One of Ahwatukee’s longest-running redevelopment battles has moved from the courtroom to the City of Phoenix planning process.
D.R. Horton has filed a pre-application concept showing 573 single-family homes on the 162-acre former Club West Golf Course. The national homebuilder has not purchased the property, and the development has not been approved.
However, after years of closure, ownership changes and litigation, the Club West property may be closer than ever to finding a productive new use.
What Is Being Proposed?
The former golf course is located at 16400 S. 14th Avenue, near 17th Avenue and Chandler Boulevard.
Here is what we know:
- Community Harmony Coalition LLC purchased the golf course and clubhouse in May for $2.1 million.
- The new owners are marketing the property for sale.
- D.R. Horton filed a pre-application concept for 573 single-family lots.
- D.R. Horton has not completed a purchase of the property.
- The current plan reportedly includes more than three times as many homes as the redevelopment proposal introduced in 2020.
- The pre-application represents an early discussion with Phoenix planners—not a formal project approval.
The final number of homes, community layout and development timeline could all change.
A Long Approval Process Remains
Before construction could begin, a developer would need to obtain several major approvals.
These are expected to include:
- An amendment to the Phoenix General Plan.
- An amendment to the Foothills Planned Community District.
- Rezoning of the property.
- Water and sewer service commitments.
- Plans addressing traffic, hillside protection and open space.
- Public hearings and approval from the City of Phoenix.
A pre-application allows a developer to identify potential obstacles before submitting formal applications. It does not guarantee that the city will approve the concept.
Golf-course redevelopment proposals can also change or disappear during the entitlement process. Tempe’s withdrawn Shalimar Golf Club redevelopment proposal provides a recent example.
Why Club West Golf Course Closed
The golf course did not close simply because its owners wanted to replace it with housing.
Water was a major factor.
The City of Phoenix previously operated a nearby wastewater reclamation facility that supplied reclaimed water for irrigation. After that facility closed, Club West was forced to rely more heavily on expensive drinking water.
The course initially closed in 2016. A brief reopening ended in early 2018 after the operator reportedly accumulated more than $200,000 in city water bills.
The property has remained largely inactive ever since.
That history matters because it shows why preserving the original use may no longer be financially practical. A golf course that cannot obtain affordable irrigation water is unlikely to become sustainable simply because nearby homeowners prefer the open space.
The Lawsuit Ended—but the Approval Fight Did Not
Nearby homeowners spent more than four years challenging redevelopment of the property.
In January 2026, a judge rejected claims brought by the Club West Conservancy. The ruling found that the homeowners could not use the existing restrictions to require the property to remain a golf course or permanent open space.
That decision removed a major private legal obstacle to redevelopment.
It did not approve D.R. Horton’s 573-home concept. The proposal must still proceed through Phoenix’s public planning and zoning process.
Does the Project Have Enough Water?
Phoenix currently holds a designation of assured water supply from the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
A subdivision served by a designated provider can generally satisfy Arizona’s assured-water requirements through a written commitment of service instead of obtaining a separate certificate for the individual development.
That gives the Club West site a potential advantage over projects located outside a designated water provider’s service area.
However, water service is not automatic. A future developer would still need to obtain the necessary commitment from Phoenix and demonstrate that adequate water, sewer and related infrastructure can serve the property.
Why the Proposal Matters for Housing Affordability
Ahwatukee is a desirable, largely built-out part of Phoenix. Large parcels capable of accommodating hundreds of new homes are increasingly rare.
The proposed homes would not necessarily be affordable housing. However, additional market-rate supply can still:
- Give buyers more choices.
- Reduce some competition for existing homes.
- Create opportunities for families seeking newer construction.
- Moderate long-term pressure on home prices.
- Make productive use of land inside an established community.
- Add housing without pushing development farther into the desert.
No single development will solve Phoenix’s housing shortage, but consistently adding supply is essential to creating a more balanced housing market.
Upper Canyon Is Bringing More Housing Nearby
Club West is not the only significant development underway in this part of Ahwatukee.
The 373-acre Upper Canyon community, located less than two miles away, is planned to include approximately:
- 1,050 detached single-family homes.
- 150 semi-detached homes.
- 329 multifamily units.
Builders involved in Upper Canyon include Blandford Homes, PulteGroup and D.R. Horton.
Together, Upper Canyon and a potential Club West redevelopment demonstrate continued builder confidence in the Ahwatukee real estate and rental market.
What Phoenix Rental Property Owners Should Watch
The Club West proposal is too early for investors to assume that 573 homes will be built exactly as currently shown.
If it eventually moves forward, the development could affect nearby owners in several ways:
- New construction could create additional competition for existing homes.
- New sales could establish updated neighborhood comparable values.
- Population growth could support local businesses and amenities.
- Additional residents could increase long-term rental demand.
- Construction and entitlement activity could influence nearby land values.
These effects would occur over several years, not immediately. Owners should evaluate the proposal alongside current Phoenix-area sales and rental market conditions.
What Happens Next?
The most important developments to watch are:
- Whether D.R. Horton or another buyer purchases the property.
- Whether formal plan-amendment and rezoning applications are filed.
- How the proposed layout addresses traffic, open space and hillside areas.
- Whether Phoenix commits to providing water and sewer service.
- Whether the 573-home density survives neighborhood and city review.
Until those steps occur, Club West remains a redevelopment opportunity—not an approved subdivision.
Bottom Line
The former Club West Golf Course is more likely to change than it has been in years, but the 573-home proposal is not yet a done deal.
The golf course lost access to an economically viable water source, remained inactive for years and survived a prolonged legal fight. Allowing the owner to pursue another productive use is a reasonable next step.
The City of Phoenix should still ensure that any development addresses infrastructure, traffic and hillside conditions. But preserving an economically failed land use indefinitely would do little to solve the region’s housing challenges.
For rental analysis, leasing and Phoenix property management services, Home Ladder helps Arizona owners understand how neighborhood development and changing market conditions may affect their investments.