Palm Springs CA Golf Weekend
TravelGolf.com, 3/10
Golf Magazine, 2/09. 2/11
Golf Digest, 5/09
T&L Golf, Jan & Nov 2006
Revisit the resort that made Palm Springs cool -- even in summer
By Joe Passov, Golf Magazine
Senior Editor (Courses/Rankings)
Published: February 01, 2009
Drive around Palm Springs these days and chances are you'll find yourself on a road named for a dead celebrity.
Folks like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford put this place on the map, so Palm Springs continues to pay tribute to its dearly departed legends.
La Quinta Resort & Club, which opened in 1926, was the original reason that celebrities hiked into the desert east of Los Angeles, and today the golf and hotel offerings are still A-List. La Quinta has all the amenities that appeal to couples and families, but its menu of trophy courses make it an underrated spot for buddy trips, too. And hey — Adam Sandler was a recent guest, so if it's good enough for Happy Gilmore ...
PGA West (Greg Norman)
7,156 yds, par 72
Green fees: $79-$179
760-564-3900, www.laquintaresort.com
Unlike the Shark, this nine-year-old course flies under the radar. It has plenty of muscle, but it lacks in-your-face dramatic holes. This is a true desert-target track (okay, so there are nine lakes in this desert) with slender fairways pinched by buffer areas of decomposed granite. Shaveddown green surrounds and crushed-marble bunkers give this layout its distinctive feel. It is completely different from any of its neighbors, but the absence of a 'Wow!' factor keeps it from the top tier. Play it anyway — there's nothing quite like it.
La Quinta (Mountain Course)
6,756 yards, par 72
Green fees: $99-$179
760-564-7610, www.laquintaresort.com
With this 1980 design, Pete Dye transformed the Palm Springs area from a sleepy enclave of private courses to a golf vacation destination. These days the course plays a little short, but it's still drenched in character. Slow play is often an issue, especially at the brutal but beautiful 205-yard 2nd, where the water hazard forces many to reload. You'll also need to struggle through the boredom of flat, house-lined holes from number 10 through 13. However, in the middle of both nines the mountainside golf is so overwhelmingly beautiful and fun that the track earns its No. 70 ranking in our Top 100 Courses You Can Play on the strength of those holes alone. Just remain patient enough to get there.
La Quinta (Dunes Course)
6,747 yards, par 72
Green fees: $59-$149
760-564-7610, www.laquintaresort.com
The Dunes debuted a year after the Mountain and it boasts almost as much traditional Dye challenge — grassy mounds, railroad ties and elevated greens, to name just a few. What it lacks are the genuinely thrilling holes that exist on the Mountain, but it's still a worthy stop for vacationing golfers, even if the primary hazard is a hard-to-disguise drainage canal. The 433-yard 17th, which curves hard left around a large lake, would be an all-star hole on any course.
PGA West (Nicklaus Tournament)
7,126 yards, par 72
Green fees: $79-$179
760-564-7101, www.laquintaresort.com
This is the most underrated course in the Coachella Valley, a relic of Jack's no-holds-barred design style in the late 1980s. That's when all you needed to score well on a Nicklaus course was to hit the ball as long, straight and high as Jack did during his heyday. Minimalists will loathe the massive, serpentine waste bunkers, steep falloffs and a lake-protected double green that serves the 9th and 18th holes, but fans of tough, brawny courses will love it.
PGA West (Stadium Course)
7,300 yards, par 72
Green fees: $99-$199
760-564-7101, www.laquintaresort.com
Guests of La Quinta Resort & Club have preferred access to the PGA West courses, so you can book your mugging on the Stadium Course up to 120 days in advance. It no longer evokes the terror it did in the 1980s, when crybaby Tour pros refused to return and face its relentless obstacles, but the Stadium is still the top public "must play" in the SoCal desert. Good golfers won't be too intimidated by the forced carries, but the 19-footdeep bunker left of the 16th green and the island green at the par-3 17th will make everyone's mouth a little drier.
Staying here: Rooms at La Quinta start at $225 per night.
Call 800-598-3828 or visit www.laquintaresort.com
If I had to recommend one value course that comes with all of the classic Palm Springs markings, go with Escena ($60-$95; 760-778-2737, www.escenagolf.com). This 2005 Nicklaus Design creation is a joy to play from start to finish, with just enough lakes, bunkers and stirring shots to spice the play—plus glorious mountain backdrops throughout—but without too much heavy lifting in terms of forced carries and lost balls.
From Golf Digest 5/09's 20 Best Off-Course Attractions:
Arnold Palmer's Restaurant
La Quinta, Calif.
