Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree: the Red Lawrence course, homes, and membership

Nov 2

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Desert Forest Golf Club opened in 1962 as the centerpiece of the new town of Carefree, and its course still has no out of bounds markers, no water hazards, and no fairway bunkers. The desert itself is the hazard. For anyone shopping for a home in Carefree or north Cave Creek, the club is a big part of what shaped the area around it.

The short answer Desert Forest is a private, 18 hole golf club in Carefree designed by Robert "Red" Lawrence and renovated in 2013 by David Zinkand. Membership starts with an invitation from a current member, and the club does not publish fees. Carefree homes sold for a median of $999,524 over the three months ending September 2026, according to Redfin, with a median of 138 days on market.

What the data says

Founded: 1962, by Carefree founders Tom Darlington and K.T. Palmer, with the course at the heart of the new town (Desert Forest Golf Club, History page, opened November 2026)
Course: 18 holes, par 72, 7,201 yards, at roughly 2,400 to 3,000 feet of elevation below Black Mountain (Wikipedia, Desert Forest Golf Club, opened November 2026)
Design: Robert "Red" Lawrence; 2013 renovation led by David Zinkand (Desert Forest Golf Club, Course page, opened November 2026)
Carefree median sale price: $999,524, down 11.0% year over year (Redfin, three months ending September 2026)
Carefree median days on market: 138, up from 127 a year earlier (Redfin, September 2026)
Carefree sale to list price: 93.9%, with 23.8% of homes taking a price drop (Redfin, September 2026)

Where it is

The clubhouse sits at 37207 N. Mule Train Road in Carefree, ZIP code 85377. Carefree lies north of Scottsdale and borders Cave Creek, and the course runs through the Sonoran foothills beneath Black Mountain. See where Desert Forest sits among the surrounding Carefree and Cave Creek communities on our Northeast Valley map.

The course and its designer

The club says Red Lawrence was born in White Plains, New York, in 1893 and was a layout engineer at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York. His approach at Desert Forest was to move very little earth. Fairways are narrow and roll with the natural ground, and the native desert, from saguaro to prickly pear, stays in play. Wikipedia notes the design earned Lawrence the nickname "Desert Fox."

The 2013 renovation, led by David Zinkand, rebuilt the course from tee to green. The club says it added tee boxes, improved sight lines, brought the greens up to modern standards, and updated the bunkering, while keeping the Lawrence routing.

Playing conditions

Greens are bentgrass. Tees, fairways, rough, and surrounds are hybrid bermuda.
From late September each year, everything except the greens is overseeded with rye.
The practice area includes a double sided driving range, a chipping green, a putting green, and a two acre short game area with two greens and four bunkers.
The club says the course is designed for walking, and it runs a youth caddie program.

Championship history

According to the club, Desert Forest hosted the Dunlop Masters from 1964 to 1974, the USGA Senior Amateur in 1990, the Trans Mississippi Four Ball in 2006, and the USGA U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur in 2007. It has also hosted the Goldwater Cup five times.

How membership works

The club's membership page says the process begins with an invitation from a regular member. If you do not know a member, the club invites you to submit your contact information and golf background so you can be added to a list of interested parties, and it reaches out when an opening comes up.

The club does not publish initiation fees, dues, or membership categories. For current details, contact the club at (480) 488-4589. The club's guest page also lists customs, including a rule that phones may not be used for conversations on the course or in the clubhouse outside the locker rooms and parking lot.

Homes near Desert Forest

Carefree is a small town with a thin sales count, so prices swing month to month. Redfin's numbers for the three months ending September 2026 show a median of $999,524, homes selling at 93.9% of list price on average, and nearly a quarter of listings taking a price cut. Redfin rates the market "not very competitive," which in plain terms means buyers have time and room to negotiate.

The town figure blends every Carefree home type and price point, from smaller homes to large custom estates, so it is a starting point rather than a value for any one house near the course.

What it means for buyers and sellers

A home near a well known course carries a story, but the price still comes down to the house, the lot, and the view. With days on market running long in Carefree, condition and pricing matter more than the address alone.

Practical steps

Separate the house from the club. The club's published membership process does not mention home ownership. Plan the purchase on the home's merits, and contact the club separately if membership matters to you.
Pull street level sales. A town median of about $1 million hides a wide range. Ask for closed sales on your street and within a short distance of the course over the last six to twelve months.
Confirm utilities for the address. The Carefree Water Company is overseen by the town's Utilities Community Facilities District board. Confirm the water provider and whether the home is on sewer or septic for the exact parcel.
Check views and lot lines. Walk the lot edge along the course and look at what could be built on neighboring parcels.
Avoid this mistake: assuming a long days on market number means a seller will take any offer. Redfin shows price cuts on about a quarter of listings, which also means most sellers did not cut. Base your offer on recent comparable sales, not on the town average.

The honest caveats

Redfin's Carefree figures cover the whole town, not just homes near the club, and they rest on a small number of sales, so a few large closings can move the median sharply. The club's own website is the source for its history, course details, and membership process, and it does not publish costs. Membership rules can change, so confirm anything important with the club directly.

Frequently asked questions

Is Desert Forest Golf Club private?

Yes. The club describes itself as private, and its membership page says the process begins with an invitation from a regular member. People without a connection can send their contact information and golf background through the club's website to be added to a list of interested parties.

Who designed the Desert Forest golf course?

Robert "Red" Lawrence designed the course, which the club dates to its founding in 1962. Architect David Zinkand, a longtime associate of the Coore and Crenshaw design firm, led a 2013 renovation that kept the original routing while adding tees and updating greens and bunkers.

How much does it cost to join Desert Forest Golf Club?

The club does not publish initiation fees, dues, or membership categories on its website. Anyone interested should contact the club directly at its Carefree office for current details.

Can you walk the course at Desert Forest?

Yes. The club says the course is designed to be walked and calls walking a treasured part of the experience. It also runs a youth caddie program.

What do homes in Carefree sell for right now?

Redfin reports a Carefree median sale price of $999,524 for the three months ending September 2026, down 11.0% from a year earlier. Homes took a median of 138 days to sell, compared with 127 days a year before.

Prices on individual streets near the course can be well above or below that town figure, so ask for recent sales on the specific street.

The bottom line

Wikipedia describes Desert Forest as the first desert golf layout in the Southwestern United States, and the club calls it the heart of the town Carefree's founders planned. If you are buying nearby, judge the home on its own merits, pull street level sales, and treat club membership as a separate conversation with the club.

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Sources

Desert Forest Golf Club, History, Red Lawrence, Course, Membership, and Guest Information pages, accessed November 2, 2026. Link
Desert Forest Golf Club, Course overview, accessed November 2, 2026. Link
Desert Forest Golf Club, Membership, accessed November 2, 2026. Link
Wikipedia, Desert Forest Golf Club, accessed November 2, 2026. Link
Redfin, Carefree, AZ housing market, three months ending September 2026. Link
Town of Carefree, Carefree Water Company / UCFD, accessed November 2, 2026. Link

All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. This article is for general information only and is not financial, lending, legal, or tax advice. Arizona Luxury Partners | Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Fine Properties, 21020 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Brokerage License LC629808000. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Kyle Hermann