Desert Mountain (Renegade Gold)

Overview: Renegade is the original Desert Mountain course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design in Scottsdale that introduced the club's distinctive dual-pin approach. The current official course profile lists 7,933 yards, but its real identity is variety: multiple tee and pin combinations allow the same hole to play with different angles, distances and strategic priorities. The course moves through high Sonoran desert terrain with broad fairways, mountain views and elevated green settings, combining championship scale with a surprisingly adaptable rhythm.

History: Renegade opened in 1987 on the former Carefree Ranch, beginning the partnership between developer Lyle Anderson and Nicklaus that would eventually produce six Signature courses at Desert Mountain. The original layout became known for its two-pin concept, and a later Nicklaus Design renovation expanded the tee and putting-surface choices while preserving the central idea. Renegade remains the foundation of the club's golf story and the course against which the later Desert Mountain designs are often understood.

Did You Know? The dual-pin system can create 14 different combinations on each hole. Some of the course's double putting surfaces are separated by long distances, so a round is not simply longer or shorter; it can ask for a different line and a different strategic decision from the same tee.