Going Dry – Desert Golf Architecture and Water Innovation

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Welcome back to Experience in Golf Clubhouse Design, the podcast exploring the intricacies of golf clubhouse design, human interaction, and its impact on member lifestyles. I’m your host, and today we’re venturing beyond the clubhouse walls to explore a fascinating challenge that affects everything we design – creating golf experiences in desert environments while being responsible stewards of our most precious resource: water.

If you’re new to the show, we dive deep into architecture and interior design concepts that lead to successful golf clubhouses and resorts. While we typically focus on pro shops, fitness facilities, and dining experiences, today’s topic directly impacts how we think about the entire golf facility ecosystem. You can find all our episodes at golfclubhousedesign.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Today’s episode, “Going Dry: Desert Golf Architecture and Water Innovation,” examines how golf course architects are creating stunning, playable courses in some of the world’s most challenging environments. We’ll explore the evolution from the first desert course in 1920s Palm Springs to today’s sophisticated water management systems, and discuss what this means for clubhouse design in these unique settings.

Why does this matter for clubhouse designers? Because the golf course and clubhouse are inseparable partners. The landscape shapes the architecture, the climate drives our material choices, and the water management strategies influence everything from landscaping to operational planning. When you’re designing in the desert, you’re not just creating a building – you’re creating an oasis that must harmonize with its arid surroundings while providing the comfort and luxury members expect.

Let’s start with a remarkable story of vision and innovation. Picture Palm Springs in the early 1920s. Thomas O’Donnell, a California oil pioneer, is recovering from a respiratory illness at the Desert Inn. To pass the time, he’s out there pitching golf balls around the property. At that time, the idea of laying out a golf course in the desert was, frankly, absurd. But O’Donnell, along with fellow oilman Captain John Lucey, saw possibility where others saw impossibility.

They formalized nine holes alongside the Desert Inn at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, creating what’s widely considered the first golf course in a desert environment – the O’Donnell Golf Club, built in 1927. Think about the audacity of that moment. No precedent, no playbook, just pure pioneering spirit.

What’s fascinating about their approach is how thoughtful it was, even then. The course was routed among existing rows of tamarisk trees, supplemented with drought-tolerant plantings that served double duty as shade and windbreaks. They introduced Bermuda turf overseeded with rye or fescue during winter – a maintenance practice that’s still common across the Southwest today.

This set the stage for what would become a revolution in golf course design. From the 1930s through the 1970s, architects like William P. “Billy” Bell and his son William F. Bell, Lawrence Hughes, Robert “Red” Lawrence, and Jack Snyder would carry this desert golf concept forward.

Red Lawrence’s Desert Forest course in Carefree, Arizona, laid out in 1962, was particularly pioneering. It was integrated within the desert landscape in a way that inspired others to embrace their surroundings rather than impose their courses upon them. As ASGCA Past President Forrest Richardson notes in the article, “While Red Lawrence and Billy Bell had worked with the land, Snyder took an even lighter approach.”

Jack Snyder’s work at The Boulders in the 1970s ushered in what Richardson calls “a new era of desert golf design.” His minimalist approach left rock outcroppings and native desert untouched as much as possible. This wasn’t just about aesthetics – it was about understanding that in the desert, you don’t conquer the landscape; you collaborate with it.

For us as clubhouse designers, this evolution is crucial to understand. These pioneering courses established design principles that influence how we approach desert projects today. The clubhouse isn’t separate from this philosophy – it needs to embody the same respect for the landscape, the same innovative approach to resource management, and the same harmony with the natural environment.

Water has always been the defining challenge of desert golf, and as Forrest Richardson beautifully puts it, desert courses demand a different mindset about water. Richardson’s own journey is charming – his very first design was a miniature course called “Rolling Rocks” in his Phoenix backyard, where he raked the desert floor and installed tuna cans as cups. From that childhood experiment to his professional work on courses like Arizona Grand, his takeaway is profound: “We need to balance factors such as water availability, delivery and storage – and future climate change.”

