Welcome to Desert Mountain

For over 39 years, Desert Mountain has built a global reputation for excellence. Located in northeast Scottsdale, Arizona, our community rises to 4,300 feet, offering stunning views of cactus-studded mountains, valleys, and brightly colored sunsets. This unique setting has drawn members from 47 states and seven countries.

Our golf courses have had the honor of hosting some of the best from around the globe. In 1987, it started with Golf Digest naming our original Renegade course “the most versatile course in the world.” From 1989 to 2001, our Cochise course hosted The Tradition, a PGA TOUR Champions’ major featuring legends like Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino. The Charles Schwab Cup Championship was held here from 2012-2016, highlighting top golfers like Tom Lehman and Fred Couples.

Desert Mountain has also played a major role in amateur golf. The Club has hosted the esteemed Southwestern Amateur for 12 consecutive years, recently completing its 110^th edition. Looking ahead, we’ve partnered with the USGA to host the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2026 and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in 2029.

Our Members enjoy their own notable annual tournaments, including Mountain Mania – the nation’s largest private club men’s Member/Guest event – attracting over 750 participants annually and having celebrated its 35^th tournament in May 2025. Other popular tournaments like Mountain Magic, with over 200 female participants, and Dos Amigos and Dos Amigas, each celebrated their 30^th editions this past year.

Beyond golf, Members enjoy The Ranch and Trails, with over 25 miles of private hiking trails bordering Tonto National Forest. Our trails were recognized with an American Trails Developer Award, and was honored as a “Quiet Conservation Area” by Quiet Parks International in 2023. It’s one of just 31 global locations to be assessed and meet the criteria for this distinction.

Desert Mountain Members share common values: a passion for nature, adventure, and community connection, best reflected in their dedication to philanthropic endeavors and service.

Leading these efforts is CARE (Cancer Awareness Through Research and Education), a Club endeavor entirely staffed by Member volunteers. Now in its 28th year, CARE has successfully raised over $10 million, distributed annually to HonorHealth and the Mayo Clinic, all for the purpose of innovative cancer research projects and treatment initiatives that help save lives.

In the community, our Members and Teammates volunteer their time with OCJ Kids, an Arizona-based nonprofit that takes care of children and youth in the foster care system, helping to equip them with the resources they need to succeed.

Our Members also support veterans and first responders through the Tee it Up for the Troops golf tournament. The most recent event set records with 135 golfers participating and over $225,000 raised to assist wounded veterans, active-duty service members, and their families.

Desert Mountain also prioritizes internal Club support. Our Community Foundation’s Helping Hands program offers emergency financial assistance to Club employees and families in need. Additionally, over the past decade, over 200 educational scholarships totaling over $660,000 have supported recipients pursuing college degrees or professional development. As well, Members also lend their time through “Talent for Talent”, our mentorship program that matches Desert Mountain Members who are accomplished business professionals with select Desert Mountain Club and HOA employees, and scholarship recipients, in order to facilitate their career goals.

Desert Mountain now has over 1,000 Members and immediate family under age 55. With our growing younger population, the philanthropic spirit is poised to reach new levels of success in the future.

Desert Mountain offers Members an exceptional lifestyle across 8,300 acres of preserved natural beauty, featuring seven golf courses, six of which are Jack Nicklaus signature courses. Each course has its own clubhouse with fully stocked golf shops, exceptional dining, and scenic outdoor cocktail spaces. Our newest clubhouse at Renegade was awarded second place as Clubhouse of the Year in 2024 by Golf Inc.

Golfers can enhance their skills at the 6,500-square-foot Jim Flick Golf Performance Center, equipped with cutting-edge technology for instruction, fittings, and practice. Members can also demo and purchase the latest clubs and equipment from golf’s top brands.

Our expansive 42,000-square-foot Sonoran Clubhouse serves as the community hub for fitness, wellness, and recreation. It boasts eight pickleball courts and eight additional clay and hard tennis courts, a Wimbledon-style grass tennis court, bocce courts, two heated swimming pools, a golf croquet lawn, a playground and center for youth activities, and a luxurious full-service spa and salon.

Our outdoor enthusiast Members enjoy over 3,000 acres of private hiking and biking trails guided by our proprietary Interactive Trail Guide, a user-friendly touchscreen located at trailheads. Members can also be taken on private hikes, guided by our own team of outdoor experts.

Exclusive to Members and employees is the onsite HonorHealth Medical Clinic, open five days a week and staffed by a full-time doctor and medical team offering comprehensive medical services and testing on property.

Culinary excellence awaits at our 10 diverse onsite restaurants and grills, ranging from casual eateries to elegant dining experiences. French Master Chef Bertrand Bouquin, formerly the head chef at two five-star, five-diamond establishments, provides exceptional cuisine paired with extensive wine selections, innovative cocktails, and breathtaking desert and mountain views.

