public · Yuma, AZ · 18 holes

Desert Hills Golf Course

Yuma's main public course and a solid municipal layout. It is cheap in summer and still under $80 with a cart in Jan-Mar. Walking rates and punch cards make it the default for snowbirds playing several days a week.

Par72

Tips6,824 yd

Rating / slope72.2 / 121

Green fees seen$20–$75

See Desert Hills on the 3D map, hole by hole Book a tee time

Tees, rating and slope

Tee	Yards	Men	Women
Championship	6,824	72.2 / 121	–
White	6,329	69.9 / 117	75.3 / 126
Red	5,726	67.1 / 113	72.1 / 118
Red/Gold	5,396	–	70.8 / 114
Gold	4,926	64.3 / 102	68.7 / 110

Course rating / slope, USGA Course Rating database where available.

Green fees

Peak	Jan-Mar (current posted table, seen 2026-10-23): 18 holes before 11 AM $75 ride / $55 walk; 11 AM-1 PM $59 / $45; after 1 PM $49 / $40; 9 holes $49 / $40 (early back nine or after 2 PM only). Walking rate not valid with a cart card.
Winter	Nov-Dec 2025 (archived city rate page, Jan 2026): before 11 AM $65 ride / $45 walk; 11 AM-1 PM $55 / $35; after 1 PM $40 / $25; 9 holes $40 / $25. Nov-Dec 2026 rates not posted as of 2026-10-23.
Shoulder	Apr-May 2025 (archived city rate page): before 11 AM $65 ride / $45 walk; 11 AM-1 PM $55 / $35; after 1 PM $45 / $25; 9 holes $40 / $30. Spring 2026 shoulder table not seen.
Summer	July-Oct 2024 (archived city rate page, last official summer table found): before 11 AM $49 ride / $30 walk; 11 AM-1 PM $39 / $25; 1-4 PM $35 / $20; 9 holes $30 / $20. Third-party: a GolfNow listing for an August 2026 date showed $60 with cart plus a $10 non-refundable booking deposit, and GolfLink showed about $68 ride / $47 walk for June 8, 2026 (both from search results, not confirmed on the course site).
Twilight	After 1 PM: $49 ride / $40 walk (Jan-Mar); $40 / $25 (Nov-Dec 2025). Walking 9 holes after 4 PM: $9.
Locals	No City of Yuma resident rate is published for golf. Beat the Heat card ($20 processing fee, earned by playing 12 rounds between Jun 1 and Sep 30) gives the next rate tier down all year. Military $5 off before 11 AM (on 2024-2025 rate pages; not repeated on the current Jan-Mar table). Juniors free with a paying adult (2025 pages).

Jan-Mar table from cityofyumagolf.com/course/rates, seen 2026-10-23 (no year printed; page unchanged since at least Apr 2026). Other seasons from Wayback Machine copies of the same page (Aug 2024, Jan 2025, Apr 2025, Jan 2026). No live prices: no tee times were bookable Oct 23-31, 2026.

