Desert Highlands Golf Club

Desert Highlands Golf Club, opened in 1984, represents Jack Nicklaus's first signature design in the Scottsdale area and helped establish the template for high-end desert golf in Arizona. The course occupies elevated terrain in north Scottsdale with views across the Sonoran Desert landscape toward Pinnacle Peak. Nicklaus routed the layout to work with the natural desert washes and rock outcroppings rather than impose traditional parkland aesthetics on the arid setting, an approach that influenced subsequent desert course design in the region. The routing moves through varied elevation changes, with several holes playing along ridgelines and others descending into natural arroyos. The design incorporates native saguaro cacti, palo verde trees, and desert vegetation as both visual elements and strategic hazards. Fairways are defined corridors through the desert floor, and greens feature the contouring and bunkering characteristic of Nicklaus's work from this period. The par-three sixth hole plays downhill with desert carry to a green set against rock formations, while the closing stretch includes approach shots that require precision to elevated or angled green complexes. Desert Highlands operates as a private club and was among the first developments to demonstrate the viability of luxury golf real estate in Scottsdale's high desert. The club helped attract other prominent architects and developers to the area during the 1980s and 1990s, contributing to Scottsdale's emergence as a major golf destination.