Desert Highlands Gc
Private10040 E Happy Valley Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA
Tap a hole for its details · gold dots = bunkers, blue = water · the Wind and Elevation buttons color each hole by today’s wind and by climb · OpenStreetMap
The lay of the land.
How the course above sets up: its routing, character, and what to expect.
Desert Highlands Gc is an 18-hole golf course in Scottsdale, AZ, playing 3,878–7,105 yards from 11 sets of tees (slope 108–149, course rating up to 73.7).
It's a hilly walk, roughly 344 feet of total climb over 18 holes.
Expect 7 bunkers; the front nine plays tougher.
The word on the course.
How golfers talk about it, summarized from public reviews. Their opinions, not our scoring.
Nicklaus’s first Arizona desert course and often called his best, praised for dramatic terrain, engaging risk-reward decisions and relatively forgiving fairways for a target-style layout. The elevated opening tee with Pinnacle Peak views is a signature moment.
Consistently praised
- More playable than typical target golf, with relatively forgiving fairways.
- Dramatic elevated opening hole, Pinnacle Peak vistas and impeccable conditioning.
Worth knowing
- Still target-style desert golf where wayward shots find trouble; extremely exclusive access.
Golfers recommend
- Take in the valley view from the first tee, then commit to your lines.
- Course management beats raw aggression here.
Tee fit & expected score.
Set your handicap for the right tees, a realistic score, and the holes where you'll get a stroke.
Play the Player tees, 6288 yds (or Gentlemen)
How to play it
- Card-wreckers at #3, #8, #14. Bogey is fine here; don't compound mistakes.
Tagged scorecard.
Per-hole tags for hazards, length, and scoring chances from your selected tee.
| Hole | Par | Yds | SI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1• | 4 | 350 | 13 | |
| 2• | 5 | 580 | 9 | |
| 3•• | 4 | 450 | 1 | Long 4Tough |
| 4• | 3 | 205 | 17 | Long 3 |
| 5• | 4 | 419 | 5 | |
| 6• | 4 | 428 | 11 | |
| 7• | 3 | 188 | 15 | |
| 8•• | 4 | 444 | 3 | Long 4Tough |
| 9• | 5 | 564 | 7 | |
| Out | 36 | 3628 | ||
| 10• | 4 | 406 | 8 | |
| 11• | 5 | 563 | 4 | |
| 12• | 3 | 173 | 16 | |
| 13• | 4 | 394 | 10 | |
| 14•• | 4 | 418 | 2 | Tough |
| 15• | 3 | 144 | 18 | |
| 16• | 3 | 242 | 12 | Long 3 |
| 17• | 5 | 574 | 6 | |
| 18• | 5 | 563 | 14 | |
| In | 36 | 3477 | ||
All tees & ratings
| Tee | Yards | Rating | Slope | Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicklaus | 7105 | 73.7 | 149 | 72 |
| Highlands | 6957 | 73.1 | 145 | 72 |
| Palmer | 6737 | 72.1 | 142 | 72 |
| Member | 6512 | 71.1 | 135 | 72 |
| Player(F) Palmer(B) | 6509 | 70.9 | 136 | 72 |
| Player | 6288 | 70.3 | 131 | 72 |
| Gentlemen | 5981 | 68.9 | 127 | 72 |
| Watson | 5772 | 67.8 | 125 | 72 |
| Red | 5387 | 66 | 122 | 72 |
| Green | 5008 | 64.2 | 119 | 72 |
| Short Course | 3878 | 60.5 | 108 | 72 |
Conditions & terrain.
Today's wind by hole, the climbs and drops, and a seven-day playability outlook.
Wind today
Climbs & drops
Tee→green elevation change, estimated from terrain.
7-day outlook
Best window this week: Fri 07-10 · 68/100
Where the trouble is.
Sand and water by hole, plotted from OpenStreetMap.
Most bunkered: #3 (4).
Frequently asked.
- How long is Desert Highlands Gc?
- Desert Highlands Gc plays 3,878–7,105 yards across 11 sets of tees, to a par of 72 from the back tees.
- How difficult is Desert Highlands Gc?
- Its slope rating ranges 108–149, with a course rating up to 73.7. The front nine plays tougher.
- Which tees should I play at Desert Highlands Gc?
- A mid-handicap golfer (around 15) best fits the Player tees at 6,288 yards. Match your own driver distance or handicap with the tee selector on this page.
- Is Desert Highlands Gc walkable?
- It's a hilly walk, with roughly 344 feet of total elevation change over 18 holes.
- How many bunkers does Desert Highlands Gc have?
- Desert Highlands Gc has 7 bunkers.
Nearby & similar.
Other courses within reach, and the closest matches by difficulty and length.