Here’s what’s really interesting and often misunderstood about water use in desert golf. Richardson makes a crucial distinction: “Many people assume golf ‘uses’ water. But the reality is that water in the desert is more about ‘borrowing’ – the science today is returning water to the land, often by recharging the groundwater.”

Think about that for a moment. Today’s desert courses primarily rely on recycled water rather than groundwater. Turf acts as a natural filter, processing millions of gallons of treated wastewater daily before it returns to the aquifer. This is a sustainable model that turns golf courses into part of the water treatment infrastructure.

There’s another benefit that directly impacts our clubhouse designs – courses cool their surroundings. In Phoenix, neighborhoods near golf courses are three to five degrees cooler than adjacent urban heat islands. When we’re designing clubhouses in these environments, we’re not just creating buildings next to grass; we’re working within engineered microclimates.

The numbers tell an important story about evolving design strategies. Richardson notes that an 18-hole regulation course might have about 60 acres of turf. But designers are getting creative – adding more par threes, which require far less grass than par fours or fives. Some courses are achieving the same playability with significantly less irrigated area.

Cynthia Dye McGarey’s experience at Ancala Country Club in Scottsdale illustrates just how dramatic these restrictions can be. In 1990, she faced a turf limitation of just 78 acres. Her solution? Only the tees are irrigated, and the landing areas are kept to 50 yards wide with borders kept pretty bare of vegetation. The irrigation system uses hardline with half heads to minimize overspray into native areas.

This has profound implications for clubhouse design. When the golf course is using sophisticated water management, the clubhouse needs to follow suit. We’re talking about drought-tolerant landscaping, water recapture systems, and architectural designs that minimize irrigation needs while still creating that oasis feeling members expect.

Richardson predicts more short and alternative formats in the desert going forward. “It just makes sense,” he says. “Less turf, less water and – often – more fun.” For clubhouse designers, this means thinking about facilities that can support different golf formats – perhaps smaller locker rooms but more social spaces, different storage needs, and food and beverage operations that cater to shorter rounds and more casual play.

One of the most enlightening aspects of this article is how it reveals the diversity of desert environments. As Cynthia Dye McGarey explains, desert landscapes vary dramatically – the native area can be sand, rock, lush desert scrub, or completely bare. Each type demands a different design approach.

Let’s start with the Sonoran Desert, where McGarey has done extensive work. She describes it as rocky and undulating, with a web of arroyos cutting across the land. In this lush desert setting, earthworks are minimal. The design philosophy is to lay out the golf course to highlight natural features, preserve vegetation, and strategically use the natural terrain. This is design by subtraction – taking away as little as possible rather than adding.

Now contrast that with her work in the Mojave Desert at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. As she notes, “The Mojave Desert is completely different to the Sonoran. The terrain is much flatter, and the vegetation is very sparse.” Here, everything in the golfing corridor had to be graded. Without natural topography to tie into, they kept minor arroyos as features and capped the turf area with six inches of sand. Sandy waste areas and strip bunkers help keep the ball in play.

Interestingly, the Paiute courses didn’t have water restrictions – they’re located on a large aquifer with crystal clear water. Even so, the turf area was limited to 96 acres, maintaining the desert golf character despite having access to water.

Then there’s the red rock desert of Utah. John Fought and Andy Staples’ Sand Hollow course near St. George, opened in 2008, was built on red sand and takes full advantage of the site’s dunes, ridgelines, and rock formations. The underlying dunes provide natural drainage, allowing for precise irrigation without runoff or pooling.

For clubhouse designers, understanding these regional differences is crucial. A clubhouse in the Sonoran Desert might embrace organic forms that echo the undulating terrain and incorporate natural rock outcroppings. In the Mojave, with its flatter terrain, the architecture might be more sculptural, creating its own topography. In Utah’s red rock country, the color palette and material choices need to harmonize with those dramatic sandstone formations.

Each desert type also brings different challenges. The Sonoran’s rocky terrain might require elevated structures and creative foundation solutions. The Mojave’s sparse vegetation means less natural shade, requiring more architectural solutions for sun protection. Utah’s red sand can create unique maintenance challenges that need to be considered in material selection and detailing.

