Desert Mountain - Anyone ever been there?

[BG5]

I am curious if anyone has ever golfed at Desert Mountain and can share their experiences with that?  How were the courses?  Was conditioning fantastic?  Was the place packed?  How was the vibe....are people pretty friendly?

[pearls24]

DM is amazing!  The courses are all usually in fantastic condition and the greens are some of the fastest and purest I've played.  You get 3-4 clubhouses, 6 courses plus a new short course I believe.  My favorite is Outlaw because its the only one with no homes around it.  Absolutely stunning views in every direction.  The only drawback with having so many clubhouses and courses is you lose having a central clubhouse/location where everyone congregates after their round to hang out and socialize.  Plus since you don't know which course you will be playing each day I see most members take their clubs with them in their cars.  That being said, it is an amazing place and pace of play is usually always quick.   The courses are very challenging- I believe the slope rating from the tips of each course approaches 147-150.  Every meal I've had there was great and the practice facilities are incredible as well.    

[golfortennis]

Did that whole lawsuit thing get straightened out?

[puttnforthe8]

9 minutes ago, pearls24 said:

DM is amazing!  The courses are all usually in fantastic condition and the greens are some of the fastest and purest I've played.  You get 3-4 clubhouses, 6 courses plus a new short course I believe.  My favorite is Outlaw because its the only one with no homes around it.  Absolutely stunning views in every direction.  The only drawback with having so many clubhouses and courses is you lose having a central clubhouse/location where everyone congregates after their round to hang out and socialize.  Plus since you don't know which course you will be playing each day I see most members take their clubs with them in their cars.  That being said, it is an amazing place and pace of play is usually always quick.   The courses are very challenging- I believe the slope rating from the tips of each course approaches 147-150.  Every meal I've had there was great and the practice facilities are incredible as well.    

 

Super to hear good current info about DM @pearls24!  

[azgolfer44]

43 minutes ago, pearls24 said:

DM is amazing!  The courses are all usually in fantastic condition and the greens are some of the fastest and purest I've played.  You get 3-4 clubhouses, 6 courses plus a new short course I believe.  My favorite is Outlaw because its the only one with no homes around it.  Absolutely stunning views in every direction.  The only drawback with having so many clubhouses and courses is you lose having a central clubhouse/location where everyone congregates after their round to hang out and socialize.  Plus since you don't know which course you will be playing each day I see most members take their clubs with them in their cars.  That being said, it is an amazing place and pace of play is usually always quick.   The courses are very challenging- I believe the slope rating from the tips of each course approaches 147-150.  Every meal I've had there was great and the practice facilities are incredible as well.    

This is a very good summary. The major complaint, in addition to not having a central meeting spot, is the distance to Scottsdale/Phoenix. DM is not really close to anything which can be good or bad depending on what you are looking for.  

[pearls24]

On 1/14/2022 at 2:58 PM, azgolfer44 said:

This is a very good summary. The major complaint, in addition to not having a central meeting spot, is the distance to Scottsdale/Phoenix. DM is not really close to anything which can be good or bad depending on what you are looking for.  

Yes, just inside the gates can take 20 min to get to the front gate if you are leaving depending on where you live.  :).

 

Just for clarification purposes- I haven't played DM in a few years but I have a couple of friends that live there.  I don't know anything about a lawsuit.  I'm just going by the 6-8 times I've played there and comments from the members I know.  I personally love the Paradise Valley area but there aren't as many great clubs there compared to North Scottsdale.  We've talked about moving to Scottsdale for many years.  I love it there.  

[azgolfer44]

Here is a thread on DM from another website - https://www.city-data.com/forum/phoenix-area/3331197-desert-mountain-living-there-full-time.html 

[stevensd]

On 1/14/2022 at 11:16 AM, golfortennis said:

Did that whole lawsuit thing get straightened out?

 

Here's a link for more information: http://desertmountaingolfscam.com

[golfortennis]

9 hours ago, stevensd said:

 

Here's a link for more information: http://desertmountaingolfscam.com

 

I had seen that recently.  What I couldn't make out is whether there are some real issues or whether it was just one rogue guy who got his knickers in a knot.  Both sides claim the one that fits their argument, so wondered if there are some neutrals who know more about it.

[vallygolf]

6 hours ago, golfortennis said:

 

I had seen that recently.  What I couldn't make out is whether there are some real issues or whether it was just one rogue guy who got his knickers in a knot.  Both sides claim the one that fits their argument, so wondered if there are some neutrals who know more about it.

Common sense.  If there was something so heinous, that was truly as bad as hyperbole make it out to be, then there would be far fewer lawyers, doctors, and CEO's buying homes and enjoying the many amenities. 

 

Rule 1:  Read all the documents and if the worst case scenario in untenable don't sign.

Rule 2: When you want the rules bent in your favor and you aggressively pursue personal agendas, don't be shocked when the harshest possible enforcement available is exercised.

[golfortennis]

2 minutes ago, vallygolf said:

Common sense.  If there was something so heinous, that was truly as bad as hyperbole make it out to be, then there would be far fewer lawyers, doctors, and CEO's buying homes and enjoying the many amenities. 

 

Rule 1:  Read all the documents and if the worst case scenario in untenable don't sign.

Rule 2: When you want the rules bent in your favor and you aggressively pursue personal agendas, don't be shocked when the harshest possible enforcement available is exercised.

 

You're not wrong, but there's been more than a couple of setups like this where it turned out to be closer to a scam than an actual good offering.  

 

But based on the thread someone linked earlier, sounds like it is moving along.  

[Bonneville85308]

Much drama ensued in the wake of the Great Recession at these types of clubs where you could resign but you had to keep paying dues until they replaced you with a new member in the same category. Wasn't a problem when they were full with people wanting to join, but a big problem when you have more people that want to get out than get in.

 

Although many clubs moved away from this type of membership model in the years since, if you are joining one of these clubs that has this "you pay until you are replaced" setup, you really need to be committed to staying there and accept the possibility of paying dues until you are dead, because it might turn out that way. If you are a job loss away from being in a world of financial hurt, these clubs aren't for you.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Bonneville85308

[vallygolf]

5 hours ago, Bonneville85308 said:

Much drama ensued in the wake of the Great Recession at these types of clubs where you could resign but you had to keep paying dues until they replaced you with a new member in the same category. Wasn't a problem when they were full with people wanting to join, but a big problem when you have more people that want to get out than get in.

 

Although many clubs moved away from this type of membership model in the years since, if you are joining one of these clubs that has this "you pay until you are replaced" setup, you really need to be committed to staying there and accept the possibility of paying dues until you are dead, because it might turn out that way. If you are a job loss away from being in a world of financial hurt, these clubs aren't for you.

Exactly. See rule #1. Know the contract, if worst case scenario isn’t tenable (dues till death) then don’t join.