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 The area is in the midst of one of the biggest booms in its history, with everything from exclusive country clubs and resort-style courses to high-end daily-fee and municipal courses either recently opened, on the verge or undergoing construction. With more than 120 courses vying for your attention and golf dollars, there is obviously no shortage of choices, and picking the right course for your interests can be difficult. But the public facilities that follow all rank among the top public tracks in this golf oasis. Marriott’S Shadow Ridge Resort 9002 Shadow Ridge Road, Palm Desert (760) 674-2700 • www.marriottgolf.com Nick Faldo doesn’t journey the world indiscriminately slapping his name on golf properties because he has nothing better to do. He spends a considerable amount of time and energy picking the type of property that he believes fulfills the kind of golf that has inspired him throughout his Hall of Fame career. He obviously thinks Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Golf Club is that kind of property. It was the first 18-hole Faldo-designed course in the Continental United States, the site of just the third Nick Faldo Golf Academy and, as of December, even the restaurant bears his name. But the star attraction of this property is the course, a 6,932-yard, par-71 gem that Faldo worked on with Schmidt-Curley Design. The course is reminiscent of the tracks that Faldo learned to master as a young golfer: wide fairways, some spanning 70 yards; deep bunkers, dramatic molding; deeply sloped greens with subtle undulations. There is plenty to keep you occupied on the course, from the sparkling white sand bunkers to the lurking ponds. But you also can’t overlook the course’s natural backdrop: the Santa Rosa Mountains. The wide fairways make Faldo’s course very forgiving off the tees, but your short game will continually be tested, particularly your bunker and iron play. And, you can always pop in for a lesson at The Faldo Golf Institute, which offers a full range of individual and group lessons. This 20-acre golf instruction oasis offers three-hour short-game seminars and full-swing sessions for about $250, and each includes a swing analysis and a coupon for a free round of golf. Specially tailored golf vacations that include accommodations, golf and instruction are part of the resort’s master plan. One of Shadow Ridge’s best attributes is that guests need never leave the property. A major renovation of the 636-room resort, which has high-speed wireless internet access throughout, has resulted in new and expanded public areas, including pools and a retooled restaurant that Faldo will christen in January: The Nick Faldo Bar and Grill. Make no mistake: even though this course is set in the heart of the Coachella Valley, there are few courses in the world as affiliated with Faldo. As captain of the European Ryder Cup squad in 2008, he will be one of the high-profile names in golf for the next few years, bringing even more attention to this excellent golf resort, which combines luxurious accommodations, comprehensive instruction and a spectacular golf course. Desert Princess Country Club 2855 Landau Drive, Cathedral City (760) 322-1655 • www.desertprincesscc.com Make the Desert Princess Country Club your golf destination of choice in the greater Palm Springs area and you won’t need to leave the property whether you’re playing a round of golf or on a long vacation. The 27-hole David Rainville facility is linked with the Doral Resort Palm Springs, a property equipped with 289 rooms and condominiums ideal for anything from a short golf getaway to a multi-week summer family vacation. The entire facility is geared to accommodate golfers of all skill levels, from the four sets of tees that adjust the yardage between 5,217 yards and 6,815 yards. The Desert Princess golf school has a maximum teacher ratio of 4-to-1 and offers lessons and schools from individuals to family lesson packages. One- to four-day golf schools are offered, all of which include advanced swing analysis that help players improve everything from their full swings and short game to sand play and strategizing. Each of the three nines has its own character, with the Cielo Course resembling a links-style layout. Four sets of tees make the course manageable (the longest combination of nines is the Cielo-Vista, which maxes out at 6,815 yards), but with 21 lakes and 87 bunkers, there is enough bite to challenge those who dare to attack it head-on. The course is private but is open to guests of the Doral Resort. In addition to golf, the resort includes spacious guest rooms, two lighted tennis courts and a tennis instruction center, a 24-hour fitness center, and a body center that offers facials and other skincare treatments, along with a new innovation, the Gx-99 Subdermal Therapy system, which performs more than 20 advanced massage techniques that reach deep into muscle tissue where ordinary manual manipulation cannot. There are three on-site dining options, but if you do want to sample Palm Springs’ frenetic nightlife, downtown is only six miles away. Escena Golf Club 1000 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs (760) 778-2737 • www.escenagolf.com Palm Springs’ newest course is already making a huge impression on locals and tourists, drawn to the first track to open within the community’s city limits in 20 years. Escena opened in November and course personnel are already reporting that many players are heading into the temporary pro shop after their rounds to book a round for another day. At 7,173 yards and with lakes or streams coming into play on half the holes, the Nicklaus Design facility is no pushover; although, the forward tees are