This very challenging course has received praise from Golf Digest in 1990, as it ranked 30th on their list of the Top 75 Public Courses, in America. Desert Dunes has also been recognized as one of the greatest public golf courses in all of Southern California. It is so challenging due to its extremely narrow fairways, many water hazards, and its very quick and undulating greens. The terrain of desert plants and vegetation has been kept intact, and there is a diverse array of wildlife that inhabits the area including rabbits, coyotes, owls, and roadrunners. A lot of the appeal of Desert Dunes is that it has the feel and style of a Scottish links course, and unlike most other desert-style courses in the area, Desert Dunes offers a secluded feel to golfers who will not find any residence-lined fairways or noise from traffic on this course.