Desert Dunes occupies a distinctive site in Desert Hot Springs, north of Palm Springs in California's Coachella Valley. Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed the course in the mid-1980s on land characterized by natural sand dunes and desert terrain, creating a layout that works with the property's existing contours rather than imposing an artificial design on the landscape. The routing takes advantage of elevation changes and the sandy soil composition that gives the course its name. The design reflects Jones's approach to desert golf during this era, incorporating native vegetation and maintaining sight lines to the surrounding mountains. The course features wide fairways that accommodate the desert wind conditions common to the area, with strategic bunkering that emphasizes position over pure distance. Several holes play through corridors of natural dunes, while others occupy more open desert floor, creating variety in both visual character and playing strategy. Desert Dunes operates as a public facility, making Jones's design accessible to daily-fee players in a region known primarily for private club golf. The course serves both local residents and visitors to the Desert Hot Springs area, which sits at a slightly higher elevation than neighboring Palm Springs. The layout provides a contrast to the more heavily landscaped resort courses found elsewhere in the valley, maintaining a rawer desert aesthetic that emphasizes the natural landforms Jones encountered on the property.