just over 6,000 yards. Couple that with generously sized fairways and you’ll see that Escena isn’t the type of course where you’re going to go through eight sleeves of balls. The centerpiece of a master-planned housing development meant to rekindle memories of Palm Springs in its glory years — complete with classic Spanish and mid-20th Century modern architecture — Escena is in the midst of building a clubhouse, locker rooms, restaurant and dining room and golf shop, all of which should be open in late 2006. Located near the Palm Springs International Airport, the course offers scintillating views of both the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains, and, as a Troon Golf-managed property, first-class service is part of the package. The Golf Resort at Indian Wells 44-500 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells (760) 346-4653 • www.golfresortatindianwells.com Although a city-owned property, The Golf Resort at Indian Wells is hardly a traditional municipal course, as, for 20 years, its two resort-style courses have ranked among the finest and most enjoyable in the Coachella Valley. Both courses were designed by Ted Robinson Sr. and each are targeted for brand-new construction in the months to come. The West Course is currently closed as part of a $47 million project, which will ultimately result in two longer, more visually arresting golf courses, as well as a three-story 40,000-square-foot clubhouse. Construction on the West Course is expected to be finished by the fall of 2006 by architect Clive Clark, at which point it will re-open and the East Course will close for its new design by John Fought. However, the East Course is currently open, which is great news for those who enjoy dazzling, enjoyable resort-style golf. The East Course, which includes one of the most beautiful par 3s in the area, showcases some of Ted Robinson Sr.’s best work in the desert. And when you consider no one has worked as extensively in this part of the world than he, that’s quite a statement. His rolling fairways, well-contoured greens and signature water features are the reasons why The Golf Resort at Indian Wells has been a staple of best-of lists in the desert for the past 20 years. The facility also features a full-service practice facility, the Indian Wells Golf Academy as well as the Callaway Golf Performance Center, a state-of-the-art clubfitting service. Within walking distance of four luxury resort hotels, the Golf Resort at Indian Wells ranks among the most popular in the desert for tournaments both big and small. Plus, beginning in this month, The Golf Resort will unveil its “Best Rate Guarantee,” where guests can find the lowest resort rate by booking direct on the resort’s own website at www.golf- resortatindianwells.com. Silverrock Resort 79-179 Ahmanson Lane, La Quinta (760) 777-8884 • www.silverrock.org One of the newest additions to the continuing evolution of the greater Palm Springs area, SilverRock Resort is part of the reconfigured rotation of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, which it joins in 2007. At more than 7,500 yards from the tips, the course will rank among the longest on the PGA Tour and will challenge the heaviest of hitters, particularly with the 658-yard 12th hole. Mortals can play on any of the five other tees, with most playing from the whites, which measure 6,639 yards. Nestled at the base of the Santa Rosa and Coral mountain ranges, the course offers some of the most spectacular views in the area. Though not unduly harsh, the course’s extraordinary length and ubiquitous bunkers do provide a challenge for just about all players. With the course signed on to serve as a host course for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic for 15 years, and with another championship course and luxury hotel planned, this resort will be a major player in the greater Palm Springs area for many years. La Qunita Resort & Club 49-499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta (760) 564-7686 • www.laquintaresort.com One of the premier golf resorts in the American Southwest, the La Quinta Resort has helped define the Coachella Valley as a legitimate world-class golf destination for more than 20 years. The resort features 90 holes, including the famous TPC Stadium Course, the PGA West Norman and Nicklaus tracks, the Dunes Course and the picturesque Mountain Course. Noted architect Pete Dye had a hand in three of the courses, including the Mountain, which opened in 1980, the Dunes, and one of his most notorious tracks, the extremely punitive PGA West TPC Stadium Course. All three courses feature typically challenging Dye designs and features, including his trademark railroad ties and undulating greens. The Greg Norman Course, which was recently renovated, features spectacular desert terrain, and the Nicklaus Course combines dramatic backdrops with challenging design. Along with the ample golf opportunities, the resort features a multitude of rooms ranging from casitas to suites, numerous dining options and one of the greater Palm Springs’ most historic spas, the Spa at La Quinta, which has been administering massages and other treatments since the 1920s and has evolved into a full-service, 23,000-square-foot spa. With more than 66,000 square feet of meeting space, the La Quinta Resort & Club is ideal for meetings, banquets and weddings of all sizes. Desert Dunes 19300 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs (760) 251-5370 • www.desertdunesgolf.com One of the best examples of links-style courses in the Coachella Valley, this is the area’s only public course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. The course, which opened in 1989, has long been lauded as one of the region’s best layouts