
Southern Dunes Course
Southern Dunes Golf Club
About this course
Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona, is a testament to desert golf's enduring allure, carving a challenging but fair layout from the starkly beautiful landscape south of Phoenix. This course, designed in the modern era, presents a rugged beauty; wide fairways encourage aggressive drives, but strategically placed bunkers and undulating greens demand a thoughtful approach, rewarding strategic play over brute force. Architect Schmidt-Curley masterfully integrated the course with its surroundings, using the natural washes and native vegetation to frame each hole. The course lacks any notable tournaments or national prominence, but its design provides a stern yet enjoyable test for golfers of all skill levels with a fair challenge to all levels of players. Southern Dunes' appeal lies in its ability to capture the spirit of the Arizona desert, offering a memorable golf experience amidst a landscape that defines the Southwest.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in AZ
Quick facts
- Location
- Maricopa, AZ, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 2002
- Holes
- 18
- Designer(s)
- Lee Schmidt, Brian Curley
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,546 yards
- Difficulty
- 76.4/142
- Course Vaults score
- 8.0
Getting there
Southern Dunes Golf Club sits in the high desert landscape south of Phoenix, most easily reached via Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), roughly ninety minutes south by car through the gradual transition from urban sprawl into the raw, open terrain of Maricopa County. The drive itself becomes the prelude to arrival - a steady southbound journey that sheds the metropolitan periphery and opens onto vast, undulating desert vistas punctuated by saguaro and creosote, the air growing cleaner and the horizon wider with each mile. For those with access to private aviation, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) offers a closer alternative, cutting both flight time and ground transfer considerably. The final stretch into Southern Dunes carries you deeper into the Sonoran Desert's sculptural topography, where the club's championship layout emerges as a masterwork of routing through native terrain - a destination that rewards the journey with unobstructed views and the profound quiet of the Arizona high country.

FAQ
Common questions about Southern Dunes
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Southern Dunes has a Course Vaults score of 8.0 out of 10 based on 141 logged golfers.
Southern Dunes was designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley.
Yes. Southern Dunes is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Southern Dunes is 72.
Southern Dunes plays 7,546 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Southern Dunes is 142.