Rees Jones and Steve Weisser’s work at TPC Danzante Bay in Mexico adds another dimension – a combination of canyon, desert, beach, and mountain environments all in one course. As Weisser explains, they shaped holes to create grades receptive to shots on the high sides and turfgrass swales to collect shots that roll off the low sides. They incorporated playable desert areas adjacent to the turf to transition into the preserved native desert.

This diversity in desert types means we can’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to clubhouse design in arid environments. Each project needs to respond to its specific desert context, both aesthetically and functionally.

One of the most compelling aspects of modern desert golf design is the delicate balance between creating a playable, enjoyable golf experience and being responsible stewards of water resources. John Fought puts it perfectly: “While not every state has the turf restrictions that must be followed in Arizona, it is important to be good stewards of water usage.”

Fought’s design philosophy offers valuable lessons that extend beyond the golf course to our clubhouse designs. He emphasizes having plenty of room to hit a drive – often with landing zones 70 yards wide – but then narrowing areas around back tees and near greens to eliminate unnecessary turf. This strategic approach to turf placement is about understanding how the game is actually played and designing accordingly.

At Sand Hollow, Fought’s team angled tees so only the bigger hitters had forced carries. They kept the fronts of greens generally open so weaker players could bounce their approaches onto the putting surface. As he notes, “We need to create holes that players play without losing golf balls. As long as there is an option to play a hole without undue risk, then I think we have done our job as designers.”

This philosophy of accommodation without compromise should inform our clubhouse designs too. How do we create spaces that welcome golfers of all abilities? How do our facilities support both the scratch player and the beginner? The answer often lies in flexibility and thoughtful planning.

Steve Weisser’s insights from TPC Danzante Bay add another layer to this discussion. He talks about incorporating desert hazards on angles into the line of play in ways that become increasingly easier to navigate as the tees move forward. Every green has turfgrass chipping areas to facilitate achievable recovery shots. It’s about locating turf in areas that see the highest amounts of play.

The technology component is fascinating. Hunter Industries’ Carl Eberts explains how modern irrigation technology helps minimize water usage. At Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club south of Phoenix, they’ve installed Hunter’s TTS-800 Series Golf Rotors with PressurePort technology. These systems optimize nozzle pressure to produce ideal droplet size, ensuring maximum distribution uniformity even in 120-degree Fahrenheit heat and strong desert winds.

For clubhouse designers, this technological sophistication extends to our buildings. We should be thinking about smart building systems that can respond to extreme temperature swings, innovative cooling strategies that don’t rely solely on energy-intensive air conditioning, and materials that can withstand intense UV exposure while maintaining their appearance.

The collaboration between irrigation experts and golf course architects that Eberts describes should inspire similar collaboration in clubhouse design. We need to work closely with mechanical engineers, landscape architects, and sustainability consultants to create buildings that are as water-efficient as the courses they serve.

Richardson’s observation about runoff is particularly important: “We’ve learned that excess water escaping to the native desert can alter vegetation in unnatural ways.” This applies to our clubhouse sites too. Every drop of water that falls on our roofs, runs off our parking lots, or drains from our facilities needs to be carefully managed to avoid disrupting the delicate desert ecosystem.

Now let’s bring this home to what it all means for clubhouse design in desert environments. The evolution of desert golf from O’Donnell’s pioneering course to today’s sophisticated layouts has profound implications for how we approach clubhouse architecture.

First, there’s the philosophical alignment. Just as modern desert golf courses embrace rather than impose upon the landscape, our clubhouses need to reflect this same sensitivity. This isn’t about creating a generic country club that happens to be in the desert – it’s about creating architecture that could only exist in this specific place.

Material selection becomes critical. We need materials that can handle extreme temperature swings – sometimes 40 degrees or more between day and night. We need finishes that won’t fade under intense UV radiation. We need building assemblies that can handle blowing sand and occasional flash floods. But beyond durability, our materials need to connect to the landscape – the warm tones of desert sand, the textures of native rock, the colors that shift with the changing light.

