PXG Desert Clubs are not your average set of irons. These clubs use something called "hollow body construction," which basically means they're empty inside like a ping pong ball. This design lets the face flex more when you hit the ball, giving you extra distance. Think of it like a trampoline effect, the ball bounces off faster than it would from a solid piece of metal.
Let me walk you through what makes these clubs tick. The Desert Club weighs about 275 grams, which is roughly 15 grams lighter than most game-improvement irons. You'll notice this difference right away when you pick one up. The lighter weight helps you swing faster without trying harder, and that means more distance for your shots.
Discover the PXG Desert Club, a revolutionary recovery golf club engineered to tackle tricky desert lies without damage. With pitching wedge loft and 8-iron length, it empowers golfers to play confidently from rocky, sandy, or cacti-filled terrain. The perfect tool to save shots and keep your main clubs pristine.
When I initially pulled the Desert Club out of its packaging, two things immediately caught my attention: the raw 17-4 stainless steel finish that looked like it meant business, and that distinctive cactus graphic on the toe where you'd normally find a number. No chrome plating, no fancy paint fill, just pure, industrial-grade steel that looked ready for war. The weight felt substantial in my hands, heavier than my standard irons but not unwieldy. I've tested plenty of specialty clubs over the years (remember those anti-shank irons from the early 2000s?), and most feel like afterthoughts. This felt like a legitimate weapon.
Let me get technical for a moment because the material choice here is brilliant. PXG went with 17-4 hardened stainless steel instead of the softer 8620 or 431 stainless you find in most irons, including their own standard lineup. Having beaten the hell out of this club for months, and I mean literally hitting it off cart paths, out of rocky lies, and through desert hardpan, I can tell you the difference is dramatic. My regular 8-iron that I accidentally used in similar conditions last year still bears the scars (what we call "desert rash" out here). The Desert Club? Apart from some minor surface scratches that actually give it character, it looks virtually the same as day one.
The raw finish isn't just for show either. Without any plating to chip or peel, there's nothing to fail over time. I've left this club wet in my bag (accidentally, of course), played in morning dew, and even forgot it outside overnight once. Zero rust, zero degradation. The club develops a subtle patina over time that actually looks better than new, like a well-worn leather wallet versus a shiny new one.
Here's what really sold me, though: I intentionally took some full swings directly into exposed granite just to test the durability claims. My playing partners thought I'd lost my mind, but the club emerged with barely a mark. Try that with your precious Mizuno forged irons and you'll be shopping for replacements.
The loft and length combination on this club is where PXG really nailed it. At 44 degrees (basically a strong pitching wedge loft) with an 8-iron length of 36.5 inches, you're getting a club that fills a unique distance gap. From decent lies, I'm carrying this thing 135-145 yards with a controlled swing, compared to my regular pitching wedge at 115-120 yards. But here's the kicker, from those nasty desert lies where you have to dig it out, that extra shaft length generates enough clubhead speed to still get the ball airborne and moving forward.
The 10-degree bounce angle with the trailing edge relief is another stroke of genius. Too much bounce, and you'd blade everything off hardpan; too little, and you'd dig into softer lies. This mid-bounce design lets me play it from virtually anywhere, packed sand, loose dirt, even those weird, crusty lies you find under mesquite trees. I've opened the face for flop shots over bunkers, closed it down for low runners under tree branches, and played it square for standard pitch shots.
The lighter swing weight (around D0) compared to my regular irons took some adjustment, but now I love it. The faster clubhead speed means I can swing easier and still get the distance I need, which is vital when you're standing on rocks trying to maintain your balance. It's like having the control of a wedge with the power of a mid-iron. The extensive customization options mean you can dial in your preferred shaft stepping configuration, whether you want it hard stepped for lower ball flight or soft stepped for added height.
Here's a reality check for anyone who plays desert golf regularly: iron damage is expensive. I've watched guys destroy $1,500 iron sets in a single season because they're too proud to carry a beater club. One of my regular playing partners just had to replace his 7-iron after a particularly brutal encounter with decomposed granite – that's a $300 replacement from most manufacturers. At just $99, the Desert Club becomes an incredibly affordable insurance policy for your premium equipment.
