Cimarron Golf Club – Boulder Course

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If there is one word that would perfectly describe the Cimmaron Golf Club in Indian Wells, it would have to be ‘pleasant’. From the greens to the water features to the perfect skies, everything is exactly that: PLEASANT. It would not be hard for this golf vacation favorite to paint a smile on any golfer’s face. Even more so, when they play one of the two feature courses here, the Boulder Course, the golf experience here could not get any more pleasant.

Ironically, this is not the usual smooth, finessed type of beauty. On the contrary, the Boulder Course is a toughie, rough and rugged on the edges. It is not a pretentious course and is an honest to goodness desert course with a little bit of surprises here and there. The golf vacation destination also has several features reminiscent of Europe’s greatest courses. Among them are the sod-wall bunkers with white crushed marble bunkers inside. These, along with large mounds and a lot of jagged edges more dot the open complexes and fairways of the course.

Completing the look are the well-maintained greens. Actually, “well-maintained” is pretty much an underestimation. In fact, it does the Boulder Course no justice at all. The greens of this course are hailed the best in the entire Coachella Valley, an emerald spectacle stunningly a perfect contrast to the golden mountains of San Jacinto enveloping the course. That and the perfect blue skies that never fail to show up on this side of California. The course measures 6,782 yards from the longest tees, par 72, with three other sets of tees to play from. But the fun from golf trips here are just immeasurable. There is always someone feeling pleasant here, and that is a perfectly accurate assumption.

Cathedral Canyon Golf Club

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Prayers abound in this golf vacation destination. Where other golfers pat whisper a simple prayer before each game, at the Cathedral Canyon Golf Club in Cathedral, CA, it is thrice more than anywhere else. Why, there are three excellent nines on this property that are enough to induce a simple prayer request, or a prayer of desperation at every game. And the scorecards decide whether a hearty ‘Amen’ and ‘Hallelujah’ punctuate the game, or another round of prayer petitions.

The Cathedral Canyon Golf Club is one of those exceptional golf courses outside of Palm Springs. This course, that was the joint creation of golf legend Billy Casper with renowned architect David Rainville, has three nines that can be played in different pairs. Each pair of nines gives a truly different feel and golf vacation experience every time. All three courses, the Lakeview, the Mountainview, and the Resort Course enjoy the same tree-lined fairways, large strategically-placed sand bunkers, and panoramic vistas of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains enveloping many parts of it.

If that is not enough just yet, the Cathedral Canyon Golf Club has an array of stunning lakes dotted and distributed evenly well throughout the three nines, kicking the gas pedal up to a more exciting golf game. Completing the golf vacation package are the onsite maintenance of the greens – considered by many to be the best-conditioned ones in the area, and the other resort amenities. These include some of the most excellent practice greens, a driving green, and a fully stocked pro-shop with an exquisite clubhouse to match. When merits are listed this way, there is no room for sulking after all. Every game here, no matter the scorecard situation, will leave golfers feeling blessed and singing praises.

The Westin Mission Hills Resort – Player Course

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Only a true Player will know what amazes another player on the greens. This statement is made true and proven by Gary Player. Both great as a golf pro and as a golf course architect, he knows too well from both perspectives what makes a golf course an excellent one. And this is evident in his creations. One of them happens to be a signature golf trip favorite in golf nation Palm Springs California – The Player Course of the Westin Mission Hills Resort.

The Player Course is deemed the more player-friendly course on the facility, the other one in comparison being the Pete Dye signature in the resort. Gary Player’s signature is an 18-hole spectacle that stretches to over 7,000 yards from the longest tees that plays for a par of 72. This is Player’s first and only desert course creation. It is anything but ordinary. Player played well with the natural terrain and mixed it with some man-made features to make for an exciting layout. Golf vacations here are made of treading along ten water holes, palm trees and other native vegetation, and basking in the beauty of the golden desert surrounding.

But as it is, the Player Course is never just about the looks. It has enough grit for a kick in the gut, especially that the nines are both closed by water holes that require forced carries. But of course, Gary Player knew what he wanted to achieve in that, every round here will be just as satisfying for everyone – good game or bad. That’s the difference a true Player makes on a golf vacation destination.

The Westin Mission Hills Resort – Dye Course

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“To Dye for”. “Dyeabolical”. Avid golfers and critics and even brand managers will never fail to come up with a wordplay name for a Pete Dye course. But a Pete Dye course, by any other name, will never fail to be counted as among the best in the industry. Whether for being challenging or for being plain fun, or both, Dye’s creations are always marked excellent. The Dye Course in the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Palm Springs is no exception. The golf vacation favorite has everything in stock – playability, challenge, beauty – in just the right amounts in all the right places.