760-771-4653
www.arnoldpalmers.net
When Arnie's in town, Arnold Palmer's Restaurant is where you might find the living legend. The restaurant's menu features a distinguished wine list, tender steaks, spit-roasted chicken, pot-pie, a mean mac-and-cheese and a massive Latrobe Banana Split. It's also full of eye candy, from vintage golf pictures to Palmer memorabilia. Take a tour of the U.S. Open and British Open rooms, the Masters Room and Arnie's Pub. Decide who's buying by ducking out for a post-meal putt-off on the back patio's practice green.
TravelGolf.com says: For the rare Palm Springs golf experience not surrounded by housing, hit Indian Wells' two new courses, the Player and the Celebrity. The Celebrity in particular has some tight holes, but it's via tall trees and water hazards, not backyards. While slightly less visually dramatic, the Player course is a little more forgiving in most spots but features the same fast, tour-quality conditions this time of year. Out in Palm Desert, former Bob Hope Classic venue the Classic Club boasts 240 acres of golf and only golf. It also holds the distinction of being a rare course without palm trees, instead its littered with pines. Some say its windier than most area courses, but I'd prefer a few degrees of wind over tight driving corridors any day.
Palm Springs Anew
The latest additions to the desert golf scene
From T&L Golf November 2006
by David Weiss
Sunny Palm Springs and its cousin desert communities have been spawning homes and golf holes at an alarming rate in the last few years. Turn one corner and you’re in a just-like-Tuscany gated development, another and it’s rural Spain, albeit laced with layouts by the likes of Rees Jones and Jack Nicklaus. Yesterday’s lizard lair is today’s spa or boutique hotel, and anything made in the 1950s, from cocktail recipes to ranch homes, is celebrated as an example of desert modernism. Here are some recommendations of the best of the region’s latest courses, hotels and restaurants.
Trip Planner
PLAYING
The Classic Club (760-601-3600, www.classicclubgolf.com) in Palm Desert made its debut at this year’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, giving the pros fits—the scores averaged right around par. An abundance of water and some narrow landing areas on this Arnold Palmer design will keep you honest, while the stillness of the desert and the sweeping mountain views will soothe any bruised egos. Escena Golf Club (866-557-8870, escenagolf.com) is the centerpiece of the first new residential golf community in Palm Springs proper in nearly twenty years. The course, which opened in November 2005, is a wide-open Nicklaus Design affair, forgiving without being facile. The conditions are superb year-round, and the greens fees top off at $115, a veritable bargain around here.
STAYING
The Mod Resort (888-663-1970, www.modresort.com) opened in March 2006 on a quiet street in Palm Desert just off the main drag. It may have just fourteen rooms, but the place is already generating Hollywood buzz for its intimate setting and prime location. Owner Laura Slipak is a Malibu fashion designer turned hotelier, and her eye for campy decor has transformed the old Desert Patch Inn into the sleekest boutique hotel in the area. The Mod is just steps away from the high-end El Paseo shopping district and within ten minutes of the desert’s best golf.
Local Flavor
Ever since Crazy Bones Barbeque (760-325-5200) fired up its outdoor grill late last fall, the aroma of sizzling ribs, brisket and steaks has been wafting down Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. The kitchen takes you, gastronomically speaking, from St. Louis to Texas to Memphis. Even natives of those parts are impressed.
Desert Magic
An insider's guide to discovering the restorative charms of Palm Springs
FROM T&L GOLF JAN 2006
by John Dunn
I moved to Palm Springs three years ago to escape the cold winter of my native New England and earn a few extra dollars caddying. I arrived with a typical set of preconceived notions, the primary one being that desert golf courses couldn't hold a candle to classic Northeastern layouts. But it didn't take long for the desert to work its magic, and I soon discovered that playing golf in shorts in January has a way of making the finer points of course architecture seem irrelevant. It is enough to swing the club and smell the grass and rejoice at the sight of the beer cart trundling down the edge of the fairway. I also discovered there is more to Palm Springs than its deservedly famous resorts. It is hard not to be impressed by the beauty of the place, the swaying palms silhouetted against the snow-covered peaks. There are also less obvious treasures that require a little time and exploration to find.
Day One
The nice thing about flying into Palm Springs International Airport is that once you've landed you are only minutes from your destination, provided you're staying downtown. There's a collection of historic inns within walking distance of the many restaurants and shops along Palm Canyon Drive. My favorite is Casa Cody Inn. Its twenty-seven rooms and suites meander around lush, shaded gardens and a pair of swimming pools, providing the right combination of privacy and social interaction. If you're looking for a resort experience, try Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa, just north in Desert Hot Springs.