and, thanks to new ownership, which took over management of the property in April, it now has course conditions and service to match the justifiably hailed layout. The new management company has spent a considerable amount of time and money in restoring the conditions to a pristine level and creating top-quality service. Desert Dunes was recently voted as the top-conditioned golf course in the Coachella Valley, and the on-course improvements and renovations are reflected in upgrades in the clubhouse. The course now looks as good as it plays, and it has played very well since it opened, entertaining and challenging players from high handicappers to professionals via PGA Tour School qualifying rounds and U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open qualifying rounds. The course is a favorite site for tournaments and outings and also offers one of top preferred player programs in the area. Terra Lago Golf Club 84-000 Landmark Parkway, Indio (760) 775-2000 • www.terralago.com Though the name is new, this 36-hole facility is one of the greater Palm Springs area’s top golf experiences. Formerly known as the Landmark Golf Club, the Indio property has hosted the PGA Tour’s Skins Game and is one of the desert’s most popular tournament locations. The immaculately maintained courses are set on more than 400 acres of pristine desert land and augmented by a full-service practice center and spacious banquet areas. Terra Lago means “land of the lake,” and a 20-acre lake will eventually serve as the centerpiece for a planned community that will cover 365 acres and include nearly 1,500 homes. While all that is yet to come, the community’s golf course is already one of the most famous in the Coachella Valley, as it hosted the Skins Game from 1999 to 2002. The North Course is a more visually interesting course, but the South is longer and offers narrower fairways, so it’s more intriguing from a strategic point of view. Both are open to the public and ideal for tournaments, particularly with the introduction of the TeePod System. Kiosks located near every tee allow players to order food from the clubhouse but also keep track of their score and see who is leading a tournament. Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort 1885 Golf Club Drive, Palm Springs (760) 328-1005 • www.tahquitzcreek.com This 36-hole facility is one of the desert’s most popular daily-fee properties. The Resort Course, which opened in 1995, is a pure desert course, the Ted Robinson Sr.-designed track embodying a genuine links-style layout blessed with great views of the San Jacinto Mountains. The original Legend Course is a valley staple, originally designed by Billy Bell in the late 1950s and renovated by Palmer Design with 40 newly installed bunkers. The property also boasts a fine practice area, including an all-grass driving range, two putting greens, a short-game area and private lessons. The course offers stay-and-play packages with neighboring Hilton, Hyatt and Ramada hotels. The Tradition Café, adorned with photos of some of the game’s most revered legends, including Arnie himself, is one of the better 19th holes in the valley. Desert Willow 38-995 Desert Willow Drive, Palm Desert (800) 320-3323 • www.desertwillow.com One of the most environmentally conscious courses in the region, Desert Willow is a 36-hole facility designed by PGA Tour veteran John Cook, Dana Fry and Michael Hurdzan. Both courses share a similar visual feel in that they are incorporated into the natural terrain. However, each plays much differently. Firecliff measures more than 7,000 yards from the tips and includes more than 100 bunkers and numerous water hazards. The Mountain View course has wider fairways, and fewer waste areas, but with 98 bunkers and at 6,913 yards from the tips, it still offers plenty of challenge. The 33,000-square-foot clubhouse is one of the best-equipped public facilities in the desert, with dining areas and beautifully designed banquet areas able to accommodate a myriad of functions. The Falls Prime Steakhouse & Martini Bar 78-430 Highway 111, La Qunita (760) 777-9999 • 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs (760) 416-8664 • www.thefallsprimesteak-house.com Great steakhouses are no strangers to the cities of the Coachella Valley. A prime vacation spot for Southern Californians and the rest of the country, the region has its share of terrific restaurants that specialize in the best steaks money can buy. You can add the Falls Prime Steakhouse & Martini Bar to the impressive list. With locations in La Quinta and downtown Palm Springs, you’re never too far from the mouth-watering steaks served by this successful franchise. What differentiates the Falls from other fine restaurants in the area is its ambiance and the range of its offerings. While serious eaters can get their fill of steak, seafood and other entrees, the martini lounge offers a great location for a pre-meal aperitif or post-meal cocktail. A dizzying array of flavorful martinis, all of which are made with premium liquors, are available as are a fine array of single-malt scotches and other high-quality libations. The range of the menu is just as impressive as its liquid fare. Some great non-steak offerings include the scintillating seafood tower appetizer, which includes chilled lobster tail, shrimp, crab and oysters; a heavenly rack of lamb; Kurobuta pork short ribs; and fresh ahi, salmon and halibut dishes. But the word steak is in the restaurant’s name and that’s no coincidence. The Falls’ varieties include a filet, New York strip, ribeye aged for a minimum of 15 days, a whopping porterhouse and two types of hand-carved prime rib available Friday and Saturday nights. |
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