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GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
The Golfing Nomad
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 Once a month, my wife and I venture out of Orange County for a weekend round of golf. Our most recent trip took us to Escena Golf Club in Palm Springs, a Nicklaus Design layout that reopened in late November following a two-year, economy-imposed closure. After checking in for our 12:45 time, we headed straight to the first tee where we were joined by a fellow traveler named Steve, a 55-year-old Glendale resident who had made the 112-mile trek from home for the fourth weekend in a row. “I don’t mind the drive at all,” Steve told us midway through the round. “It’s all freeway.” But four weekends in a row? “I just really like the course,” he said. “And the staff here is very friendly.” Something for everyone From the tournament tees, Escena stretches nearly 7,200 yards. That’s too much golf course for me; I opted for the more manageable championship tees at just over 6,600 yards. My wife teed it up from the forward tees (5,502 yards), while Steve played from the middle tees (6,115 yards). Each set of tee boxes suited our respective games perfectly. And even though the course was busy with weekend golfers, the pace of play was brisk thanks to wide, generous landing areas that invite players to grip it and rip it off the tee without much threat of serious consequence. Sure, fairway bunkers are abundant and can come into play, but the three of us managed to spend our entire day enjoying the views from the short grass. First impressions The course puts you to the test right out of the gate, opening with a 611-yard par 5 from the tips that is rated the No. 1 handicap hole. It’s a sign of things to come: There are five par 5s and all are rated as the layout’s toughest holes. The key to mastering these monsters is to go big off the tee and then play for position the rest of the way in — all require accurately placed second shots and delicate approaches. Long shots Speaking of monsters, the par 3s at Escena are among the lengthiest I’ve ever seen from all the way back. The challenge starts with the 199-yard third hole — where anything pulled left of the green will lead to an almost-certain bogey, as I unfortunately discovered — and continues with the fifth hole at 245 yards, the 12th (223 yards) and the 17th (240 yards.) A brief respite comes on the 163-yard eighth hole, where my wife made a career up-and-down from 30 yards to save par. Another challenging aspect at Escena is the greens. The large, sloping putting surfaces are shaped with two distinct characteristics. They are either narrow and deep or shallow and wide. This makes accurate iron play essential if you wish to avoid my fate that day: plenty of 30- and 40-foot putts and more three-jabs than I care to recall. Rates and information After our round, we stopped in for a beverage at Escena’s 16,000-square-foot, 1950s-style clubhouse that was built to reflect the heritage of old-school Palm Springs. Outside the main building there’s a patio for dining and a fire pit surrounded by lounge chairs, where we watched planes take off from and arrive at neighboring Palm Springs International Airport. Rates this time of the year are $88 during the week, including cart, and $98 Friday through Sunday. However, as a member of Escena’s loyalty program, our playing partner Steve paid $55 for his Saturday morning round and was charged a $25 replay rate to join us in the afternoon. Annual membership for the Escena Club is $299 and includes many other benefits, including a free round of golf. For more information: (760) 778-2737 or visit escenagolf.com. ALSO SEE: Riviera Resort & Spa is relaxing respite close to Escena Escena Golf Club set to open again after two-year closure |
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