Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club

I've played all the courses available to guests in the valley, and Southern dunes continues to impress as one of the more challenging courses for a single digit handicap. The course has more than the average number of bunkers and sand hazards, but it's fairly easy to avoid them if necessary. Greens fees are always lower than the other top courses, including Whirl Wind which is 30 minute away.

This was my first time playing here and my overall experience was fabulous. The entire staff is extremely friendly, helpful and professional making you feel welcome from the start. The off course facilities from the practice range through the chipping and putting area are in superb condition. The pro shop, restaurant/bar and outside seating area are open and inviting, well designed and very comfortable.

Now for the course itself. A word of advise, if the weak part of your game is getting out of the bunker practice a lot before you take on the challenging but fun layout. The course is in excellent shape considering the flood damage that occurred just 10 weeks ago and is a testament to the excellence of the superintendent and his crew. Check out the before and after photos outside the pro shop to see what I mean. The design will challenge your shot making abilities if you want to steer clear of the numerous bunkers on every hole. The fairways are lush and full with generous landing areas off the tee. The bunkers run the gamut from large and flat along the fairways to steep and challenging guarding the greens while the sand is fine but easily played from. The greens are in excellent shape, fast and true with challenging reads but large enough to allow ample options for your approach shots. My son and I, both 18-20 handicappers, found this layout to be fun to play and a challenge all at the same time and throughly enjoyed our round. We highly recommend this course to anyone.

Like many courses in the area, they had major course flooding in October. They are addressing the damaged areas and issues. The staff is great, the grill area is great... they are charging a higher fee than the course warrants under its current state... even the repaired areas are below average at best... the course is roughly a $60.00 course at best under its current condition... would recommend this course all day when its in premium condition... however its currently below average, even with the on going repairs...

Tees, fairways and greens are in decent shape... some issues here and there but mostly above average... bunkers sustained most of the damage and are unplayable... the ones that have been repaired have an over abundance of sand in them and are not to the normal standard...

The course was listed as 90 degrees, but is cart path only for a couple of months. We were luck to finish in slightly over 5 hours. Other than the greens and fairways, everything is ground under repair. Most all of the traps are closed and hard as roc or full of equipment. They are unplayable and hard as rock, so if you go in on good luck finding your ball they just bounce away.

The mowing has left a lot of cut grass on the fairways, so can loose a ball in the fairway.

I booked the first tee time available at 0720 in order to get away early and have a fast round. That and the next 43 tee times showed 1-4 players available so I was expecting a quick round. 2 problems with that...the starter told me that they always put out a 4-ball to start with (at 0712) so that any quicker groups don’t catch up the ground staff preparing the course ahead. Secondly I was only told that it was strictly cart path only on arrival at the course. No mention of that whatsoever on GolfNow and had I known that I wouldn’t have booked. Finally due to recent flooding there are workers all over the course who are basically ignoring the golfers so it’s noisy and dangerous for them. A poor experience and Ak-Chin need to publicise the cart path only rule and ongoing works as others courses fairly do.

Great shape and love this course. Can’t wait for the greens to be lighting again but still rolled very well.

Freddie did a great job with this course. Fun and different, not your usual desert scene. Very slow greens but that's not uncommon this time of year. Cool Australian sand belt simulator. Worth the drive down from Phoenix.

We should layes after a big storm and there were only 9holes open. Normally that would be upsetting but this course is worth it. They took care of us and we enjoyed it.

Definitely will come back and play the full 18

Beautiful lay out , you see what you get , no hidden object Awesome track

Nice course but borderline ridiculous for traps. Not a very good course for the average player.

No warning of aeriating greens, was not worth the money

One of the nicest courses I’ve played in Arizona. Unfortunately the greens were aerated and no warning of it. Even with that, still enjoyed the round. Entire staff is friendly and accommodating. Tee box and fairways are in perfect conditions. Only downfall were the greens but I will be back to play again.

Practice facilities great. Staff friendly and helpful

Tee boxes and fairways very good

Greens looked awful BUt rolled fine and with good speed. Pace of play for Friday at 9 was great - 4 hours.

Not overly difficult but enough of a test for single digit handicap playing from gold tees -6450

Great value for 33 on golfnow

The casino is right there so plenty to do

This was my first time playing Southern Dunes and it didn't disappoint. The course is in great condition for being summer in Arizona. The greens are fast and firm. I was very impressed with the overall layout of the course. The only thing that me and my friends struggled with was the sheer amount of bunkers on this course. You need to bring your "A Game" when it comes to accuracy or else you are going to be spending a lot of time on the beach. Overall, a great day!

Southern Dunes is a very fun course with plenty of bunkering to navigate around.

Played in late May, the greens looked a bit bumpy, but actually rolled real nice. Lots of left to right holes for all you right hand faders. Bottle water is available every three holes, which is big on a 100-degree day.

This is one of the best golf courses in the Phoenix area and absolutely worth the drive.

It's crazy that I played here for $50 (that's including tax) on a holiday weekend when Troon North, TPC, Grayhawk, and other courses still would have wanted three figures to play. This is a better golf course than any of those. Does it have the address or the views? No, but what you get here is great golf with no homes, no roads, nothing but great golf.

The greens on this day looked a little rough but they actually putted fine, maybe a bit slower than they normally do here (but they are typically FAST out here so that's not to call them slow by any means).

My only real complaint was the pace of play, which was fairly glacial. It took every bit of five hours to play, which is bad enough and as I was part of a threesome that felt even longer. As we were waiting to tee off, the group turning off nine had all of the tenth hole open in front of them (the group in front was putting on 11 already). The starter asked them to pick it up, but by that point the damage is already done and we knew we were in for a long day.

Great layout, great food service was excellent. Cant say enough great things. Will absolutely be back experience was first class even in the off-season.

Working their way toward transition season, so the greens were a little bumpy and sandy. This is a great layout with many challenging holes.