Renovations at Desert Forest Golf Club Refresh Historic Course


When golf architect Robert "Red" Lawrence first set eyes on the desert terrain high up in the Sonoran foothills of Carefree, Ariz., he knew he could carve out a gem. And he did, with Desert Forest Golf Club being among the first of its kind to be built on such a rugged landscape.

Lawrence, who worked on Merion Golf Club in the 1920s and Westchester Country Club, crafted Desert Forest in 1962. Over 50 years later, Desert Forest has been modernized, thanks to the efforts of former Coore-Crenshaw protégé, David Zinkand, who redesigned and rebuilt the course in four months and under the $3 million budget.

Many holes were lengthened, every green was recontoured, drainage was improved and all greenside bunkers were rebuilt from the original oval-shaped design - a Lawrence trademark - to the scalloped-shaped edging favored by Zinkand, who appreciated the original designer's work.

"The routing and the way the course sits naturally on the contours is the genius of Desert Forest, rather than having been graded to suit preconceived notions. Leaving this landscape intact was the most important aspect of respecting Lawrence's design," said Zinkand, a graduate of Cornell University.

What's different about Desert Forest Golf Club is the absence of fairway bunkers and other fixtures. Nowhere visible are out-of-bounds stakes, ball washers, cart signs and beverage carts. It's golf, pure and simple, a throwback to the days when it was golfer vs. the course and the elements.

"Our club is timeless. The 250 members favor and enjoy the understated and simplistic ideals that permeate our environment. From the members to the staff and grounds crew, life at Desert Forest is everything anyone would ever want in a golf club," said Roger Bacon, Desert Forest general manager.

Completed in 2013, Zinkland said of the project: "As we worked on the fairways, I recontoured those areas so they appear as they did naturally, before the golf course was built. These tie-ins aren't something that are readily apparent to many golfers, but removing that unnatural visual distraction enhances their experience nonetheless."

Over the years, he has worked for such prominent architects as Arthur Hills, Gil Hanse and Mike DeVries. It was as a design associate with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw that Zinkand contributed his finest work, creating feature shaping at many of their projects, including Bandon Preserve and Bandon Trails in Oregon, Saguaro course at We-Ko-Pa in Fountain Hills, Ariz., along with the renovation of Lakewood Country Club in Dallas.

Of all the work at Desert Forest, Zinkand is especially proud of the greenside bunkers and their new signature look. "The bunker edges are rugged. In fact, they are more rugged than even my bunker shaper, Jeff Bradley, was comfortable with at times. I pushed that envelope though to emphasize the rugged, natural character of the golf course.

"Desert Forest was the first desert golf course in the world! This place is really in the desert! It deserved to draw from that unique heritage and environment," added Zinkand.

The site of many national events, Desert Forest will host the USGA Four-Ball Qualifier in March 2015. For more information about the club, call 480/488-4589 or visit www.desertforestgolf.cub.com.