Private Clubs & Country Clubs in Carefree

Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, Arizona holds the distinction of being North America's first desert-style golf course, pioneering a design philosophy that lets the natural Sonoran landscape dictate play rather than the other way around. Designed by Robert "Red" Lawrence in 1962, the par-72 layout stretches to 7,035 yards and was built with minimal earth movement, no artificial water features, and a minimalist approach that has influenced desert golf architecture ever since. The club hosted the 1971 U.S. Senior Amateur and remains a strictly member-owned institution, a rarity that underscores its reverence for the original vision.