The indoor-outdoor relationship takes on special significance in desert clubhouses. Members want to experience the dramatic landscape, but they also need refuge from the heat. This calls for sophisticated transitional spaces – deep overhangs that provide shade, covered terraces with misting systems, and outdoor rooms that can be comfortable even in extreme temperatures.

Water features, ironically, become even more important in desert clubhouses. Not vast lakes or fountains that evaporate precious water, but thoughtful, efficient water elements that provide psychological cooling and create microclimates. Think of narrow rills that can be turned off during water restrictions, or recirculating features that minimize water loss.

The programming of desert clubhouses often differs from traditional facilities. With play concentrated in cooler morning and evening hours, we need spaces that can accommodate different patterns of use. Perhaps the main dining room needs to open earlier for pre-dawn breakfast. Maybe we need more extensive cart storage facilities with charging stations, since walking 18 holes in 110-degree heat isn’t realistic.

Climate control strategies go beyond just powerful air conditioning. We’re talking about building orientation that minimizes solar gain, thermal mass that moderates temperature swings, and innovative cooling strategies like earth tubes or solar chimneys. The goal is comfort with minimal energy use – just as the golf course seeks playability with minimal water use.

The social spaces in desert clubhouses often become more important than in other climates. When it’s too hot to play during midday in summer, members need engaging alternatives. This might mean larger fitness facilities, more extensive indoor amenities, or flexible spaces that can host programs and events during the heat of the day.

We also need to think about maintenance and operations. Desert dust is incredibly fine and gets into everything. Our HVAC systems need superior filtration. Our finishes need to be easy to clean. Our entries need airlocks or vestibules to minimize dust infiltration. These aren’t sexy design features, but they’re essential for long-term success.

As we look to the future, several trends are emerging that will shape both desert golf courses and the clubhouses that serve them.

Richardson’s prediction about more short and alternative formats in the desert makes perfect sense. We’re already seeing this with par-3 courses, short courses, and putting courses that use a fraction of the water of traditional layouts. For clubhouse designers, this means rethinking our facilities. Maybe we need smaller locker rooms but larger social spaces. Perhaps the pro shop becomes more about lifestyle retail than golf equipment. The food and beverage program might shift toward more casual, all-day dining rather than formal dinner service.

The international expansion of desert golf is particularly interesting. As the article notes, it’s not just the Southwestern US and Mexico anymore. Population centers in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia are demanding golf, and they’re in even more extreme desert environments. The design techniques that evolved in Palm Springs are being refined and adapted for places where water is even scarcer and temperatures even more extreme.

This global expansion of desert golf presents opportunities for clubhouse designers to push boundaries. How do we incorporate regional architectural traditions while meeting international golf standards? How do we create clubhouses that respect local culture while serving a potentially diverse, international membership? These are complex challenges that require sensitivity and innovation.

Climate change adds another layer of complexity. As Richardson notes, we need to balance current needs with future climate projections. Droughts may become more severe. Temperatures may rise. Water restrictions may tighten. Our clubhouse designs need to be resilient and adaptable. This might mean designing for future solar panel installation, planning for greywater systems that aren’t yet required, or creating spaces that can be naturally ventilated if energy costs spike.

The technology component will only grow in importance. Just as irrigation systems have become incredibly sophisticated, our clubhouses will incorporate more smart building technologies. Imagine windows that automatically tint based on sun angle, or HVAC systems that predict and prepare for the daily influx of golfers, or water recycling systems that capture and treat every drop used in the building.

There’s also a growing recognition that desert golf courses and clubhouses can be part of larger sustainability stories. They can be demonstration projects for water conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable building practices. They can educate members and visitors about desert ecology and conservation. They can be leaders in their communities rather than targets for criticism about resource use.

The most successful desert golf facilities of the future will be those that fully integrate course and clubhouse design, that see water and energy conservation not as constraints but as design drivers, and that create experiences that are uniquely of their place. They’ll be facilities that members can feel proud of – not just for their beauty or challenge, but for their environmental stewardship.

