[Ross Harmon]

Occasionally mentioned on GCA, Gambel Golf Links was an ambitious project by Roy Dye, ASGCA in the early 1980s. Planned as 18 holes in Carefree on the now site of Desert Mountain, only the back 9 holes were ever opened for play. Just 22 acres of grass were planted on the back 9 as costs were constrained, which made for some long desert carries off most tees. It was a unique project that pushed the limits of desert golf and Dye design principles.


Tom Doak discussed the course in his original Confidential Guide as "one of the most natural courses I ever played" albeit "one of he most severe courses ever". I'm sure Tom will chime in, but he specifically called out the 10th, 13th and 18th holes as excellent and noted the quirky plans for the front 9 - including a cactus in the middle of a green! 


I recently came across a book of plans for Gambel Golf Links and wanted to share it was the GCA community. If anyone by chance has photos of this NLE project, I would much enjoy seeing them.

[Andrew Harvie]

Looks like some fun golf holes. I can't think of too many "natural" desert courses in Phoenix, aside from maybe WeKoPa, Talking Stick, Desert Forest and Apache Stronghold nearby. Shame to have lost this for 9 Nicklaus'!

[Peter Ferlicca]

The Renegade course at Desert Mountain is built on this property.  It looks like many of the same kind of holes with the wash crossings as Renegade.  I went out there a couple of years ago when they were completely redoing it and they were digging up old stuff from the Gambel course all the time.  This property also borders Desert Forest which has some of the most beautiful desert flora around, so I can imagine this was quite a treat back in the day. 


Side note.  For how many courses Dye has in the Coachella Valley, it is shocking how little he has in the Phoenix area.  His only two courses in the area are Ancala and Red Mountain Ranch which are both ridiculously narrow and don't have many of the typical Dye characteristics we are used to seeing. 

[Andrew Harvie]

The Renegade course at Desert Mountain is built on this property.  It looks like many of the same kind of holes with the wash crossings as Renegade.  I went out there a couple of years ago when they were completely redoing it and they were digging up old stuff from the Gambel course all the time.  This property also borders Desert Forest which has some of the most beautiful desert flora around, so I can imagine this was quite a treat back in the day. 


Side note.  For how many courses Dye has in the Coachella Valley, it is shocking how little he has in the Phoenix area.  His only two courses in the area are Ancala and Red Mountain Ranch which are both ridiculously narrow and don't have many of the typical Dye characteristics we are used to seeing.

Red Mountain Ranch, other for a few holes, is genuinely awful

[Mark Kiely]

Not really golf related, but I'm curious if they really intended to name one hole "The Christmas Cholla" and another "Christmas Cholla."

[Mark Smolens]

Isn't Red Mountain Ranch a Pete Dye design, as opposed to Roy??

[Andrew Harvie]

Isn't Red Mountain Ranch a Pete Dye design, as opposed to Roy??

Yes

[Tom_Doak]

Ross:


Very cool to see those old drawings.  That was a neat place, I played it two or three times with John Harbottle when he was living down there drawing plans for Red Mountain Ranch.  It occurred to me after seeing this thread that I have some slides of the course, and sure enough, I've got a bunch of good ones from 1984 . . . I will ask Sara Mess to scan them for me and then figure out some way to share them here, but it might not happen until Christmas.


P.S.  I got a good chuckle out of the description that Pete "would not have to move one yard of earth" to build the second green.  If he were still here, he would say he invented that minimalism thing, too, and he didn't even remember it.     And he wouldn't be lying.  I learned a lot about minimalism from places like The Golf Club and Gambel Golf Links.




Drew:  Both Red Mountain Ranch and Ancala were built by Perry Dye and company in the years just after I left the firm, with a little input from Pete.

[Ross Harmon]

I will ask Sara Mess to scan them for me and then figure out some way to share them here, but it might not happen until Christmas.

Thanks Tom! Much appreciated!

[Dave Givnish]

The main gate for this project is still intact. It's on Cave Creek Road a little northeast of the Desert Mountain main entrance.


DM's Seven course is roughly where the house lots are on the plan. They fit a clubhouse, the par 3 course, and lots for about 190 units in that space.

[Andrew Harvie]

Ross:


Very cool to see those old drawings.  That was a neat place, I played it two or three times with John Harbottle when he was living down there drawing plans for Red Mountain Ranch.  It occurred to me after seeing this thread that I have some slides of the course, and sure enough, I've got a bunch of good ones from 1984 . . . I will ask Sara Mess to scan them for me and then figure out some way to share them here, but it might not happen until Christmas.


P.S.  I got a good chuckle out of the description that Pete "would not have to move one yard of earth" to build the second green.  If he were still here, he would say he invented that minimalism thing, too, and he didn't even remember it.     And he wouldn't be lying.  I learned a lot about minimalism from places like The Golf Club and Gambel Golf Links.




Drew:  Both Red Mountain Ranch and Ancala were built by Perry Dye and company in the years just after I left the firm, with a little input from Pete.

My apologies. I'll fix my records!

[Mark Kiely]

The main gate for this project is still intact. It's on Cave Creek Road a little northeast of the Desert Mountain main entrance.

That's so cool!

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