A Fresh Take: Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club

So, I guess I finally reached that point where I’ve had enough missed connections and been to enough funerals already to see the way life can pull us apart and push us together. I’ve been making a more concerted effort to better prioritize time with friends I haven’t seen in a long time.

 

With a career, side projects, a busy family, and kids I don’t want to miss seeing grow up, it’s not always easy to be a social dynamo like we all were in our 20s and 30s. That said, an excuse can be made for absolutely anything and another thing that comes with age is a sharper focus on time management. So, when a lifelong buddy -a traveler and surfer and all-around kind of guy I wish I, honestly, was a little more like- let me know he’d be in Arizona at the same time I would be, we jumped at the chance to meet up.

My trip was centered around meetings in Scottsdale while his was more Tucson-centric. We landed on the perfect solution when it came to meeting in the middle and playing a great golf course. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club would be the scene of our mini reunion.

Something about this course makes is always worth the drive to Maricopa. Renowned golf course architect Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley – with collaboration from Fred Couples – set out to make this championship layout, first envisioned as a private club before the Ak-Chin Native American Community took ownership and turned it public and Troon-managed, stand out among other courses in the Arizona desert. You’ll hear people say the design team was going for an Australian Sand Belt-style course in the heart of the desert and you’ll see that the course is sweeping and dunesy, with more plunging fairways then your typical desert track.

It makes for thrilling, cerebral golf that’s big on shot placement, managing angles and recognizing when to take risks and when to take your medicine. The bulging dunes add character and borders to nearly every fairway and – along with surrounding native grasses lend to each hole standing out and separate from neighboring holes. What other designers accomplish with forests full of trees, Schmidt and Curley did with the native features and grasses. My surfer pal was duly impressed. As much as classic desert courses stand out and bring excitement, there’s a coolness factor this course has never lost. It’s always a unique treat to play. 

I think what’s so pleasing about the playing experience is that, despite frequent doglegs (judiciously balanced in each direction), the landing areas are ample and well-defined and even the approaches that look intimidating are so nicely framed by the dunescapes and native grasses. The pace of holes is sharp from the beginning with a dogleg-right par-four opener with a generous green followed by a classic short par 4 at number two and a winding right to left par-five third and a fun par three with a perched up green at #4 that plays 165 from the tips but just 120 from the forward tees. 

 

Five, six and seven demand solid strikes and good placement with a hard dogleg right at five and a longer par thee challenge at six. You’ll want to aim left, right then left again to navigate the long and winding par-five seventh. 

This golf course tests your mettle in the middle rounds with brawny, long par fours at eight and nine and then a forced-carry tee shot at number 10. A quick respite at the pretty par-three 11th is followed by par fours at 12 and 13 that can be intimidating with native areas guarding the right side of each hole and daunting bunkers dictating direction. 

The 14th brings back the fun, short par 4 – a loyal staple on Schmidt-Curley courses and a great feature on any design. Native area cuts into the fairway on the approach at 15 while the 16th presents a strategic long par five probably best played as a three-shot hole due to extensive bunkering, mounds and native grasses down the right wide. The 17th is a longish par three wonderfully framed by the dunesy contours and surrounding native grasses.

The round at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes closes with strong par 4 the feels a little claustrophobic on the approach with water lurking right and bunkers guarding the left of the green. You’ll need all the tools, especially a sharp short game, to score at or better than your handicap here. 

To be perfectly honest, the smoked chicken swings and pork belly tacos in the golf course’s Arroyo Grille never really stood a chance. My buddy and I laughed about old times over cold draft beer, made promises to connect more and reminisced on the day’s highs and lows before remembering to take advantage of one of the coolest features at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes – the six-hole #minidunes short course that comes alive when the driving range closes for practice. The range’s target greens become the short course holes on one tight, innovative footprint. We settled all bets and agreed this is a concept more courses should try. It makes the game more fun and accessible for all ages. At this venue it’s also a way to get more Ak-Chin natives involved in the game and connected to the purpose of the property- not just to grow the game but to grow the spirit of the community.

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes is a go-to venue for prestigious tournament play, serving as an annual U.S. Open qualifying site, The PING Southwest Section PGA Section Championship, several top collegiate Men’s and Women’s golf tournaments and home of early-state Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School. 

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes’ partner hotel is Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort with its 500 luxury guest rooms surrounded by tasteful, rich landscaping and a variety of recreational and gaming amenities. Multiple dining options, poolside cabanas and daybeds for indulgent lounging, stage shows, and shopping add to the experience of hiding out in Maricopa. 

Don’t just take my word on the Troon Golf-managed Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. GolfWeek lists Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golfweek’s among its “Top 100 Resort Courses,” “Best Courses You Can Play,” and “Top Casino Courses,” as well as Golf Magazine’s list of “Top 100 Courses You Can Play.” Again, it’s worth the drive to play this unique layout that just turned 20 years old.

For more information, visit https://www.akchinsoutherndunes.com/.