Before you book

Access	City of Yuma municipal course run by the Parks and Recreation Department; open to everyone. No visitor limits or winter-resident rules are published. Tee times by phone (928-373-5220, golf shop takes calls 6 AM-6 PM) or online through the city's TeeItUp booking page. Holders of the summer Beat the Heat card get the next rate tier down all year and can book 8 days ahead for their own foursome.
Book ahead	Online (TeeItUp): each date's tee sheet opens at 12:00 AM eight days ahead (the engine said Nov 1, 2026 opens Oct 24 and Nov 5 opens Oct 28; seen 2026-10-23). The TeeItUp policy text says the tee-time policy is 'being updated' and to call the course. Phone bookings 6 AM-6 PM daily. Beat the Heat card holders: 8 days ahead, own foursome only. GolfNow also resells times.
Overseed / closures	No 2026 dates published. The AZ Golf Association 2026 overseed list shows 'Unknown / contact course'. On 2026-10-23 both TeeItUp and GolfNow showed no online tee times through Oct 31, 2026, and the TeeItUp engine showed the message 'Tee times are available. Please, call the Pro Shop at 928-373-5220 to book a tee time.' So the course may be taking phone bookings while online booking is paused; the reopening date after overseed is not published. Past pattern (Yuma Sun, 2024): closed Sep 30, reopened about Oct 25. Call the golf shop before going.
Designer	Disputed. Built by the City of Yuma; a 2008 Golf Club Atlas thread says city engineers laid it out, with consultant Dick Slavinski involved. Forrest Richardson, credited by GolfPass and GolfNow, says there that he only redid the practice green and the No. 9 green in the 1980s or early 1990s.
Opened	1973
Style	Desert parkland municipal course with rolling terrain, some elevation changes, palms, open fairways and large undulating greens. Water comes into play on a few holes (scorecard diagram shows ponds at #3, #7, #17 and #18).
Carts	Walking allowed at all times, with separate walking rates. Carts follow the 90-degree rule and stay on paths near tees and greens (scorecard). Fivesomes allowed. Personal coolers not allowed. Companion/replay/spectator cart fee $15 for 18 holes, $10 for 9.
Practice	Driving range (range balls $6 for 30, $10 for 60), four putting greens, three chipping greens, two warm-up bunkers, plus a 10-hole short-game course and a FootGolf course.
Dress code	Proper golf attire required (scorecard). GolfPass lists: collared shirt, no cut-offs, denim allowed.
Pace	Scorecard USGA pace rating 4 hrs 18 min; spring 2026 reviews report 5+ hours at busy times.
Drive from downtown Yuma	11 min (5.2 mi)
Phone	928-373-5220 (golf shop and tee times)
Address	1245 W. Desert Hills Drive, Yuma, AZ 85365

Local knowledge

In Jan-Mar, walking saves $20 a round in the morning ($55 vs $75). The walking punch card ($500 for 10) works out to $50 a round.
The after-1 PM rate ($49 ride / $40 walk in Jan-Mar) is the best value if you can finish before dark. Winter sunset is around 5:30 PM.
Arizona does not use daylight saving time. First tee time is sunrise or 6:00 AM MST, whichever is later, and in winter that is one hour ahead of California.
The 9-hole rate is only offered on the early back nine or after 2 PM.
If you are in Yuma for the summer, 12 rounds between June 1 and Sep 30 earn a Beat the Heat card ($20). It drops every round one rate tier and lets you book 8 days out for your group.
Pace was the weak point in spring 2026 GolfPass reviews: several mentioned slow play, one a 5:15 round in March. The USGA pace rating on the scorecard is 4 hrs 18 min, so take an early tee time.
Expect overseed conditions in early November. In late October 2026 there were no tee times bookable through Oct 31.

Recognition

Voted Yuma's Best Golf Course 19 of the last 20 years (local reader poll, per the course site)
Hosted Ben Hogan Tour, Nike Tour and Sunbelt Senior Tour events (course site)

Closest golf hotels

Long Realty Yuma — 8 min, 3.6 mi
Hampton Inn & Suites Yuma — 11 min, 4.6 mi
Homewood Suites by Hilton Yuma — 11 min, 5.0 mi

Questions golfers ask

How much does it cost to play Desert Hills Golf Course?

Green fees we have seen range from $20–$75, depending on season and time of day. Peak season: Jan-Mar (current posted table, seen 2026-10-23): 18 holes before 11 AM $75 ride / $55 walk; 11 AM-1 PM $59 / $45; after 1 PM $49 / $40; 9 holes $49 / $40 (early back nine or after 2 PM only). Walking rate not valid with a cart card.

How hard is Desert Hills Golf Course?

From the back tees it measures 6,824 yards with a course rating of 72.2 and a slope of 121. 3 - 72.2/121 from 6,824-yard Championship tees; rolling lies, some elevation change and large undulating greens, but open fairways.

How far ahead can you book Desert Hills Golf Course?

Online (TeeItUp): each date's tee sheet opens at 12:00 AM eight days ahead (the engine said Nov 1, 2026 opens Oct 24 and Nov 5 opens Oct 28; seen 2026-10-23). The TeeItUp policy text says the tee-time policy is 'being updated' and to call the course. Phone bookings 6 AM-6 PM daily. Beat the Heat card holders: 8 days ahead, own foursome only. GolfNow also resells times.

How far is Desert Hills Golf Course from Yuma?

About 11 minutes (5.2 miles) by road from downtown Yuma in light traffic.