Arroyo Dunes Par 3 in Yuma: The City's 18-Hole Short Course

Arroyo Dunes Par 3 in Yuma is the city's 18-hole, par-54 short course at 32nd Street and Avenue A, 2,174 yards with holes from 65 to 180 yards. On the posted January to March table it costs $20 to walk 18 or $10 to walk nine, and tee times are by phone at 928-726-8350.

It reopened in December 2025 after a new irrigation system, and it is one of the cheapest rounds in town for short-game work, beginners and a quick nine late in the day.

Quick facts

• Where: 1301 W 32nd Street, about 9 minutes (4.5 miles) from downtown. On the map: Arroyo Dunes Par 3.
• Course: 18 holes, par 54, 2,174 yards, all par 3s of 65 to 180 yards.
• Opened: 1961. Closed Mar 29, 2025 for irrigation work; reopened Dec 13, 2025.
• Jan-Mar rates (posted): 18 holes $20 walking or $30 with a cart; nine holes $10 or $20.
• Booking: walk up or call 928-726-8350. No online tee sheet.
• Pace target: 18 holes in three hours or less.
• Reviews: Google 4.5 from 38 reviews, listed as Desert Hills Par 3.

What the course is like

Arroyo Dunes is flat, with a small pond and areas of native landscaping, and it sits next to a driving range. The 2025 work put in new irrigation, paid for by a state water-infrastructure grant, and replaced some turf with native landscaping, which the city says makes the par 3 "a little more challenging" and which tightens a few holes.

Holes range from 65 yards (#11) to 180 yards (#5). Most are a wedge to a mid-iron, so you can leave the driver in the car. It is not rated by the USGA, and we rate it 1 of 5 for difficulty.

The course goes by several names. The city golf site lists it as the Desert Hills Par 3, Google uses that name too, and other listings use Arroyo Dunes Golf Course. They are all the same place.

History and the 2025 rebuild

Arroyo Dunes opened in 1961, which makes it older than Desert Hills (1973). It is part of the City of Yuma golf operation run by the Parks and Recreation Department, alongside the main course.

On Mar 29, 2025 the par 3 closed for the irrigation project, and it stayed shut through summer 2025. The city announced the reopening with a ribbon-cutting on Dec 13, 2025, and in October 2026 the city golf site still listed the course with its current January to March rates. We did not find a 2026 review or visit report, so if you have not played it since the rebuild, expect some changes from the old layout where native landscaping replaced turf.

One search summary describes the course as nine holes. The city scorecard used here shows 18 holes, par 54, and that is what the rate sheet prices.

Arroyo Dunes Par 3 rates in Yuma by season

Arroyo Dunes shares the Desert Hills rate sheet, which changes several times a year. Only the January to March table was posted on October 23, 2026; the older tables show the pattern.

The nine-hole rate is valid only on the early back nine or after 2 PM. The Nov-Dec 2025 rates, set just before the reopening, were higher than the current Jan-Mar table, and the Nov-Dec 2026 table was not posted. Rates change, so confirm when you call.

No par-3 punch card or pass is published. The Desert Hills 10-play cart card ($150) and the summer Beat the Heat card are city-wide, but the city does not say whether they apply to the par 3. Earlier rate pages (2025) showed juniors playing free with a paying adult. For more low-cost golf, see cheap golf in Yuma.

Booking, carts and course rules

• Tee times: phone only, at 928-726-8350, or walk up. The online engine on the city site is for the main Desert Hills course.
• Carts: walking is the norm here. Cart rentals for the par 3 go through Desert Hills (928-373-5220).
• Clubs: each player needs their own set of clubs and a bag.
• Spikes and groups: metal spikes are not permitted, and fivesomes play only with the golf shop's permission.
• Dress: proper golf attire.
• Overseed: fall 2026 plans were not published, and the Arizona Golf Association's 2026 list says to contact the course. Call before an October round.

Practice facilities at and near the par 3

The scorecard map shows a practice green and a driving range next to the course, plus a small golf shop and restrooms. There is no food service listed, so for a meal head to The Hills at the main Desert Hills clubhouse.

The full Desert Hills practice facility is about a mile south: a range ($6 for 30 balls, $10 for 60), four putting greens, three chipping greens, two bunkers and a 10-hole short-game course. Our Desert Hills Golf Course guide has the details, and the Yuma driving range guide compares every practice option in town.

How Arroyo Dunes fits a winter routine

For a winter visitor playing three or four rounds a week, the par 3 earns a regular slot:

• A short-game day. Walk 18 for $20 in January to March and hit nothing longer than 180 yards. Ten walking rounds cost $200 at that rate, against $550 for ten walking mornings on the main course.
• A late-afternoon nine. After 2 PM the nine-hole walking rate is $10. Winter sunset is around 5:30 PM, so there is time.
• Rounds with a beginner or a partner. It is flat, quick (three hours or less for 18) and cheap.
• A pairing with Desert Hills. Play the main course in the morning and the par 3 in the afternoon; they are about a mile apart.

Our snowbird golf schedule for Yuma builds this into a full weekly rotation. Summer is different. May to September is extreme heat in Yuma, with normal highs of about 103F in June and 107F in July, so any round, even on a short course, is a first-light activity. The last summer table we found (July to October 2024) kept the par 3 at $20 to walk 18, the same as spring. Our Yuma summer golf guide covers how locals play through the heat.

Arroyo Dunes vs the other short courses

Arroyo Dunes is the closest to town and the cheapest per hole. Foothills Par 3 has lighted night golf from Tuesday to Saturday and a range open all day; see our Foothills Par 3 guide and the Foothills Par 3 course guide. Butterfield, the other 18-hole par 3, is in Wellton, about 40 minutes east of downtown on I-8; read about Butterfield golf in Wellton. The par-3 at Westwind RV & Golf Resort has been closed since May 2026, so its status is unclear; call first.

If you like short courses elsewhere, our guide to par-3 and short courses in St. George covers the Utah side.

Where to stay nearby

Several hotels near 16th St are about 8 minutes away, which makes the par 3 an easy add-on to a buddies trip based in town. The Desert Hills course guide and the Arroyo Dunes course guide have both courses' data.

Plan it on the map

Arroyo Dunes Par 3 is on the Yuma golf map next to Desert Hills, with drive times to nearby hotels and rentals. The $30 plan can slot it into a winter stay as a weekly short-game day.