Scottsdale, Arizona: What a difference two decades make. Twenty years ago the lush land that was to become Desert Mountain stood as 8,000 untouched acres in the dramatic Sonoran Desert in north Scottsdale.

Then, it was an extraordinary piece of earth. Today, two decades later, it is arguably more spectacular. Widely recognized as the finest residential golf community in the world, Desert Mountain stands today as testament to a grand vision, a dedicated development team, a legendary golf course designer, and proof that the finer things in life improve with age.

It has received over 80 awards in every conceivable category, including the recent honor by Golf Magazine Living as “Best Golf Community in America”; the prestigious “Diamond Community Award” from Luxury Golf & Travel Magazine; and the highest award from Urban Land Institute, the “ULI Award of Excellence.”

“I look back with pride on what has evolved to be one of the greatest communities in the world, where cherished experiences in designing the six golf courses with Jack was the start of a lifelong friendship.” — Lyle Anderson

“After 20 years, Desert Mountain will always be recognized as one of the greatest golf clubs in the world and it remains one of the highlights in my career as a golf course designer.” — Jack Nicklaus

The Birth Of A World-Class Community
“Few have had the good fortune to have helped create what would ultimately become such a truly one-of-a-kind place that generations of families to come will call home,” says Lyle Anderson, who has partnered with Crescent Real Estate Equities Company in the development of this unique community.
 
It was Anderson who first had the vision to turn this inspiring stretch of desert land into a world-class community and later joined with Jack Nicklaus and the Crescent team to bring it to reality.

With a strong vision, inspired planning and a talented like-minded team, this diamond in the desert was born.

Simply The Best Golf In The World
“What makes Desert Mountain so special is that there’s nothing like it in the world,” says Robert E. Jones, senior vice president of operations. “We have taken the single greatest name in golf—Jack Nicklaus—and assembled in one place six of his Championship Signature golf courses.”

The Chiricahua Clubhouse, featuring Constantino’s authentic Italian restaurant, sits poised above the 18th green.

Nicklaus himself said just recently, “I don’t think there’s a better golf complex in the world.”

Back when he first came on board with Lyle Anderson and his vision for this special property, Nicklaus said, “It’s been a great relationship. They’ve wanted to do so many innovative things not only with the golf courses, to make them all different and exciting to play, but also with ingenious ways to preserve and enhance the desert. In all my design career, I’ve never had such a challenging and unlimited opportunity.”

The collection of Nicklaus courses has come to define championship desert golf. All six are recognized in Golfweek’s “Best” golf course list in 2007.

Most of us became familiar with the courses during the 13 years the Champions Tour event, The Tradition, was held there beginning in 1989. The likes of Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, and Watson graced the grounds as The Tradition grew into a major on the senior circuit. 

“I just couldn’t believe I played golf in 70 degree weather for three days right after Christmas. I went home and said to Becky: “Honey, pack your clothes....” — James Gardner

A Foundation Of Strength Behind every great community is a strong development team with the foresight and the economic clout to get the job done. That holds doubly true for this community that is being developed by Crescent Real Estate Equities Company, and The Lyle Anderson Company. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Crescent is one of the largest publicly held real estate trusts in the nation. Led by co-founder John C. Goff, Crescent owns and manages a portfolio of 73 premier office buildings across the United States. Crescent has also invested in resort-residential developments, destination resorts, and the wellness lifestyle leader, Canyon Ranch. Crescent is also actively developing several projects including The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. Lyle Anderson’s group of companies has developed other premier golf communities including Hokuli’a in Hawaii, Las Campanas in New Mexico, and Loch Lomond in Scotland.

One Club With A World Of Options
Remarkably, if you took the golf out of Desert Mountain, you would still have one of the finest private communities in the world.

There are six distinctive, award-winning clubhouses on the property that go hand-in-hand with the golf courses. Each of these clubhouses is home to “destination dining,” serving up choices from authentic Mexican fare to American classics. For instance, members can enjoy Sardinian cuisine at Constantino’s in the Chiricahua clubhouse or a delicious steak at the Apache Steakhouse.

“It’s unique that you can belong to one club and have so many dining options,” says Brian O’Neill, vice president of sales and marketing.

Among the state-of-the-art amenities, the Sonoran Fitness Center and Spa features the latest exercise and cardio equipment and upscale spa services.
 
With over 300 days of sunshine a year, tennis aficionados can enjoy play at the world-class tennis facility nearly every day. It’s the only place in Arizona where you’ll find a stadium grass court that gives rise to the facility’s nickname, the “Wimbledon of the West.” There are five Har-Tru clay courts and three hard composition courts as well.

So many families with children have made this desert destination home that there’s a complete calendar of events for youngsters. From junior golf to the Kids Activity Center to hiking and biking on over nine miles of trails, there’s a full menu of family-friendly fun.

Homes For Every Lifestyle
Desert Mountain didn’t happen overnight. Over the years, the club has matured into a proven, successful community of nearly 1,500 homes.

Homebuyers can find a wide range of options here, from world-renowned architects, builders and designers, be it an adobe hideaway, a Tuscan estate, or a soft contemporary masterpiece. Homes can be found from $800,000 to over $10 million.

In Search Of The Perfect Home
James and Rebecca Gardner, semi-retired private homebuilders and summer residents of Lake Tahoe, visited a number of residential golf communities along the West Coast searching for a place to live and play in the winter.

“A good friend of ours invited me to come to Desert Mountain to play golf,” says Jim. “I just couldn’t believe we played golf in 70-degree weather for three days right after Christmas. I was completely sold.”

Golf wasn’t the only reason the Gardners chose Desert Mountain.
 
“A number of things attracted us,” says Jim. “We thought building a house here would be one of the best investments we could make. Then there’s the quality of the golf courses, clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, walking trails, exercise programs, restaurants—everything here is top of the line.”

“We looked at a lot of homesites,” adds Rebecca, “and bought one that gave us a great view of the valley, the sunset, and city lights. Getting that phone call inviting Jim to play golf at Desert Mountain was not only fortuitous but indeed fortunate for us.”

What was fortuitous for the Gardners has been experienced by thousands of families over the past 20 years. And promises to be for generations to come.