Play the Desert Canyon Golf Club on Your Arizona Golf Vacation

But you came to Desert Canyon for the challenge. The John Allen design's signature is elevation change. Built into the foothills of the mountains on the east side of the Valley of the Sun, Desert Canyon puts many of its greens and tees on a pedestal, literally, giving players dynamic vistas that threaten to distract them from the task at hand, navigating the numerous doglegs through valleys and arroyos to the fairly flat, but often elevated greens. Yes, there are a few blind shots and forced carries, but at 6415-yards from the blue tees, 6045 from the whites, this is not going to be a course that will punish you with its distance.

Now for the fun of playing it. One of the trademarks of playing Desert Canyon is lining up by using the mountains in the distance. First Tee? Take aim at Red Mountain on the horizon and you'll find the fairway on this tantalizingly short dogleg left. Number Two? Target the Four Peaks (a bit easier since there are four of them) and you'll be in fine position to attack this slight dogleg right. At #3, Red Mountain is still the target, just from a different angle. Both front-nine par-5s (the third and fifth holes) are on the short side, but are both uphill. By now you've learned the lesson of Desert Canyon, when in doubt, use the bigger stick on the many uphill approach shots, or play one more club altogether and you'll likely find yourself closer to the pins.
The sixth hole is the longest par-4 at Desert Canyon, and rated the toughest hole on the course. Nearly 425 yards from the tips, it's all uphill, with out-of-bounds right and a fairway that doglegs to the left between the elevated tee and green.
Desert Canyon's signature hole is the picturesque par-3 seventh. It's not so much the 144-154 yard length of the shot, it's the 150-foot drop from tee to green that makes the hole so unforgettable. Hit one less club here and you'll at least avoid much of the trouble in front and beside the steeply-pitched green. You might even watch the ball descend within birdie distance. Birdies aren't the only thing you should keep your eye on at the seventh. Among the rabbits, lizards and other abundant wildlife at Desert Canyon is a family of javelinas (wild pig-like animals) that live in the desert near the seventh green. They're not aggressive, just curious like most golf fans!

The smart play at the dogleg-right ninth is a long iron or wood to the expansive fairway at the bottom of the hill, setting up an uphill approach to the par-4. The decision on the tee box at the ninth might give you the confidence to "go for it"� on the hole course general manager Karl Boettcher calls his favorite, #12. It is listed at 403 yards from the tips, but it is actually almost drivable if you can cut the corner of the 90-degree dogleg left with a smash in the 260-270 range (make it 270 to be safe) over desert terrain, to an elevated green. Daring because if you miss short, or left, it'll be time to reload. But are you playing for a score, or for a story to tell for years to come?

The 15th, 16th and 17th holes (two par-4s and a par-3) might be the only relatively flat ones on the entire layout, setting up the grand finale 18th, one more uphill, dogleg right with a tree blocking you from cutting off too much of the corner.

We haven't even mentioned the fountain. The 560-foot geyser that identifies Fountain Hills to the world is back up and spraying, most every hour, and is visible from many points on the course.
You've returned to the beautiful clubhouse that not only sports a fully-stocked pro shop with all the latest brand name equipment and apparel, but also locker and shower facilities and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Steakhouse at Desert Canyon is the only fine-dining steakhouse in Fountain Hills, making an afternoon round (when course traffic is lighter anyway) followed by dinner with a view of the Verde Valley and the Four Peaks a very smart play.

Almost as smart as the Desert Canyon Club Card. For full-time residents, and even those just visiting the Valley seasonally, the Club Card offers the lowest possible prices on golf, discounts on pro shop merchandise and range balls. The card even rewards frequent players with free rounds.

PGA professional Dave Hosey offers clinics and individual lessons. Desert Canyon's price structure, catering options and user-friendly layout make it a popular choice for small and large group outings. Desert Canyon is also a featured course in many area hotel packages, or you can make your own Phoenix-area golf package including Desert Canyon at golfersguidetravel.com.