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4.5
1408 Reviews (1408)
5 Stars
960
4 Stars
329
3 Stars
76
2 Stars
31
1 Stars
12
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.2
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.6
89.9%
Recommend this course
1310 out of 1408 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
33 Reviews (33)
5 Stars
22
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.0
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.7
81.8%
Recommend this course
27 out of 33 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
104 Reviews (104)
5 Stars
61
4 Stars
28
3 Stars
12
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.2
Value
4.2
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.8
87.5%
Recommend this course
91 out of 104 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Style Traditional/Links
Par 72
Length 7546 yards
Slope 142
Rating 76.5

Stretching over 320 acres in the southwest area, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club (previously known as Royal Dunes) transforms mostly flat terrain into a challenging course that uses practically twice the amount of land a standard course. The course incorporates superb landscaping featuring towering mounds and hollow valleys for an interesting and scenic game. This desert golf course has wide fairways and generous landing areas. The dunes-style layout requires precision from tee to green. The difficulty of the golf course lies within the deep, strategically placed sand bunkers, multi-tiered greens, and native grass roughs. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club provides adequate challenge for players of any skill level.

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Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 2002
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round. Closed on Mondays from June 1 - August 31st
Architect Brian Curley (2002) Fred Couples (2002) Lee E. Schmidt (2002)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Caddies Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Appropriate golf attire.

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities, Spa, Locker Rooms

Available Sports

Fitness

Accolades

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Reviews

4.5
1408 Reviews (1408)

Reviewer Photos

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

great experience

they allow walking and the course was easy to walk. course was in excellent shape, greens rolled nicely and all fairways had plenty of grass. practice area was excellent, too. all around great day of golf. lots of sand traps but the sand was consistent. think we played in 4:35

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
DSN
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Fun course

This course is great. Tons of bunkers, sandy areas and desert. Course was in excellent condition. Well worth the drive to get there. Low price green fee and my son played for free. The bag drop/cart guy was very friendly and helpful. The girl in the pro shop seemed annoyed that I was there when I went in to pay. Liked the free, cold water bottles provided by the course. Will be back to play.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Challenging course...want to go back and better my score!

The starter was friendly and helpful. The course was challenging and enjoyable. We played in with another 2some and both the company and the course were very enjoyable. Weather was perfect and we'd love to go back and try to better our score next time!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Firm & Fast

This course is always a treat, we had a lil problem with the ranger out there but the head pro came out and resolved the matter like a true professional. I wish the greens were a bit softer and receptive but I guess they keep them firm to protect the greens from ball marks, etc.. Always worth the drive, trully a top 10 course in the valley. A MUST PLAY.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 19
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Hidden Gem

This course is well worth the 30 minute drive from Phoenix. Conditions of fairways and greens were near perfect. Lots of sand, but the fairways are generous and good shots are rewarded. Starter was very friendly and informative. Great pace of play as we finished in 4 hours. I will definitely return and recommend that you give this course a try if you want an alternative to the more traditional desert courses in the area.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Worth the drive

First time playing and enjoyed it a lot. Probably would have enjoyed it even more if I had moved up to the whites. As a senior who still plays regular tees I found this course plays longer than the yardage because of the carries into greens over bunkers.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

good, solid golf course

I chose this course for our recent Phoenix trip to play on the first day because its a more traditional course thats a bit forgiving off the tee. There is "desert" area, but its more cleared out than most courses and you can typically find and play your ball if in the junk. fortunately, I hit the ball fairly well and didn't have to find that out for myself. Its a good challenge without being too difficult. Its a solid layout, but not quite as spectacular as some in the area. It does have quite a bit of sand, but the traps are consistent and if you have a repeatable swing, you can control it around the greens.

during our recent trip we played southern dunes, estrella, victory, quintero, sunridge canyon and las sendas. I would rate this below most of those for views/surroundings/layout (not that it was bad, just not as spectacular), but near the top for condition (sunridge and estrella were at the bottom for condition as the rough didn't exist and was matted down to essentially be dirt like). It had a great practice facility and overall, I'd rate this a solid 4 star and one I'd definitely play again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 194
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing

Updated Review

I am updating my review from play on March 6. Due to a poor experience, I was contacted by the course. I had a good conversation with the representative and was assured my concerns were dealt with accordingly. I am upgrading my review on that par. Unfortunately my items were never turned in so that is still an issue.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

going to the beach

more sand than grass, but in good condition. if you like a lot of sand, then you will have a blast. This course took a tole on me, but staff, practice area...all good. play the the short tees and leave your driver at home.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

I can see why it was previously rated higher, but...