The Dye Course shares the resort with the Gary Player signature course, and is deemed the more playable one between the two. Pete Dye’s Palm Springs baby was made to bear the very same features that are the trademark of all his works from all over the world. From the longest tees, this golf vacation destination measures 6,753 yards, par 72. It has Dye’s signature features of railroad ties, pot bunkers, elevated tees and tricky pin placement. Oh, and not to be forgotten, the water hazards. They are plenty and force carries over many of the holes. The greens are rolling and the fairways are tight. And as with every golf course that carries Pete Dye makes, the naturally beautiful surroundings are well captured, and the conditioning is nowhere near average. It is always pristine.

Thus, it is safe to say, a Dye course by any other name is always excellent. As for the Case of Westin’s Dye Course, there is that coming together of scenic, playable, fun, and golf trip-worthy in equal parts. However way it is called, it will always be among the best.

The Golf Club at La Quinta

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Sometimes the good things are just fixed on a bad time. And all it takes to correct it is a second chance timing. This has been the case of The Golf Club at La Quinta. It has been there for some time, then known as the Trilogy, but it was not until 2003 a year after it opened, that golf addicts really paid close attention to it. And soon thereafter, noticed what they have been missing all along: an unforgettable golf vacation destination.

The Golf Club at La Quinta gained momentum in the fame game when it hosted the LG Skins Game for the first time in 2003. This brought the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Annika Sorenstam. Although its stint at the LG Skins ended in 2006, the golf course was never the same again. It gained a large following of fans, taking their golf outings and golf vacations here more. The fans have finally seen the good features of the course that have been there all along. This is all 18-holes on more than 7,200 yards of goodness winding through and around some of the most picturesque water hazards in the area. The sand bunkers are as dramatic, and they make the perfect intro and contrast to the fairways and the rolling greens.

And the most obvious feature? The series of par-3s that only a Gary Panks could create. They make for the perfect tournament type feel even more so when played from the Skins tee. But should that be too daunting, there are several other tees to share the fun with more people. Now, how about the perfect timing for golf trips for everyone? At The Golf Club at La Quinta, anytime is a perfect time!

Silver Rock Resort – Arnold Palmer Classic Course

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In a desert full of rocks and pebbles that are nothing more than ordinary, it would not be surprising if a shining, glimmering silver rock stands out. Thus the name is most perfect for the Silver Rock Resort – Arnold Palmer Classic Course in Pal Springs, CA. And it stands out for more reasons than one. And its merits begin with the most apparent one – this golf vacation destination carries the name of Arnold Palmer as its creator.

The Silver Rock Resort – Arnold Palmer Classic Course is the home of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic that sits on more than 500 acres of desert terrain on the Coachella Valley, right at the foot of the Santa Rosa and Coral Mountains. This fact gives the course that one of a kind, breathtaking scenery, that while every course in the area enjoys the same kind of desert views, this golf vacation favorite has it so much better being close to the mountains. And on here, it does not come short. At more than 7,500 yards from the longest tees, this Arnold Palmer handiwork is one of the longest courses on the PGA Tour.

 All the winning features of the Silver Rock Resort – Arnold Palmer Classic Course would have gone to waste if not for its even more winning conditioning. No wonder this is a standout not only among golf trip-goers, but is a definite win in America’s Best lists as well. Why, this course is already named among America’s top 10 new courses (Golf Magazine)! And everything else about it – the outdoor grill and patio, the stone clubhouse, the pleasant staff – they all make this champion course the standout that it is.

Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort – Resort Course

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The Resort Course of the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs is every bit of a resort course. Simply said, the name in itself is self explanatory. There’s the usual resort course staples of beauty, fun, amenities, and maintenance. But what cuts this course above the rest is the clever and tastefully made combination of man-made features and natural beauty. And other than the aesthetics, golfers are in for a truly wonderful resort golf trip experience that is unique only to Palm Springs, unique only to Tahquitz.

Sharing the same property with its sibling course, and the original course on the golf vacation destination – the Legend – the Resort Course is in for quite a competition in its home turf alone. But where the Legend edges on toughness, this Ted Robinson creation is a true charmer. It is a suave and smooth course that may hurt golfers one way or another and trust for them not to mind. The course is defined by the rolling terrains gracing the links style desert layout with some large shaped bunkers scattered around the holes.

