Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club — Local services in Maricopa

For such an awesome golf course in my 20 years of playing around the world and 15 years working in golf I have never seen worse management.

To put into context we were wrapping up a guys trip and one of the guys bailed so we had 5. So we were going to play as a 3 and a 2 30 minutes apart. The guys setting everything up asked if we wanted to all play together on the second tee time because it was slow day. We absolutely took him up on it because who wouldn’t want to wrap up a trip with everyone who was still there.

We get to the sixth hole and have been waiting on every shot from the group in front of us. The ranger comes by and sees we are playing as a 5 with a threesome behind us waiting. He asks us to split up as a two and a three. We explained to him the situation but also point out that we are waiting on every shot so this is only going to slow the golf course down. And at the same time we are 20 minutes faster then their “pace of play”

We follow his request and on 7 tee we split up. This created such a log jam for the people behind us and slowed down play so drastically. By the time the second group tee’d off there were 3 groups on the tee box waiting.

We get to the 10th tee and both groups are sitting waiting. We ask one of the guys there if he minded if we played as a 5 to speed things up. He said please do that’s totally fine because he saw there were 3 groups waiting on the tee.

We join back up as a 5 and continue to wait on the slow foursome in front of us. We get to 11 tee and they ask us if we wanted to play through. We said no it’s fine just keep moving. We get to the 11th green and the Marshall comes by and says we need to split up again because you can’t play as a 5. We explain to him that we spoke with one of the guys at the turn and he took our cart numbers so he could let everyone else know. And the Marshall says he understands but the head pro Nate asked him to come split us up again.

So we do and by the time the second group tee’d off on 12 there were 4 groups on the hole one in the fairway and 3 waiting on the tee. For the remainder of the round the Marshall is continuing to jump back and forth between our groups on the remaining 7 holes to make sure we are not joining up with each other. He literally drove back and forth for the remainder of the round. Which just seemed so unnecessary. And honestly a little uncomfortable.

As I’ve stated I’ve been in and around golf for a very long time. I have never seen such poor management by a head pro. He purposely slowed his entire golf course down by at least 30 minutes. And instead of looking at the situation for himself he just sent people out there on “principle” that you cannot play as a 5 some. Which ultimately ruined our day and I would imagine ruined the days of the groups waiting on us. Nate also made his staff look foolish by continuing to undermine them. I could totally understand if we were slowing down play, but we were not. We were ahead of pace of play and pushing the foursome slowly us down. Nate not willing to come see that we were not the problem and just going off principle that you can’t do this is not the proper answer.

Go there and hang out at the bar. But dealing with Nate’s nonsense when it comes to the golf simply isn’t worth how much it costs. Which is a shame because the golf course is great and the Bar is awesome. Nate...

A Sanctuary in the Desert – Southern Dunes Golf Club

Over the past eight months, while caring for my terminally ill father, I found myself needing somewhere to breathe, to reset, and to reconnect with life—even for just a few hours at a time. That place, without question, became Southern Dunes Golf Club. It wasn’t just a golf course—it was my sanctuary. And in every possible way, it exceeded all expectations.

From the moment you drive up to the facility, the experience begins. The course itself is stunning—immaculately maintained fairways stretch across the desert landscape, with breathtaking views that constantly remind you why Arizona is one of the most majestic golf destinations in the country. The layout is challenging but fair, a true player’s course with thoughtful design that rewards precision while never punishing creativity. Every round felt like a privilege.

But what truly separates Southern Dunes from the hundreds of courses I’ve played is the people. I’ve never met anyone at a golf club—anywhere—who left such an impression on me as Tim, who handles check-ins. Tim is not only the kind of professional every club wishes they had; he is a genuinely remarkable human being. Warm, sharp, and incredibly insightful, Tim has a way of making you feel grounded, even during life’s hardest moments. Our brief conversations were often the highlight of my day—his wisdom and calm presence offered more than customer service. They offered comfort.

Bree is another gem—a constant ray of sunshine. Every time I encountered her, she was welcoming, gracious, and kind. In an environment that prides itself on excellence, Bree upholds and enhances that standard. She treats every guest like a regular, and every regular like family.

The on-course experience is also phenomenal. In the sweltering summer heat, they bring cold towels out to the course. Let that sink in. That kind of above-and-beyond hospitality is what sets Southern Dunes apart from even the most prestigious country clubs. Small details like that, and the attentiveness of the staff across the board, make every round feel like an escape—luxurious without ever being pretentious.

The food? Spectacular. Whether you’re grabbing something at the turn or settling in for a proper post-round meal, the quality and consistency rival high-end restaurants. The clubhouse atmosphere is elevated, but relaxed—exactly the kind of environment that makes you want to stay long after your last putt drops.

That said, if I had to offer one piece of constructive feedback, it would be this: Please replace the ball washers. Having functional, clean washers equipped with towels at every tee box would be the final touch in what is otherwise a flawless facility. It’s a small thing—but details matter when everything else is so thoughtfully done.

In closing, Southern Dunes didn’t just offer me a great golf experience. It gave me peace. During one of the hardest periods of my life, I found something deeply meaningful in the fairways, in the rhythm of the game, in the beauty of the land—and in the kindness of the people who run it.

I cannot thank this club enough. For the memories. For the moments of calm. For the excellence in everything you do. Southern Dunes, you are truly a treasure.

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Drove down from Scottsdale about an hour to get here. Price is less than the popular publics around Phoenix, probably to lure folks for the long drive. Pulled up to bag drop and the guy just stood there watching us after we popped the trunk. We had to get our own bags out from the car. Not a good first impression, but it is public after all. Maybe the superior experience at Quintero the day prior spoiled my group? Went off to the range before round to find they are in the middle of installing large light fixtures around the driving range to turn it into a mini pitch and putt nighttime course (more later). There were some balls for us to hit at the range, but not enough. The course itself was very playable, despite over 100 bunkers, but the sand was well maintained and consistent. We played 6450 Blues, all 7-8 HC players and felt we could score low 80s with just a little more knowledge or experience of the course. Fairways were in excellent condition as were the greens. Practice green was completely flat, but the greens on the course are not. It would be nice if the practice green had some topography built-in to match a typical situation on the course to get speed. I liked the variety in design, plenty of doglegs, and good challenges into the greens. Fairways were generous, but even if you hit it slightly outside the fairway, you can still find the ball as the vegetation is more like the valley, and less like the Upland desert. Didn’t see any cacti, for example. I read a lot of reviews about mosquitoes and bug problems, but we did not have any except at the end when we had a beer on the terrace where the flies were terrible. Sit near the fire to avoid bugs. After our round, we went back to the driving range (which was set up as the pitch and putt after 3pm) to practice short game and play some friendly challenges. There is only one other group out there practicing so we could hit five balls, each into the greens. I highly recommend this to hone the short game, and it makes the experience unique. I think once they get the stadium lights in there it’ll feel like a quasi topgolf experience. The 6 greens on the range are 40 to 80 yards from the tees that they set up as a circuit so you get some good practice in after your round. I probably would drive down from north Phoenix to play here again for 2 reasons: the pitch and putt and lower green fees. Otherwise the course itself is solid but shouldn’t be on your...