran Desert of North Scottsdale – officially re-opens its Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course following a substantial restoration project.
Led by Nicklaus Design Senior Designer Chad Goetz, the restoration project represents one of the most ambitious and rewarding undertakings in Desert Highlands’ illustrious history. Nicklaus Design collaborated with Heritage Links and the Desert Highlands Golf Course Maintenance team, led by Director of Agronomy Cody Horstman, on the nearly $10 million restoration project, which included six major components: design enhancements to several holes, greens reconstruction, tee reconstruction, bunker reconstruction, desert de- and re-vegetation, and restoration of the turf found on the tees, fairways and rough.
Every element - from the tees, fairways and greens to the bunkers and approaches - was upgraded for playability for all members and the long-term health of the golf course:
• Tees: Every teeing surface was enlarged to the fullest extent within the same footprint and re-sodded with new turf. Most tee boxes were also lowered, with the notable exception of those at No. 13, which were raised to help improve the visibility of the landing areas.
• Fairways: The fairways were aggressively conditioned to remove organic matter, and the soil make-up was improved through top dressing and fairway fraise-mowing. The mounds lining the fairways were also reconditioned at a capable level based on the slopes.
• Greens: Perhaps the largest part of the restoration project, all 18 putting surfaces on the golf course were shaped, sodded with 007 XL Creeping Bentgrass, and seeded. In addition, the greens’ cores (internal drainage components, gravel and engineered growing medium) were excavated and replaced, and the green elevations were reset and adjusted to the surrounding moguls and bowls. On average, each green was enlarged by about 500-600 square feet.
• Bunkers: The bunker shapes and elevations were all reclaimed and reset appropriately. Rather than enlarging bunkers, many were actually reduced in size to reduce maintenance and enhance playability. Each bunker on the course was excavated, and the sub-surface drainage and erosion / contamination liners were replaced. In addition, the bunker floors were lined with Flexxscape, and Caltega bunker sand was used to fill each hazard. The look of the bunkers was also enhanced. Most of the bunkering was originally an extension of the desert landscape; now, those bunkers that touched the desert are enclosed with turf. This helped to create a more natural transition to the desert and ease maintenance.
“Desert Highlands is both a classic and timeless golf course that continues to be one of the best in the country,” Goetz says. “We were very careful to maintain the spirit and preserve as much of the original design as possible while updating the golf course for the members today.
“We tried to design the course for all skill levels. Desert Highlands can be a very difficult course for high-handicap players, so we tried to implement small adjustments to improve playability for them. Yet, we didn’t want to take away the challenge for better players.”
Perhaps the most visually striking change on the golf course occurred in the desert areas, as all the overgrown obstacles that blocked the intended line of sights were removed. Dying or decayed plant material was also removed, and several trees were relocated to other parts of the community so that new and less intrusive vegetation could be planted.
“Over time the course had become overgrown, blocking views of key elements of the holes as well as long-range views,’ Goetz adds. “So many great views were restored - that was one of the most notable results of the project.”
Other design enhancements throughout the golf course included:
• The re-creation of the eighth green complex to allow better viewing of the putting surface from the landing area. The green was rotated more perpendicular to the line of play and sloped more from back to front to open the views. The mounding was brought closer to the right and back of the green to allow some shots to bounce onto the putting surface.
• New tee boxes on the 10th hole to move players away from the back of the range.
• The elimination of a high ridge blinding the alternate fairway on No. 13. This now creates a slightly longer carry and riskier drivable par-4.
• An additional back tee was built on the finishing hole, and a few saguaros were relocated.
“We are thrilled at the end result of this extensive golf course restoration project,” says General Manager Desi Speh. “This milestone marks the culmination of literally years of work and dedication from many past and current members, and many dedicated members of our management team, Nicklaus Design and especially Cody Horstman and his team. This golf course restoration project also represents Desert Highlands’ continued vision of providing world-class amenities to our current members and future generations who will call this club and community home.”
“Desert Highlands has a long history as one of the top golf clubs in the Southwest, and the opportunity to restore and revitalize this exceptional golf course is one we were honored to take on," adds Paul Stringer, President of Nicklaus Design. “This majestic golf course, with the history of hosting the first Skins Game in 1983, put desert golf on the map and established Scottsdale / Phoenix as one of the premiere destinations in the world. We're thankful for Desi and the leadership team at Desert Highlands for trusting us with their golf course, and we're proud of what we've all accomplished with this project."
Desert Highlands’ famed putting course - the first one built in the U.S. and second putting course in the world - remains under construction. Like the greens on the championship course, the putting course was rebuilt to modern standards, with new drainage and irrigation systems installed. Several trees that surrounded the putting course were removed, and TifEagle Bermuda was sodded in early October. An opening date for the putting course has yet to be determined.
Desert Highlands’ energetic lifestyle consistently draws discerning and active members – from tennis and pickleball enthusiasts to golfers, pet lovers, and health and wellness enthusiasts. A full social calendar allows residents to fully enjoy this peaceful community. Desert Highlands finished 11th in Platinum Clubs of America’s Top-50 Golf Clubs in the U.S. rankings, and 54th in their world rankings.
In addition to the golf course restoration project, Desert Highlands completed a $2.5 million modernization of its golf shop and women’s locker room. The golf shop will have a redesigned layout, expanded entrance and a relocated retail counter, while the women’s locker room will offer brighter finishes, a refreshed card lounge, upgraded vanity and wet areas, and a new self-serve comfort station featuring snack drawers, grab-and-go lunch offerings, wine on tap and a Pour-My-Beer tap system.
The club also recently updated its clubhouse and racquet club lounge. Set against awe-inspiring views of Pinnacle Peak and the unspoiled desert, Jack’s Backyard features numerous lounge areas, patio tables, cushioned fireside seating and two Bocce courts.
The breathtaking desert views also were enhanced at Ventana, Desert Highlands’ elevated dining experience, by incorporating large windows and open floor plans. The club’s 7,700-square foot fitness center offers cutting-edge MATRIX equipment and design enhancements to several areas including the main floor and locker rooms.
Inside, the community provides residents peace of mind with a state-of-the-art security system, professionally trained security personnel, visitor control and access, and other protection amenities. Among the acclaimed residential services that truly pamper residents and meet their specific needs – shipping and transportation assistance, pool and spa maintenance, home inspections and other customized services.
For more information: www.deserthighlandsscottsdale.com.
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