DESERT MOUNTAIN, A GOLF OASISBy John Companiotte

With six Jack Nicklaus golf course designs and No. 7, a championship par-54 golf course, Desert Mountain is far more than a shimmering mirage on the horizon. The community beautifully dominates the landscape, as well as the hills surrounding the community, and provides an experience that is un-equaled. The six Jack Nicklaus golf course designs the allotment might be considered a museum of con-temporary links creativity.

Golf isn’t the only amenity: guests and residents enjoy access to a newly-remodeled spa, tennis courts on three surfaces, and ten restaurants at six award-winning clubhouses. Encompassing 8,000 acres, Desert Mountain offers 20 miles of private hiking trails, mountain biking, horseback riding, and luxury camping.

Renegrade course, #10

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In the past year, the club has added a new short course and renovated its original course Renegade, in a manner that truly

makes it fit for any level of golfer. To prepare for this extravaganza of golf layouts, the property has a learning center that can assist beginners all the way to the pro level.

“We’re able to give the best golfers all the challenge they can handle, but also develop people who haven’t played before and grow the game,” says Desert Mountain’s Director of Golf, John Lyberger. “Think of it as an 8-step process: From the performance center, onto our new short course, and then onto our six big courses. Eight steps to grow the game, steps other communities just don’t offer.”

The Jim Flick Performance Center, opened in 2012 and named after one of golf ’s legendary instructors, who spent more than 18 years at Desert Mountain, is 6,500 square feet devoted to teaching golf ’s key elements, swing, fitness, the mental game, and club fitting. Equipped with the latest technology and a dedicated staff, the center can introduce someone to the game while making even the most experienced golfer better.

The recently-renovated Renegade Course was the first of the six Jack Nicklaus Signature courses on property. When Nicklaus laid out Renegade back in 1987, he pushed the limits of golf design by building two greens on every hole, along with a selection of tees, saying that depending on the choices made it could be either the easiest or hardest course in the country. Over three decades, Renegade has remained the most-played course with Desert Mountain members, but almost never played at its most difficult. So, when time came to modernize the design and upgrade the maintenance, the Nicklaus Design team, led by architect Chris Cochran, took the concept of “player’s choice” to its extremes, creating a Renegade that truly lives up to its name.

Apache Clubhouse, and hole #2

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From the longest tees and to the harder green, Renegade is more than a match for the most skilled golfer. But from one of the forward tees and to the proper green, others can eliminate any carry over desert, looking at wide, lush fairways and welcoming approach shots that continue the new golfer’s learning curve. Options galore also make Renegade ideally suited to seniors, juniors, women, and anyone else looking for inviting rather than intimidating.

“It can be played from 4,500 to 8,000 yards,” says Shawn Emerson, Desert Mountain’s Director of Agronomy. “A par four can go from 350 to 550 yards. You can probably play from the same total distance every day, but it’ll be a different course. There are holes that if you play to one green it’s a dogleg left, but to the other green it’s a dogleg right. We tried to make a course that could be your very first, where the professionals could play, and as you get older you can move around. It was built for a lifetime of golf.”

The Renegade renovation is the first part of a long-term Nicklaus-created master plan for Desert Mountain. The Cochise course is next up, with work scheduled to begin in 2022, and then Outlaw. No details yet, but everyone will watch to see how Renegade is received. “We want to continue offering a balance between the best players and new players,” says Lyberger. “Our mission to our members is to offer variety, great golf, and the best recreational opportunities.”

The reputation of Desert Mountain Club as one the finest private golf and recreational communities in the world extends far beyond its seven golf courses.

The Seven Desert Mountain neighborhood offers distinctly different home designs by three select luxury builders: Cullum Homes, Camelot Homes and Family Development. Each home incorporates the highest level of craftsmanship, energy-efficient building methods, and “smart home” technology. All but three of the homesites sit directly on the engaging new championship Par-54 Championship golf course.

Apache Course, #2

Outlaw Course, #1

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Limited to 190 residences, Seven Desert Mountain offers a variety of lifestyle choices. Ranging from 2,300-to 6,500-square-foot residences, structural options include single-story and two-story floor plans, two to four bedrooms, and 2.5 to 4.5 baths. Prices range from the low $1 million to $3 million.

A 24-hour guarded-gate community, Seven Desert Mountain offers homeowners a selection of features including spacious, “19th Hole” basement entertainment zones (with movie theater, collector car showrooms, golf simulators, generous wet bars, lavish gourmet kitchens or private elevators).

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) awarded the Seven Desert Mountain clubhouse with the 2019 Best in America Living Platinum Award for best community facility. The state-of-the-art, 8,900-square-foot clubhouse is a stunning sculpture of steel, stone, masonry, and pocketing glass, set against a high-desert backdrop. The clubhouse has heated patio floors, 40-foot cantilevered hemlock overhangs with evaporative cooling, indoor-outdoor gastropub and bar areas, five fire pits, two fireplaces, and two bocce courts.

“These design features, such as the radiant patio heating and overhead misters, extend the Arizona shoulder seasons so our members may enjoy the clubhouse and golf course nearly year-round,” said Bill Brownlee of The M3 Companies LLC, the pro-ject’s developer.

Hefty stone tablets for the structure were constructed using locally-sourced field stone and antique-style grout, exposing aggregates within and providing an aged-in-place sense to the modernist building. To create a complementary material hier-archy and with the goal of appearing layered rather than modular, masonry head joints were brushed and bed joints were tooled. Interior designer Ownby Design specified warmly hued concrete floors, rich wood paneling, zinc countertops, and leather-wrapped handsets.

There’s change in the air at Desert Mountain, where an increase in new members and real estate sales is showing a definite youth movement. Last November, Desert Mountain surpassed its all-time record for custom-home sales volume, nearing $200 million.  In the past six months, the community has welcomed 90 new members, with 85% of membership sales tied to home purchases and a record number of homes under construction. With more than 500 members being under the age of 55 a next generation is being attracted to “The Mountain.” Visit www.desertmountain.com for more information and membership details.

Outlaw Course, #17

Chicirahua Course, #14

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