The Cochise course at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale is one of 6 Jack Nicklaus Signature designs spread across that sprawling private club in the high Sonoran Desert north of town. Sitting at roughly 4,000 feet in elevation, Desert Mountain's courses play through the rugged terrain of the Tonto National Forest foothills, where saguaro cactus, ocotillo, and desert scrub frame nearly every shot. Cochise is generally regarded as the most demanding of the Desert Mountain tracks — a true test that demands respect from even accomplished players.
Desert Mountain as a whole carries serious prestige within Arizona's private club world. The community has hosted Champions Tour events, giving its courses a competitive pedigree that few desert layouts can match. Nicklaus's desert designs here lean into elevation change and natural wash carries rather than heavy shaping, letting the land do the work.
Scottsdale's golf scene is one of the richest in the country, but Desert Mountain occupies a distinct tier — a retreat from the resort corridor, where the quiet of the high desert and the quality of the golf combine into something genuinely special.
