Maybe, possibly, Buffalo grass could survive, but one major reason that grass does not naturally grow in desert conditions is lack of moisture.

If you want a lawn you can walk barefoot in, don't get a seeded variety of buffalo grass. The seeded varieties are not comfortable to walk on.

UC Verde is probably the best variety of buffalo grass for you, but with the low amount of precipitation you get, even buffalo grass will need to be watered. You'll probably need to water about an inch a month. With the dry winds, you may lose more to evaporation and need to water a bit more than that.

It'll probably go dormant in the winter, but the lows will probably not kill it.

It doesn't do particularly well with a lot of traffic, so it'll be okay for you to walk on it and for the dog to lie on it, but if you and the dog do a lot of playing and running on it, it probably won't take the abuse.

I have in ground watering system in where I want the lawn. I dont mind the extra money and energy to prepare/water/fertilize/mow/etc. for a good soft green lawn. The reason I like tall fescue is it is soft and green, some grasses (the tougher ones) make me break out with a rash.

I think tall fescue would have a tough time of it there. I may be wrong, but I think the conditions are a bit too severe for it in the summer. Most warm season grasses will have trouble with those cold nights in the winter.

Tall fescue might make it, but you'll probably need to overseed regularly, because it doesn't spread to fill in spots that die for any reason.

Buffalo grass can be nice and soft as long as you stay away from the seeded varieties.

Blue grama would be another option and has similar requirements to buffalo grass. When it's mowed, it's very soft. It's a bunch grass, so if it's planted by itself, you'll need to overseed periodically. Many people plant it with buffalo grass. Neither of these need much in the way of fertilizer.

Do any of your neighbors have grass lawns? Ask around to see what others have tried.

Can you be more specific about where you live? The Mojave is a big desert and some places are less hospitable than others.

Bermuda is used on putting greens in your area. It is extremely soft to walk on when it is cared for properly. There is a variety of fescue in large scale use in the desert. It requires a lot of water. You might consider St Augustine which also takes a lot of water but works in the heat. Mow it at the highest setting and it is very soft underfoot.

If you want to take a little time getting this project ready, spread a layer of mulch on the sand (after getting it level). You don't even need to water it. It will make its own moisture in the sand and start to grow beneficial bacteria and fungi under the mulch. That is the start of developing organic matter in the soil/sand. Next comes the roots of whatever grass you decide to grow.

Buffalo grass will probably grow but it will not be soft. Depending on where you live, Kentucky bluegrass might work.

I live in Ridgecrest, Ca but none of my neighbors have lawns. I am on a 1 acre plot and in the country so have few neighbors and lots of empty lots of desert around me. When I moved in I broke down all my carboard boxes and laid them on the ground and then I spread composted store bought steer manure over them. I have been watering from time to time as well.

Definitely UC Verde Buffalo grass. It's soft-bladed and has no seeds, can take the heat with less water than Bermuda and fescue would just die on you. And it's a short grass you don't have to mow if the sprinklers pop up high enough (change heads and get 6" popups).

Planted from plugs you'll have a lawn in 3-4 months.

Tilling in a lot of compost first would help the sand, as would using a mulching mower. Don't expect much water savings the first year, although you will be mowing less than you would for Bermuda. Get it established and the second year you can probably get by with one good soaking every couple of weeks.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Buffalo grass blog: including mistakes

WAIT!

I just read that you get a rash from certain grasses. Find some of the buffalo grass you are contemplating, rub ONE arm across it, and wait 20 minutes. If you are allergic to it, that's enough time to get the rash. I'm very allergic to buffalo grass...as I learned when I laid down in some to take pictures.

If you decide to use buffalo, you don't need to till compost in. You can lay it on top. It is said that sand "eats" compost. It really does seem to eat it. Unless you are using six inches of compost and tilling to less than six inches deep, you will never see that compost again. The buffalo grass doesn't need that good a soil anyway. I see it all the time growing on the side of the road.

Also I'd like to say something about the various "needs" of grasses for water. When they say one grass needs less water than another, they are talking about pure survival, not appearance. Some grasses die out when they dry out. Bermuda and buffalo do not. Those two go dormant. So you can water them far below the rate needed for them to thrive and they will survive. If you want them to look good; however, all grasses need about an inch a week.

Good catch, David. I didn't notice that he gets a rash from some grasses. I've read that buffalo grass is one of the worst for allergies.

If buffalo grass gives you problems, you might want to try blue grama. I once saw a patch of blue grama in a spot that gets no water other than rain and it was green in August (no rain since June). I don't know what it's like in terms of allergies, but I walked through a field of it the other day and it didn't bother my eyes or nose.

I would definitely give blue grama a try. Let me see if I can pull up pictures...

Seemed to have better drought tolerance than bermuda. Probably need once a month of mowing if at all. Very soft to walk on. looks best if grown to 4 inches tall. May look best if fertilized in fall and spring? Do water deeply... probably every 2 weeks for sandy soil? It seemed to do fine with once a month in clay soil.