 And what serves as a perfect breather for this course is the presence of several water features that are directly or indirectly present in most holes. They are as tough on the game as they are pleasant to the senses. Add to it the fact that the Resort Course is surrounded by sweeping vistas of golden desert mountains and the best of nature this side of town, this is fantasy resort golf vacation come alive. The course measures more than 6,700 yards from the longest tees, par 72. It opened in 1995.

Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort – Legend Course

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It’s one thing to have Arnold Palmer designing a golf course. It’s another to have him managing it. The Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort stands out from any golf vacation destination that Arnie has laid his hands on because while he did not do the renovation himself, he’s up there overseeing everything. The work that the Palmer Design Group did for the original Legend Course, one of the two championship courses on the resort, is just as good as anything Palmer made himself but with a little more innovation from the up and coming architects of his team.

The Legend Course was originally a William Bell layout, having been fully remodeled by Palmer’s team. Around the time Palmer started managing the Palm Springs course, the golf vacation favorite was already sporting its facelifted version. One of the biggest, most obvious changes that the course has seen was the addition of more than 40 huge, shaped bunkers. But it still carries quite a lot of the traditional desert golf layout that Bell employed on the course some fifty or so years ago. The fairways are tree lined, the greens are tricky and the undulations are quite surprising. Holes are guarded well by bunkers that now total more than 60.

Safe to say, then, that the 6,815-yard par 71 Legend Course is pretty tough and unpredictable at times. Golfers must never take it too lightly, no matter how beautiful and relaxing the surrounding areas are. The sweeping views of the desert mountains, especially, are just so distractingly gorgeous they lead golfers to thinking the games are just easy. But then again, it’s the difficulty and the fun that makes golf trips here memorable. That, and the undeniable signature of Palmer everywhere on the course.

Golf Club at Terra Lago – South Course

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The cautious and the wise will survive the fearless. This is how things are going to be at every first round at the South Course of the Golf Club at Terra Lago in Palm Springs, California. This is that one golf trip where a golf bag armed with clubs will never be enough. Neither will guts do. What brings the good score on games played here are more the careful mind, effective techniques. Skills and guts come last. Either that, or another round.

Many critics have said that this course cannot easily be won on a first date. It requires good course knowledge to know the is and outs and every hidden element. The course is also a Ben Curley creation, like its sibling North Course. The South Course features more water elements, though not so much in number but more on size. On this particular golf vacation destination, the All-American Canal makes its zigzag way across the front nine, and making sure its presence is not merely a treat for the eyes. The front nine is made an even more interesting feature thanks to this. The back nine does not desire, either, to be sidelined. Its own version is the earthen berm dike that makes its way all through the second to the last hole.

It would be impossible to not fall in love, or merely fall for the traps, set around the more than 7,200-yard, par-72 layout. The views of the Chocolate and the Coachella Mountains will keep golfers at least feeling consoled when the first round proves disappointing on the scorecard. But the succeeding ones will always prove that practice does make perfect. Now that’s one good excuse to extend the golf vacation at the South Course!

Golf Club at Terra-Lago – North Course

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Like a true oasis in the middle of the desert, the Golf Club at Terra-Lago in Palm Springs is a refreshing break from the vast California desert. The 36-hole golf vacation facility has everything a golfer would want from a resort. And just as it breaks the monotony of the sandy bareness, it also breaks the tradition of so-so golfing experience in California. The North Course is a perfect breather for the usual uptight, difficult golf layouts. Here’s why.

The North Course of the Golf Club at Terra-Lago is a wonderful confusion of desert ruggedness and Southern finesse. The very distinct front and back nines will each bring a different feel; even more so, playing from any of the four sets of tees on course will likely bring a new experience every time. The golf vacation destination is a collaboration project between Lee Schmidt and Bryan Curley, and measures just a little over 7,000 yards from the back tees.

Whilst the surrounding environment of the course is every inch of a desert paradise, with sweeping views of the overshadowing Indio mountain, the front nine is surprisingly a rolling terrain reminiscent of prairie courses. There are also three sparkling lakes that grace the nine with their majestic presence – and this presence is more than just seen, it is felt. Shot accuracy and technique will get golfers through. The back nine needs a strong finish to match an equally strong surface of risk-reward shots. There is no room for carelessness, but there is room for a lot of fun. This magical contrast undeniably present in many aspects of the course are bound by the common goal of bringing golf trips as beautiful as it is fun to play. The North Course is, ironically, a truly refreshing trip to the desert.