A Brief History of Our Property
From cattle ranching to world-class golf, with a varied cast of characters leaving their mark on the land throughout the centuries, no one can dispute that Scottsdale National Golf Club occupies a special part of the Sonoran Desert. No one appreciates that fact more than club founder Bob Parsons. “To find a property of this magnitude with the vistas it has in every direction, plus the public lands around it that will never be developed, and to have it in Scottsdale to boot,” he says. “Well, that is absolutely astounding.”
The property has been roamed upon by nomadic bands of hunters, Native American tribes, and even the U.S. Army, who in the late 19th century trekked along The Stoneman Military Trail that reportedly weaved its way for two decades around the eastern and northern edge of Fraesfield Mountain that overlooks the club.
In the early 20th century, Edwin Orpheus (“E.O.”) Brown began a ranching operation that eventually grew to 44,000 acres, including the land on which Scottsdale National Golf Club is located. His son E.E. Brown, a man known for working the land with a Colt .45 affixed to his hip, and his spirited wife Goldie continued the cattle ranch operations into the 1950s, after which the sprawling ranch was eventually broken into various parcels sold for development.
Even Mother Nature has left its mark on the area. In July 1995, the Rio Fire was started by a lightning strike on Fraesfield Mountain. The resulting damage left many scars on the landscape. To date, Parsons has gone to great lengths to reestablish a desert palette and to reunite dispersed ranch parcels throughout Scottsdale National Golf Club and the surrounding area. He is writing his own chapter in the memorable history of this heavenly piece of the Sonoran Desert landscape.
Want to Be Part of the Story? Apply for The Xperience at Scottsdale National Today
Now that you know a little more about the history of our property that makes Scottsdale National Golf Club and what it is today, why not be a part of the storied history yourself? Come join us and apply for The Xperience at Scottsdale National today!
