Desert Highlands
WELCOME TO Desert Highlands
Desert Highlands is a classic of North Scottsdale golf living — an 850-acre private community wrapping the southern face of Pinnacle Peak, built around the Jack Nicklaus course that hosted the original Skins Game. Every owner is a member, giving the community an unusually strong club culture centered on the clubhouse, racquet sports complex, and famous eighteen-hole grass putting course. Custom homes and villas sit among granite boulders with sweeping Valley views, and the trails of Pinnacle Peak Park begin essentially next door — timeless, established, and one of the area's most complete club lifestyles.
Overview for Desert Highlands
Desert Highlands is an 850-acre private club community wrapped around the south face of Pinnacle Peak, built in the early 1980s around the Jack Nicklaus course that hosted the first Skins Game. Every owner is a member — the club culture is the neighborhood.
850 ac
Gated community
1983
Hosted the first Skins Game
18
Hole grass putting course
85255
ZIP code
Around Desert Highlands
Pinnacle Peak's trails start next door, and the Troon-area dining and retail corridor is minutes away.
Dining
- Desert Highlands clubhouse — member dining and events
- Four Seasons Troon North — Talavera and Proof, minutes north
- Pinnacle Peak plazas — neighborhood patios and cafés
Shopping & Essentials
- Alma School plazas — groceries and daily services
- The Summit — shops and dining on Scottsdale Road
- Kierland & Scottsdale Quarter — the retail core, 20 minutes south
Outdoors & Recreation
- Pinnacle Peak Park — the landmark trail at the front gate
- Desert Highlands Racquet Club — tennis and pickleball complex
- Tom's Thumb Trailhead — McDowell ridge hiking nearby
Schools in Desert Highlands
Like its far-north neighbors, Desert Highlands is served by the Cave Creek Unified School District.
School assignments and boundaries change over time — always verify enrollment directly with the school or district.
