Fred Couples’ Desert Links & the Art of the Flighted Wedge

The Ryder Cup result wasn’t what any of us wanted, but you have to give Europe credit — they showed up ready. The U.S. squad finally found some fire on Sunday, but that sense of urgency came a day too late. Hopefully the sting of this one lingers long enough for them to rethink how they prepare — more time together between Cups, site visits, team rounds, anything that builds chemistry before Friday morning. Europe played their asses off and deserved to keep the trophy.

This week’s featured course is Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona — a rare Fred Couples co-design (with Schmidt-Curley) that pays homage to the wide, wind-swept links of Australia. It’s laid out over 320 acres of open desert, framed by over a hundred artfully placed bunkers that give each hole its own rhythm and risk.

When it opened, Southern Dunes was a private men’s club. After the 2008 crash, it transitioned to public play — and locals never looked back. Today, it’s one of the purest desert golf experiences anywhere in the Southwest.

If you’re based in Scottsdale or planning a trip out here, this is the course you make the drive for. It’s not your typical target-golf layout — it’s big, bold, and strategic. The wind and angles matter as much as distance.

And if you’re new here — welcome. I live in Scottsdale and cover a lot of courses across the Southwest, but I’ll be branching out soon to bring you more hidden gems from other regions. You won’t find me reviewing the Top 100 everyone already knows. You should play those — that’s a given. I’m here to help you find the ones just outside that list — the overlooked, the underrated, the unforgettable.

If there’s a course you think deserves the spotlight, hit reply. I’d love to hear about it.

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💰 Green fees - Dynamic pricing ranging from $50 - $250

✏️ Architects - Fred Couples & Schmidt-Curley

📍 Maricopa, Arizona

TL;DR — Why play Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
If you want to see what desert golf looks like when it’s stripped down to its purest form, make the drive to Maricopa. No houses, no distractions, just wind, sand, and strategy. Southern Dunes is Fred Couples’ quiet masterpiece — big, bold, and surprisingly soulful.

One of my favorite things about Southern Dunes starts before you even tee it up — the drive in. It’s their version of Magnolia Lane, only lined with towering eucalyptus trees instead of magnolias. The clubhouse sits quietly at the end, a low-slung ranch style building that feels more like a friend’s cabin than a clubhouse. It was designed that way on purpose. When it opened in 2002, it was meant to be a men’s-only club — golf first, everything else second.

And you feel that the moment you step on the range. The practice setup is as good as it gets — a sprawling short game area where you can work on those 50-yard flighted wedges, a massive grass range with great turf and a putting green that mirrors the speed and subtlety of what you’ll find on the course.

Then you walk to the first tee, and it hits you: space. Pure, uninterrupted space. The entire course sprawls across 320 acres of rolling desert, and there’s not a single house in sight — just dunes, fairways, and the distant outline of the Sierra Estrella Mountains.

Southern Dunes has a layout that sneaks up on you - long but wide off the tee, firm fairways, and shaped to make you think. The challenge isn’t just distance, it’s choosing the right line and trusting it. You notice that right away on the 2nd, a drivable par 4 that dares you to take on the front bunker and chase one up near the green. It’s the first real test of conviction — lay up left and wedge in, or grab driver and find out.

The 7th, a sweeping par 5, rewards aggression if you can find the right side off the tee. Cut the corner and you’ll have a real look at the green in two, but miss and you’re in a sea of bunkers that seem to get bigger with each step closer. After the turn, 10 might be the most complete hole on the course — a strong par 4 bending right around water with bunkers pinching the layup zone. It’s pure strategy from start to finish, every decision shaping the next shot. And whatever you do, don’t go long on your approach. It’s an automatic double bogey waiting to happen

The course closes beautifully with 18, another par 4 guarded by water on the right and a green that seems to float just above the horizon. It’s a demanding finish but a fair one, a hole that rewards a great drive and solid approach. Southern Dunes doesn’t beat you up — it tests your judgment. You can feel Fred Couples’ touch in the pacing and restraint. It’s golf that’s wide open but never easy, firm and fast, and full of choices that make you want another crack at it.

Pro Tip: Don’t skip #MiniDunes — the six-hole short course tucked beside the range. Each hole runs 60–115 yards and mirrors the same bunkering and green contours you’ll find on the main track.

Tee times help, but walk-ups are fine. For $25–$35, you can loop as many times as you like — six holes, twelve, eighteen, whatever you can handle. It’s super chill and great way to hang with the crew before heading back to the valley.

And if you’re staying overnight, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort five minutes away makes it easy — nice rooms, great casino with all the table action you need, at great rates.

Hitting Flighted Wedges

If you’re looking to take your wedge game to the next level, learn to hit flighted wedges. It’s the shot that separates good from great - lower launch, predictable spin, and precise distance control. You’re not trying to hit it hard, you’re trying to hit it solid. Once you take spin and trajectory out of the equation, your distance control improves overnight.

Here’s how to keep it simple and repeatable:

For a deeper look at the motion, Adam Porzak has an excellent breakdown here.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday! See you next week.

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