The Chiricahua course is a spectacle of scenery and a superb place to build a career 

Desert Mountain is one of the game’s boldest statements, a private club that includes seven distinct golf courses and clubhouses as part of a luxury residential community covering more than 8,300 acres of stunning Sonoran Desert land in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since being established on the site of the former Carefree Ranch in 1986, the club has grown into the largest collection in the world of six Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses and the site of more than 2,000 homes. 

Beyond the many accolades won, golf events hosted and priceless memories created there, Desert Mountain is also a great place for golf industry professionals to further their careers. The club has been named one of the “Best Places to Work and Healthiest Employers” by the Phoenix Business Journal, and is devoted to providing the training and development to help employees at every stage of their career – and a wide range of benefits to help them and their families enjoy physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. 

Each month, we’ll be talking with employees from one of the club’s seven golf courses and clubhouse facilities to learn more about why they enjoy being part of the Desert Mountain team. This month, we’re focusing on Chiricahua – the golf course situated at the highest point on club property, featuring tremendous views of Phoenix and Scottsdale with exhilarating target golf and an Old World-inspired clubhouse that is a member favorite. 

The Nicklaus-designed Chiricahua course offers golfers a variety of enjoyably strategic options, just as working at Desert Mountain gives Chiricahua PGA Head Professional Maggie Green options in her work and home life. After playing college golf in her home state of Wisconsin, Green moved west to pursue a career in golf and found a home at Desert Mountain. 

It’s been a fun road to travel, starting at the bottom and working my way up through the amazing resources and mentors available to me at Desert Mountain,” Green says. “That was one of my main reasons for choosing Desert Mountain, and it’s been instrumental in my career. There’s always someone who can help you with your passion, from teaching golf to retailing to club operations. There are so many PGA Professionals here that have come from prestigious clubs all over the map, and it’s great to put our minds together and feed off each other’s ideas and expertise.

As her career progressed from working outside services to eventually earning PGA Membership, Green found that she enjoyed the golf operations responsibility of being a head professional, but also wanted to lead the retail efforts in a golf shop instead of specializing in just one of those areas. As the PGA Head Professional at Chiricahua, she runs the golf operations and leads the buying and merchandising for the course’s shop, which distinguishes itself with a unique feel and merchandise mix. 

Green also appreciates the generous benefits and support Desert Mountain employees enjoy. 

“I have three young children, which is one of the reasons you don’t see as many women in the golf industry as there should be,” Green says. “But at Desert Mountain, I’m surrounded by support that allows me to have my dream job and still have a great personal life with time for my family.” Chiricahua Clubhouse Manager Jermain Baird also points to the benefits and resources available to Desert Mountain employees as essential, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full-time employees have medical, dental and vision benefits, as well as access to a free onsite wellness clinic. 

“Obviously no one saw COVID coming when the onsite wellness clinic was started, but it’s been so great to have easy access to it over these past two years,” says Baird, who has worked at Desert Mountain for 15 years. “We were also one of the few clubs that stayed open throughout the initial shutdown in 2020, and we didn’t furlough or lay off anyone.” 

Baird says his team of 40 employees have tenures between four and 15 years at the club, keeping a consistent level of service for members without the turnover and short staffing being experienced at restaurants nationwide. 

Chiricahua’s restaurant, Constantino’s, is a favorite among Desert Mountain members. The menu evokes Italian favorites from the Tuscan countryside and has 3,000 bottles in its wine tower. Members love bringing guests to enjoy the food, views and spectacular service. 

“As teammates walk from the kitchen to the dining room, we have a huge plaque that says, ‘Family Serving Family,’” Baird says. “That’s part of Desert Mountain’s culture, starting at the top. Or as I like to say, let’s treat each other better than you’d treat your favorite member – if we do that, we’ll take care of the members with great service every time.” 

 

The workplace culture created at Desert Mountain is also what drew Chiricahua Superintendent Paul Dawson to the desert after stints at prestigious golf clubs like Quail Hollow, Shoal Creek and Estancia Club. The Australian native was looking to add to his knowledge of agronomy by working in a different climate, and has found much more than that at Desert Mountain. 

“Chiricahua is pretty unique as a cool season golf course above 3,000 feet of elevation – there aren’t any other cool season golf courses in the desert like this, and I’m learning a lot about doing things differently from what I’ve learned at my previous clubs,” Dawson says. “The support system put in place for employees here is really strong at helping us succeed, and I’m learning a lot about water management, disease pressure and other challenges you face in keeping this golf course in outstanding shape for the members.” 

Communication between departments can always be a challenge at golf facilities of any size. Dawson says Desert Mountain’s approach creates a great product for members while keeping team members in position to excel and grow. 

The communication and support between departments is the first thing I noticed as a new hire at Desert Mountain, and it’s even more impressive given the size of the operation. When we’re planning for member events or maintenance projects, all the departments communicate in a way that no one is ever out of the loop. It’s a fireproof process. Plus, it’s quite unique to be at a property with seven golf courses – you have lots of room to move up within the property while learning things from the best in the business. I have to say Desert Mountain is an outstanding place to work with amazing opportunities for personal development – it’s a culture that I think anyone with experience in the golf industry would appreciate. – Paul Dawson

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