Guided by Desert Mountain Club CEO Damon DiOrio, CCM, CCE, Desert Mountain has shown a consistent commitment to attracting the most talented employees, with deep national and international experience.

In the Golf operation, we feature 22 Class A PGA professionals and nine apprentices — the most at a single club in the country. We also have Paxton O’Connor, Director of Instruction, who Golf Digest recently selected as recipient of “Best Young Teachers in America” honors for the fifth time.

Service levels are elevated across Desert Mountain thanks to more than 850 dedicated employees who excel at their role. In validation of our efforts, Desert Mountain has earned a “Great Place to Work Certification” from the Great Place to Work® organization, a global authority on workplace culture, for four years in a row. The Members themselves have recognized the exceptional standards as recent surveys showed 98% of our Membership rated staff professionalism with 4-5 stars, and 97% said they were acknowledged by name in key areas.

Our Talent & Culture department routinely elevates these standards with monthly leadership development trainings that cover areas such as recruiting and interviewing, time management, forming good habits, and name recognition. Ongoing, professional development opportunities are offered year-round for every staff Member to enjoy. As well, the department hosts quarterly employee lunches that recognize teammates who exemplify our core values through our Heart-Led Leader and Peak Performer Awards.

As we approach our 4th decade, Desert Mountain has focused on identifying what makes our Club special and how we can preserve it for future generations. Recently, we introduced our Capital Investment Long-Range Facilities Plan, aimed at right-sizing, restoring, and revitalizing clubhouses, golf courses, and the overall Member experience. This plan includes creating larger event spaces, adding more outdoor dining opportunities, and expanding parking and bag drop areas to ease congestion from our growing Membership. We have held multiple Member input and engagement sessions that has provided us with valuable feedback to help fine-tune our decisions.

An early highlight of the plan was the restoration of Cochise Golf Course, completed in September 2024. This year-long project involved installing a modern irrigation system, upgrading pump stations, and improving bunker drainage while faithfully preserving Jack Nicklaus’s original design. Members have praised the refreshed course, and it earned national acclaim from Sports Illustrated as the Best Modern Private Course Restoration. In September 2025, we will begin another year-long process of restoring our Geronimo Golf Course to its original championship design. The Club has invested over $140 million in restoring golf courses, clubhouses, and employee areas all in cash without the need for debt or Member assessment.

Recognizing our place within the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, sustainability remains a priority. We actively participate in Scottsdale, Arizona’s RWDS (Recycled Water Distribution System), minimizing impacts on groundwater resources. Advanced strategies like targeted watering and Evapo-Transpiration (ET) equipment precisely manage grass hydration, reducing unnecessary water use.

Other sustainability achievements include:

• Installation of 155 solar panels generating 110 kilowatts, saving approximately $25,000 annually.

• Saving over 258,000 gallons of water and reducing electricity use by 30% through efficient laundry equipment.

• Diverting over 50,000 pounds of materials from landfills in 2024.

• Recycling over 100 pounds of beauty waste from our spa and wellness center.

As a Member-owned Club, our Board of Directors is a strategic leadership body that has delegated all operating procedures to our CEO and Senior Management team. We have an independent nominating process for the Board service and uncontested board elections.

Operating committees such as Golf and Agronomy, and House report directly to the GM/CEO to avoid the potential issue of having the Board micromanage functions to which it should hold the GM accountable. This approach has had a direct impact on the level of success achieved.

The Club is in an extremely strong fiscal position and ended 2024 with a cash balance of $22.6 million. In 2024, we invested $24.1 million in capital improvements to enhance facilities and our Member experiences. This included opening the brand-new Renegade Clubhouse, restoring our Cochise Golf Course and Golf Practice Facility, our expanded dog park, two new additional pickleball courts, and expanded parking areas. For our staff, we have invested over $7 million restoring Agronomy team centers, kitchens, and other behind-the-scenes areas of our Club so they have newly restored facilities of their own to deliver world-class service.

All these projects were paid for in cash, without any Member assessments. This significant capital investment is warranted to elevate our world-class facilities even further.

Desert Mountain starts with an enviable, spectacular setting amid cactus-studded desert, towering mountains, and the twinkling city lights below on the valley floor. The Club’s heart and soul, however, are the like-minded Members who hail from 47 states and seven countries, but who also share values in family fun, outdoor activities, personal well-being, and charitable causes. Altogether, 97% of Members have rated their overall Club satisfaction with 4-5 stars.

Our incomparable staff further enhances the day-to-day experience, and our forward-thinking management team has clear-eyed plans for our future — and the financing to see it through. Added together, these are the elements that coalesce harmoniously in our quest to fulfill our vision — to be the finest private club and community for golf and recreational lifestyle activities in North America.