Desert Canyon is not a bad course, but it definitely has that muni feel to it (in fact, I believe it is municipal). The condition was pretty good, but it doesn't really offer a whole lot in the way of challenge, and doesn't have a particularly interesting layout. It does benefit immensely from the rolling terrain, so you do get a reasonable amount of elevation change. It plays more like a desert course than a traditional muni.
The back nine is definitely far superior to the front. One of the guys in our group had his dad in town, and he was yelled at by a grumpy old lady on the 14th hole because he was apparently on private property while digging around the desert looking for his ball (despite the fact that he was twenty yards away from any brick wall partitioning off anyone's back yard). Yeesh.
The par 3 16th hole is easily the most memorable. It features an elevated tee that looks down on the green, making it very difficult to judge distance. The 18th hole is also pretty nice.
This is like the ugly stepchild of the Fountain Hills courses. Play it if you want that Fountain Hills snootiness with a lower price tag. Also, make sure you park on the south side of the parking lot, as the north side is in range of errant shots on the 18th tee.