The Desert Club eliminates this problem. When my ball ends up in the rocks (which happens more than I'd like to admit), I grab this instead of risking my good sticks. Over the course of a season, this $250 investment has probably saved me from $1,000+ in iron repairs or replacements. Plus, I'm actually playing shots I would have previously taken drops on, which has legitimately lowered my scores on desert courses.
I've started using it for other situations too. Cart path lies? Desert Club. Ball sitting in a divot filled with pebbles? Desert Club. That weird maintenance area full of decomposed granite behind the 7th green at my home course? You guessed it. It's become my "get out of jail free" card for any lie that might damage my reputation.
What surprised me most is how often I use this club even on traditional courses. That unique loft-length combination makes it perfect for those 130-140 yard approach shots where my gap wedge comes up short, but my 9-iron is too much. I've actually pulled my 5-wood out of the bag and kept the Desert Club in full-time because I use it more often. For those precise yardage needs, having a rangefinder with slope-adjusted distances becomes crucial to maximize this club's effectiveness from various lies and elevations.
The ability to flight the ball differently based on the situation has been a transformative experience. From the fairway, I can hit a high, soft-landing shot that holds greens. From the rough, that extra shaft length helps me power through thick grass. Around the greens, I can bump and run it like a 7-iron or open the face for a higher pitch. It's like carrying three different clubs in one.
One unexpected benefit: it's become my go-to club for playing out of fairway bunkers. The combination of loft and length makes it easier to pick the ball clean without taking too much sand. I'm hitting more greens from fairway bunkers now than I ever did with my regular irons.
Discover the PXG Desert Club, a revolutionary recovery golf club engineered to tackle tricky desert lies without damage. With pitching wedge loft and 8-iron length, it empowers golfers to play confidently from rocky, sandy, or cacti-filled terrain. The perfect tool to save shots and keep your main clubs pristine.
You'll need to wear collared shirts with sleeves if you're male, while women can wear sleeveless blouses of conservative design, mid-length shorts, skirts, or slacks. You can't wear denim, tank tops, t-shirts, gym shorts, or swimwear anywhere on the premises. You must wear proper golf shoes without metal spikes. Remember to wear your hat bill-forward outdoors and remove it when you're dining indoors. The club won't serve you if you're dressed inappropriately.
You can't book tee times at PXG Desert Club because it's not a golf course - it's a specialty golf iron designed for hitting shots in rough terrain. PXG doesn't operate any public golf course called "PXG Desert Club." The Desert Club is simply a $99.99 golf club you can buy online or in stores to protect your regular irons from damage when playing in rocky or desert conditions.
No, PXG Desert Club doesn't offer golf lessons or clinics. The Desert Club is a specialty iron product, not an instructional program or facility. While you can get custom-fitting experiences at PXG locations that focus on club selection and performance optimization, they don't provide swing instruction or lessons specifically for using the Desert Club. If you're looking for help with your game, you'll need to seek instruction elsewhere rather than through PXG's Desert Club services.
No, you won't find a traditional driving range at PXG Desert Club locations. Their fitting studios feature state-of-the-art TrackMan-powered golf simulators where you can test clubs and practice shots indoors, but they don't have outdoor driving ranges. If you're looking for a physical driving range to use your PXG Desert Club, you'll need to visit affiliated golf resorts or local courses that offer separate driving range facilities.
There aren't any membership fees for the PXG Desert Club because it's not a membership - it's a golf club (iron) that costs $99.99. You're likely confusing it with Scottsdale National Golf Club, which requires a $1,000,000 initiation fee plus annual dues under $100,000. The PXG Desert Club is simply a specialty iron you can buy and use at any golf course without needing a membership.
After three months and probably 200+ shots with the PXG Desert Club, I can honestly say it's become one of the most-used clubs in my bag. Is it sexy? No. Will it transform your game overnight? Probably not. But will it save your irons from expensive damage while giving you a legitimate scoring option from terrible lies? Absolutely.
This is the kind of practical innovation I wish more companies would pursue, solving real problems that golfers actually face rather than promising an extra 10 yards we don't really need. For anyone who plays regularly in harsh conditions or simply wants to preserve their iron investment, the Desert Club isn't just worth considering; it's borderline indispensable. It's earned a permanent spot in my bag, and considering how skeptical I was initially, that's saying something.