Once you've gotten in tune with the tempo of the desert, you will be ready to make some smooth swings. A mere ten-minute drive from Casa Cody, the Resort course at Tahquitz Creek is one of the area's most playable designs. Many of the holes are bordered by sculpted ponds, while waste areas are planted with colorful desert flora.
Cap off the relaxing day with a romantic dinner at Le Vallauris, an elegant French restaurant in the historic Roberson House.
Day Two
There are few sights as enchanting as a desert sunrise, the flame-orange rays setting the red rocks aglow. To take it all in, book a morning tee time. Having tuned up your game, you should be ready for the challenge of Cimarrón Golf Resort. Designed by John Fought, of Pumpkin Ridge fame, the Long course at Cimarrón is built into a sandy arroyo. In keeping with the austere site, Fought created a no-nonsense course with massive waste areas and flash-face bunkers that exhibit a MacKenzian flair.
Playing early frees up the afternoon for other activities, such as a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which whisks you up Mount San Jacinto to 8,516 feet. Sunburned golfers step out into a wonderland of snowy, pine tree–studded hills where they can snowshoe, cross-country ski, sled or just throw snowballs. An overlook provides views of the Coachella Valley, Salton Sea and Joshua Tree National Park (a wonderful side trip in itself).
After working up an appetite, head back downtown for some classic American fare at Spencer's Restaurant.
Day Three
Okay, you've come to play golf and you want to experience the best Palm Springs has to offer. So today's the day devoted entirely to golf. Thirty-six of the area's finest holes are located in La Quinta: the Stadium course at PGA West Resort and the Mountain course at La Quinta Resort. Play La Quinta first because the red rocks are especially beautiful in the morning light and the mountainous back nine is cast in shadow by mid-afternoon. After lunch, go over to PGA West. Don't worry, Pete Dye's showpiece isn't as brutal as it's reputed to be, though the finishing holes are indeed punishing. The seventeenth's rock-fringed green is even smaller than it looks from the tee.
Have dinner, or at least a drink, at Arnold Palmer's Restaurant in La Quinta. The food is standard American; the atmosphere is pure Arnold. Walls and trophy cases are filled with memorabilia from the King's career, and a patio overlooks a putting green that's lighted at night.
Day Four
There is one more course you should play before leaving town: Desert Dunes Golf Club in Desert Hot Springs. Although relatively unknown, it is a strong contender for best in the desert. This Robert Trent Jones Jr. design is surrounded by a swath of undeveloped desert that, combined with grassy interior spaces, gives the layout a refreshingly open feel.
Just up the street is the Casino Dining Room at Two Bunch Palms. The menu specializes in fresh California cuisine that promises to "nourish your mind, body and soul," and after a forkful of espresso-crusted beef tenderloin or nectarine-cashew chicken curry, you will be a believer. To pamper yourself even further, take a dip in the resort's mineral springs. If the water doesn't rejuvenate you, the many diverse spa treatments will.
Trip Planner: Palm Springs
Playing
PGA West Stadium Course ****1/2 800-742-9378, pgawest.com. Yardage: 7,300. Par: 72. Slope: 150. Greens Fees: $175–$235. Architect: Pete Dye, 1986
Cimarrón Long Course **** 877-966-6233, cimarrongolf.com. Yardage: 6,858. Par: 71. Slope: 123. Greens Fees: $39–$99. Architect: John Fought, 2000
Desert Dunes Golf Club **** 760-251-5370, desertdunesgolf.com. Yardage: 6,876. Par: 72. Slope: 142. Greens Fees: $89–$105. Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr., 1989
La Quinta Mountain Course **** 760-564-5729, laquintaresort.com. Yardage: 6,756. Par: 72. Slope: 140. Greens Fees: $175–$235. Architect: Pete Dye, 1980
Tahquitz Creek Resort Course **** 760-328-1005, tahquitzcreek.com. Yardage: 6,705. Par: 72. Slope: 125. Greens Fees: $79–$109. Architect: Ted Robinson Jr., 1995
Staying
Casa Cody Inn, 760-320-9346. Rooms and Suites: $89–$269
Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa, 800-472-4334. Rooms: $195–$355. Suites and Villas: $395–$725
Dining
Arnold Palmer's Restaurant (American), 760-771-4653. $$$$
Casino Dining Room at Two Bunch Palms (Californian), 760- 329-8791. $$$$
Le Vallauris (French), 760-325- 5059. $$$$
Spencer's Restaurant (American),760-327-3446. $$$$
Other Activities
Joshua Tree National Park, 760-367-5500, www.nps.gov/jotr
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, 888-515-8726, www.pstramway.com
See Also: Palm Springs Sinatra Style