The Apache course and clubhouse make everyone feel at home

Desert Mountain Club has certainly won its share of honors and awards since being established in 1986. The private Club and luxury residential community with seven distinct golf courses and Clubhouses spread across more than 8,300 acres in Scottsdale, Arizona, has earned honors for its outstanding golf courses, restaurants and hospitality from a number of publications and websites. 

The accolade that may speak loudest about Desert Mountain, however, comes from the Phoenix Business Journal, which has named the Club one of the “Best Places to Work and Healthiest Employers” in the Valley of the Sun. While the Club is certainly known for hosting golf tournaments, fundraising events and providing a recreational and social outlet for more than 2,000 homeowners in its community, Desert Mountain has also become a leader in training and development for golf industry professionals. 

We’re exploring the wide range of benefits that Desert Mountain employees and their families enjoy in this ongoing series, highlighting their personal and professional development, as well as the wide range of benefits that help them experience physical, emotional and mental wellbeing at work and at home.

This month, we’re focusing on Apache, one of Desert Mountain’s most forgiving and playable golf courses, with an inviting and elegant Clubhouse to match.

 Over the past couple of years, Apache has hosted the most rounds of any golf course on property,” says Aaron Johnson, Apache’s PGA Head Professional for the past three years. “It’s a very good golf course that gives Members a challenging but fair test without a lot of forced carries – everything is right there in front of you.

The playability of Apache is no doubt part of its appeal to the many new and returning golfers Johnson has seen at the course during the golf boom of the past two years. He says the golf operation at Apache has adapted to new and younger Members by offering more walking-friendly options, like push carts and transportation beyond traditional golf cars. 

For Johnson, the appeal of being part of the Desert Mountain team of PGA Professionals has to do with teamwork and the chance to work with – and learn from – a large staff of experts in the game and business of golf. 

“I feel very fortunate to be part of a big team with other PGA Professionals that support you, and a Membership that supports you, as we tackle everyday operations along with very large events,” Johnson says. “Like our Mountain Mania event – our men’s Member-guest held every April – that’s 520 players over three days at three different courses. Everyone on staff gets a chance to participate and help out. It’s a great example of how you get to know Members from across the country and PGA Professionals on the team from different courses at Desert Mountain that you can learn from and improve your own skills.” Being part of the Desert Mountain team also means being able to give something back to the industry while helping groom the next generation of golf industry leaders. Apache Superintendent Marc Snyder has been with Desert Mountain for 13 years, the last four at Apache, where he’s overseen the course’s conversion to all rye grass to maintain optimal conditioning through all four seasons. 

After graduating from Michigan State University, Snyder headed to the Southwest, where he worked at golf facilities that have hosted more than a dozen tour events. Now he’s working to pass along some of his knowledge through Desert Mountain’s internship program. 

“We have a 10-week internship program geared toward building the next generation in the golf industry – not just agronomy, but golf operation, food & beverage, hospitality and more,” Snyder says. “We introduce the interns to every element of the Club. So maybe you come here in agronomy, but you’re going to spend time in the executive offices, sales, engineering, everything. That gives you an awareness of how all the departments work together, and might give a college student an opportunity to pursue a career avenue you didn’t know about before. 

The program has really taken off, and we’re going to continue it to give college kids a glimpse of what they could do with their careers – wherever you go, you’ll take Desert Mountain with you.

Of course, Desert Mountain’s culture is also ideal for teammates planning to stay at the club for the long term. That’s the plan for Apache Clubhouse Manager Jim Paulson, who came to the club in 2020 after working for other high-end private Clubs. He says Desert Mountain’s culture of focusing on the health and wellbeing of its employees makes it a leader in the private Club world. 

“The benefits offered to employees at Desert Mountain are as strong as any in the hospitality industry,” Paulson says. “Most employees here have been here for years and have chosen to stay at Desert Mountain for the long term, which creates a great corps of employees and a lot of continuity. You don’t often see that in hospitality. Staffing is a real issue at a lot of private Clubs, and you don’t see that here. The Club strategically enhanced its compensation package to attract great talent, and you see that in the service we provide to Members.” 

Apache’s Clubhouse and restaurant have a warm, rustic feel, offering everything from casual post-golf fare to exquisitely prepared five-course meals. Paulson says the Members appreciate the continuity and familiarity of the staff, adding to the family-like atmosphere for Members and staff alike. 

“Desert Mountain believes its greatest asset is its staff, and that’s a wonderful thing,” he says. “The Members trust and appreciate the staff, and they really care about us and get to know us, which is another benefit of working here. That makes coming to work so pleasant. That’s our mantra, ‘Family serving family,’ and it’s such a great advantage that we get to see examples of it every day at Desert Mountain.” 

 To find out more about current opportunities and the benefits of working at Desert Mountain, visit our Careers page.