Desert Mountain

Desert Mountain, Scottsdale AZ: An Honest Community Overview

Desert Mountain is a guard-gated, private golf community at the far north edge of Scottsdale, off Cave Creek Road east of Pima Road, bordering the Tonto National Forest. It covers about 8,200 acres with roughly 2,000 homes spread across more than 40 separate villages, and it’s been around for nearly 40 years. It’s one of the most highly regarded private club communities in the country, with seven golf courses, multiple clubhouses, and a large private trail system. It’s also expensive to get into, has a waitlist for full golf and is a long way from almost everything else in the Valley (some think that's a great thing!). This is one of our personal favorite golf communities.

The Club: Member-Owned, and Mostly Optional

The Desert Mountain Club has been owned by its members since the developer handed it over at the end of 2010. That matters. Unlike corporate-owned clubs, members control the club’s direction, dues, and spending through an elected board.

In most of Desert Mountain, club membership is optional. You can buy a home and never join. The catch is that owning property inside Desert Mountain is the only way to become a member at all, and not every home comes with a membership. Some listings include one, some explicitly don’t, and the newest village, Seven, requires some level of membership for every homeowner.

Golf, and What It Costs

There are seven courses: six 18-hole Jack Nicklaus championship courses plus Seven, an 18-hole, par-54 course.

Full Golf Membership gives you all seven courses and four practice ranges. A recent listing put the initiation fee at $200,000, on top of monthly dues. For context, the same membership was priced at $140,000 when members took over the club in 2010.

The waitlist: Full golf memberships have a waitlist that can run years. The way around it is to buy a home whose seller is transferring a full membership. At the end of 2025, about 80 homes for sale came with membership access. Expect to pay for that convenience in the home price.

Seven membership costs roughly two-thirds of a full membership. It includes unlimited play on the par-54 Seven course, all the restaurants and non-golf amenities, and up to six rounds a year on the other six courses as a member’s guest. You can upgrade to full golf through the waitlist.

Every membership requires an application and board approval, which takes about 30 to 45 days. Be sure to think about this when you're making an offer.

Amenities Beyond Golf

Members get multiple clubhouses with about 10 restaurants, the Sonoran Health and Fitness Spa, a tennis complex, and roughly 20 miles of private trails bordering the national forest. If you don’t join the club, you don’t get these. Your HOA dues cover the gates, streets, and common grounds, not club amenities.

Homes and Lots

Most homes are custom or semi-custom, often on large lots with natural desert landscaping. Prices run from well under $1 million for some homesites to $10 million and up for large estate parcels. Because the community was built out over nearly four decades, you’ll find everything from 1990s Tuscan-style homes that need updating to brand-new contemporary builds. Vacant lots are still available if you want to build.

HOA Dues

HOA dues are billed twice a year and vary by village. You can expect roughly $1,600 to $3,500 every six months, or about $265 to $580 a month. That typically covers street maintenance and common grounds. Club dues are separate and much higher, so get the full number from the club before you commit.

Wildfire Risk

This is the downside buyers should take most seriously. Desert Mountain sits right where development meets open desert and national forest, which is exactly where wildfires spread. North Scottsdale has had several significant fires in recent years, including the Diamond Fire, which forced about 1,145 residents to evacuate, and the 2024 Boulder View and Gate fires. None destroyed homes inside Desert Mountain, but the risk is real.

Ask about homeowners insurance early in the inspection period. In wildfire-exposed areas, coverage can be harder to get and more expensive than buyers expect. Also find out what defensible-space work the home needs.

Location

Desert Mountain’s remoteness is part of its appeal. It’s quiet, dark at night, and surrounded by open land. But it’s a long drive to central Scottsdale, Old Town, and Sky Harbor, and everyday errands mean leaving the community and driving to Carefree, Cave Creek, or North Scottsdale shopping centers.

Expect desert wildlife too: coyotes, javelina, bobcats, hawks, and rattlesnakes are part of life up here. Be sure to look after your pets if they have access to the outdoors.

Schools

Desert Mountain is in Cave Creek Unified School District, not Scottsdale Unified. Assigned schools include Black Mountain Elementary, about eight miles away, Sonoran Trails Middle School, and Cactus Shadows High School. Verify by address.

Who It’s Best For

Desert Mountain is built for serious golfers and outdoor-focused buyers who want a private, member-run club and don’t mind paying for it. It’s also a fit for people who want space and quiet more than convenience. It’s a poor fit for buyers on a budget, anyone who needs a short commute, or anyone uncomfortable with wildfire risk.