While the world of golf is often associated with parkland and links courses, desert golf remains an overlooked yet captivating aspect of the game. Courses set in natural desert landscapes offer a distinctive golfing experience, characterized by unique challenges and beautiful, rugged terrain. Despite their often-hidden status in discussions about golf course types, desert golf courses provide a dynamic alternative for enthusiasts seeking something different from the more commonly recognized courses.
What Makes Desert Golf Unique?
Desert golf courses are built in naturally arid environments, which means they cannot rely on the lush greenery or tall trees typical of parkland courses. The harsh conditions, including limited rainfall and extreme temperatures, dictate the design and upkeep of these courses. Unlike the sprawling, tree-lined fairways of traditional courses such as Augusta National, desert courses are often devoid of dense tree cover, with most of the landscape characterized by wide open spaces and rugged, natural elements.
One of the key differences between desert golf and other types of courses lies in the grass. While most golf courses feature abundant grass across fairways, greens, and roughs, desert golf courses tend to have grass only in specific areas. Typically, grass is found only on the tee boxes, fairways, and greens, with roughs often replaced by dry, hard-packed earth or desert vegetation. You won’t find any bentgrass greens here. Any desert course with grass in the rough is considered an exception, as it requires additional resources and care to maintain this rare feature. This lack of grass in the rough can lead to challenging lies for golfers, making recovery shots especially difficult.
The dryness of the rough areas, often mixed with patches of hard-packed earth and rocky surfaces, creates a formidable challenge. Golfers are forced to deal with uncomfortable lies that can drastically impact their ability to execute shots, making the desert landscape one of the more unforgiving terrains for even the most experienced players.
Climate and Features of Desert Golf
Desert courses are not only known for their dry ground but also for their hot, arid climate. With extreme temperatures and dry air, playing on these courses presents unique challenges related to both the environment and the physical demands on golfers. The desert features that define these courses, including sand dunes, rocky outcrops, and open stretches of desert terrain, can significantly impact play.
Sand dunes are particularly notable on many desert courses, where they serve as natural obstacles that can replace traditional fairway bunkers. These dunes, which are a hallmark of desert landscapes, can cause trouble for golfers who stray too far from the fairway. If a ball lands in a sand dune, it often leads to a difficult recovery, with players needing both skill and patience to navigate these challenging features. Moreover, the wind can be unpredictable in desert environments, adding yet another layer of difficulty to each round.
Desert courses also make use of the stunning natural backdrop, with some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery in the world framing the fairways. With stark mountain ranges, colorful desert flora, and expansive skies, desert golf offers not just a challenging game but an unparalleled visual experience.
Famous Desert Golf Courses
Several desert golf courses have become renowned in the golfing world, with some even playing host to professional tournaments. The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale is arguably the most famous desert course, hosting the annual Waste Management Phoenix Open, where iconic moments in PGA Tour history have unfolded. This course combines stunning desert views with a challenging layout, making it a must-play for avid golfers.
Other notable desert courses include Coral Canyon Golf Course, with its scenic views and strategic design, and the Lakes Course at Primm Valley Golf Club, which offers a blend of desert and lakeside challenges. These courses have become important destinations for golfers looking to experience the unique aspects of desert golf firsthand. Those looking to build a golf course in arid environments can learn from these legendary challenges.
And if you’re playing at a private golf course, you’ll want to look the part. Here’s a video that discusses proper expectations before you play a round at once of these exclusive clubs.
Our resident golf pro shares his advice on playing at a private course (desert, links, or parkland).
Where Are Desert Golf Courses?
Desert golf courses are primarily found in the Middle East and the southwestern United States. While other regions of the world may have a course or two built in desert environments, the majority of famous desert courses are concentrated in these areas. The combination of suitable land, climate, and growing interest in golf makes the southwest United States and the Middle East ideal locations for desert golf.
In the United States, the best states for desert golf include Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Southern California. These areas boast not only an abundance of desert courses but also a welcoming climate for golfers year-round. The warm, dry conditions make desert golf courses particularly appealing during the colder months when other courses around the country may be closed due to weather.
Parkland Golf vs. Desert Golf
When comparing desert golf courses to parkland courses, the differences are immediately apparent. Parkland courses, known for their lush greenery, tree-lined fairways, and often temperate climates, offer a more traditional golfing experience. The courses are typically designed with plenty of trees, grass, and little wind, providing golfers with a more familiar and serene environment.
In contrast, desert golf courses lack the lush vegetation and tend to feature wide open spaces, rocky outcroppings, and minimal tree cover. The desert wind, which can vary greatly depending on the course’s location, is also a constant challenge. The absence of trees means that desert golf courses often rely on other natural features to create obstacles, such as sand dunes, cacti, and rocky areas.
Links Golf vs. Desert Golf
While links courses and desert courses share some similarities in their wide open layouts, the two types of courses are very different in both location and design. Links golf courses, often found along coastlines in places like the UK and Ireland, are defined by rolling terrain, undulating hills, and a variety of grasses. These courses are exposed to ocean winds and require golfers to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of the weather.
Desert courses, by contrast, are built in arid climates, typically far removed from coastlines, and feature much more static conditions. The challenges of desert golf are less about adapting to weather and more about navigating the rugged, dry terrain. While links courses rely on natural elements like the sea breeze and the undulating land, desert courses focus on the dryness, the occasional wind, and the unique landscape features of the desert itself.
Desert golf courses provide a thrilling and unique challenge for players who are willing to embrace the heat, the dry air, and the rugged landscape. With their striking visual appeal, challenging terrain, and distinctive features like sand dunes and dry, rocky roughs, desert courses offer a truly different experience from parkland and links courses. Whether in the southwestern United States or the Middle East, desert golf courses are a testament to the adaptability of the game and the beauty of the desert landscape. For golfers looking to break away from the norm and take on something truly unique, desert golf is a must-try adventure that will test both skill and patience.