As we conclude today’s exploration of desert golf architecture and water innovation, I’m struck by how much the story of desert golf is really a story of human ingenuity and adaptation. From Thomas O’Donnell pitching golf balls around the Desert Inn to today’s sophisticated courses that process wastewater while providing world-class playing conditions, we’ve seen remarkable evolution.

For those of us involved in clubhouse design, the lessons are clear. First, respect the landscape. The desert isn’t a blank canvas to be painted over – it’s a partner in the design process. Second, embrace constraints as catalysts for creativity. Water scarcity isn’t a problem to be solved but a reality to be designed around. Third, think systemically. The clubhouse, the golf course, and the surrounding environment are all part of one integrated ecosystem.

The pioneering spirit that created that first desert course in Palm Springs is still needed today. We need designers willing to challenge conventional thinking, to question whether we really need all that turf, all that conditioned space, all those traditional amenities. We need clients willing to invest in innovation, to be patient with experimentation, and to value sustainability alongside luxury.

Most importantly, we need to remember that golf in the desert is a privilege, not a right. Every course, every clubhouse, exists through careful management of scarce resources. Our responsibility as designers is to create facilities that honor this reality while still delivering the joy, community, and challenge that make golf special.

The future of desert golf and clubhouse design is bright, but it requires continued innovation, collaboration, and respect for the unique environments we’re privileged to work in. Whether it’s the Sonoran, the Mojave, or deserts yet to host their first golf course, the principles remain the same: work with the land, conserve resources, and create experiences that could exist nowhere else.

Thank you for joining me for this deep dive into desert golf architecture and its implications for clubhouse design. You can find additional resources and links to the projects discussed at golfclubhousedesign.com. If you’re working on a desert project or have experiences to share about designing in arid environments, we’d love to hear from you. Connect with us on LinkedIn and share your stories.

Until next time, remember that great design isn’t about imposing our will on the landscape – it’s about finding harmony between human desires and natural systems. This has been Experience in Golf Clubhouse Design. Stay inspired, stay innovative, and keep designing spaces that respect both the game we love and the land that hosts it.

SHOW NOTES

Episode Summary: This episode explores the evolution of desert golf course architecture from the 1920s to today, examining how designers create playable, enjoyable courses while minimizing water use. We discuss the implications for clubhouse design in arid environments and the innovative strategies being employed to balance luxury with sustainability.

Key Topics Covered:

• The pioneering history of desert golf from O’Donnell Golf Club (1927)
• Water management strategies and the “borrowing” vs “using” concept
• Regional desert variations (Sonoran, Mojave, Utah red rock)
• Balancing playability with sustainability
• Technology innovations in irrigation
• Clubhouse design strategies for desert environments
• Future trends in desert golf and climate adaptation

Featured Experts and Courses Mentioned:

• Forrest Richardson, ASGCA Past President
• Cynthia Dye McGarey, ASGCA
• John Fought, ASGCA
• Andy Staples, ASGCA
• Rees Jones, ASGCA Past President
• Steve Weisser, ASGCA
• Carl Eberts, Hunter Industries

Notable Courses Discussed:

• O’Donnell Golf Club, Palm Springs (1927)
• Desert Forest, Carefree, Arizona (1962)
• The Boulders, Carefree, Arizona (1970s)
• Ancala Country Club, Scottsdale, Arizona
• Sand Hollow, St. George, Utah (2008)
• TPC Danzante Bay, Mexico
• Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort
• Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, Phoenix

Key Statistics:

• Modern courses use 60-96 acres of irrigated turf (vs 150+ traditionally)
• Golf neighborhoods in Phoenix are 3-5 degrees cooler than surrounding areas
• Desert courses can process millions of gallons of treated wastewater daily
• Water restrictions can limit courses to as little as 78 acres of turf

Connect With Us:

• Website: golfclubhousedesign.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/egcd/
• Listen on Fountain: fountain.fm/show/yzI5IQdvhrChoCRj3htR

Episode Length: Approximately 30 minutes

Source Article: “Going Dry: Desert Golf” by Richard Humphreys, featuring insights from ASGCA members