Desert Highlands Golf Club
Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Arizona · North Scottsdale golf market
- Access
- mandatory
- Holes
- 18
- Architect(s)
- Jack Nicklaus
- Gated
- Yes
- Golf access
- Bundled
Thinking About Living in Desert Highlands Golf Club?
Get connected with a local real-estate specialist who understands Desert Highlands Golf Club and the surrounding North Scottsdale golf market.
Desert Highlands is a guard-gated golf community in north Scottsdale that opened in 1984 as Jack Nicklaus's first Arizona design and one of the first clubs in the country to structure membership as fully mandatory and bundled with every home. There is no non-member ownership path: buying any home in Desert Highlands makes the buyer a full club member automatically at closing, with a single combined membership type covering both golf and social/amenity access — the club does not offer separate golf-only or social-only tiers.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Unlike nearly every other private club covered in this market, Desert Highlands removes any ambiguity about proximity versus access: membership here is not proximity, application, or invitation — it is a mandatory condition of home ownership. Each new buyer pays the club's current initiation fee (reported at roughly $205,000 for 2026) directly at closing; the fee is not portable from the seller and does not decrease with resale — the next buyer simply pays whatever the fee is on their own closing date. Combined monthly dues (club + HOA) are reported at roughly $1,395.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Golf membership initiation
Current$205,000
Reported figures range roughly $190,000-$205,000 depending on source/date; one source also cites a separate $75,000 one-time membership fee structure. Not an official published schedule — the club does not publish pricing.
Annual dues
Current$16,740
Reported as $1,395/month (covering both club dues and HOA) by a Scottsdale real-estate brokerage source; not an official published rate.
Interested in Homes in Desert Highlands Golf Club?
We can connect you with a local real-estate specialist who knows the community, nearby golf communities, and the North Scottsdale market.
What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm the exact current initiation fee and monthly dues directly with the club/escrow at time of purchase — this is a material, non-negotiable closing cost distinct from a typical HOA fee.
Notable
- First Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in Arizona (1984).
- One of the first American residential communities built on a fully mandatory, non-optional club-membership model.
Related Comparisons
Considering a Move to Desert Highlands Golf Club?
Whether you're comparing Desert Highlands Golf Club with another North Scottsdale golf community or you're ready to start looking at homes, US Golf Living can connect you with a local real-estate specialist.
US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.