The course has potential to be an excellent track, but I have a couple major complaints. Overall it's in excellent condition and has a fun layout. However, there was a lot of inconsistency with the bunkers. There are just so many on the course, the manpower required to properly maintain them would be outrageous. So you are left with many bunkers that have at most an inch of good sand on top of rock hard sand, which works out fine for fairway bunkers, but not so much for around the green. My second complaint the inability of the greens to hold approach shots. I hit the ball higher than most and watched a 9 iron hit in front of the flag and end up 30 yards past the green! For the price you pay at this course, one of those problems would be acceptable, but not both. I wished I could have played the course a couple years ago when it was rated higher.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 29
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

great coarse

best greens i have ever played on,23 putts. a great day with new friend and my buddette .

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Magnificent desert course

Ak-Chin lived up to every great review and rating. The design was highly challenging with all of the bunkers and waste areas, yet the course is quite playable for a low-to-mid handicap player. (Course knowledge and the ability to play a second time would be helpful). The greens and fairways were lush and flawless. Only minor complaint was that the greens would not hold a wedge or short iron, making it difficult to put anything near the pin.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Worth the drive

Found this course last year & had to come back! Great clubhouse, staff & course! The only issue is the stench from the farming in the area. Must play though.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 194
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Top 100 Contributor
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Course Impeccable, Staff Spotty

I'll start with the good. Course itself is amazing. Fairways and greens were in top condition, sand in bunkers was perfect. Bottled water was available at several holes, and cart girl stopped by plenty of times. Pro Shop staff and starter were very friendly and helpful. I was greeted as I pulled up as well. Now the not so good. My self and another gentleman were paired with two employees of the course. One was very friendly and provided helpful info on the course. Unfortunately the other played loud music the entire round. He didn't bother to ask either one of us if we were okay with it, which we both would have said no. Tough enough playing a challenging course without music blaring five feet away from you as you try to hit a shot. After we finished he then asked if it bothered us, and we quickly said yes. No reply. Second issue, I left an item in the cart and called within 30 minutes of finishing to see if it was turned in. It was not so I called again before closing, and again the next morning. Nothing. Gee, wonder who grabbed it. I realize it's my mistake. However, this is not a Muni and for what it costs to play, better treatment should be expected in both situations.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/14/2018

Thank you for filling out this form and good to hear your positive thoughts on the golf course. In regards to the other issues, please give us a call so we can look into these situations to help us all get better. My name is Devin and I can be reached at 520.426.6830. Look forward to hearing from you.

Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great shape - greens may be best in Valley

The course is in great shape - the greens are rolling true and were probably 11.5/12 on Sunday

The bunkers were very consistent around the course. We got around in about 4:15 but never waited to hit shots. All the staff was friendly and accommodating - we tee it up at 12:10 and their was still a beverage cart on 17- and the grill is a great place to tally the rounds winning and losses - good menu - a step up from regular bar food

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

One of AZ best

Great layout

Fabulous condition

I play 120+ a year and this is in top 5

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
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Golf Packages

The Triple Down Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Gila River Resorts & Casino - Wild Horse Pass or Harrah's Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino and golf at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes and Whirlwind Golf Club - Cattail & Devil's Claw courses.

Whirlwind Golf Getaway Package

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CHANDLER | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Gila River Resorts & Casino - Wild Horse Pass and golf at Whirlwind Golf Club - Cattail & Devil's Claw courses.

The Fairways of Fountain Hills Package

CLICK BELOW
PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE | Enjoy accommodations at ADERO Scottsdale Resort, Autograph Collection or The Inn at Eagle Mountain and golf at Eagle Mountain Golf Club & SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
Sunridge Canyon Golf Club

The Fairways of Fountain Hills Package

CLICK BELOW
PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE | Enjoy accommodations at ADERO Scottsdale Resort, Autograph Collection or The Inn at Eagle Mountain and golf at Eagle Mountain Golf Club and SunRidge Canyon Golf Club

Mesa Golf Around Package

CLICK BELOW
MESA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Home2 Suites by Hilton - Mesa Longbow and golf at Las Sendas Golf Club, Longbow Golf Club & Ocotillo Golf Club.
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