Tag Archives: golf vacation

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.

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.

Indian Canyons Golf Resort – South Course

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There is nothing like a really grand golf vacation at California’s Palm Springs, especially if money and time are at one’s own disposal. No pressures, no limitations – just sheer golfing goodness. When in Palm Springs with every bit of intention to explore the best of this paradise’s golfing scene, then the South Course of the Indian Canyons Golf Resort is one very good place to start.

Not only is this golf vacation destination very beautiful – with its sweeping views of the oveshadowing Mt Jacinto and the surrounding mountain ranges. Another is its playability. The layout of the South Course is impressively both challenging and playable, a very smooth touch to the rough edges of the desert setting. And that is not to be in any way surprising. This golf spectacle was crafted with a woman playing a major role. Golf course architect Casey O’Callaghan had LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott for consultant. Thus the 6,582-yard, par 72 beauty came to life. Four lakes grace the whole property and are present on six of the eighteen holes, paired with rolling mounds and fairways.

The South Course is best known for the series of par-five holes that never fails to make golfers’ toes curl either in fear or in happiness. Either way, they end up with a smile – whether with a scratch on the head or a high five, depends on the scorecard. Golf trips here are always extra beautiful and picture-perfect thanks to the more than 800 palm trees dotting the course. If course-hopping excursions were to start here, the other courses might have to wait a little longer. Here, there is always room for seconds.

Indian Wells Golf Club – Players Course

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The best things in life are a perfect combination of direct opposites. The contrasting polarities, when tastefully meld together becomes a glorious spectacle. But that takes a lot of genius, patience and hardwork to achieve. It takes a good eye for detail to create an effective irony and not something that looks out of sorts. Take the Players Course of the Indian Wells Golf Club for example. This golf vacation destination is where the old meets the new; and instead of looking like a total chronological mess, it effectively takes its guests on a warp to a time and place where golf is the only thing that matters.

The Players Course of the Indian Wells Golf Club is a 1980’s original layout that was recently given a major facelift by John Fought. Fought has mixed his new concepts and made use of many of the old features of the course. The result was a perfect cocktail of some finely aged wine and something new. The course measures almost 7,400 yards from the longest tees, par 72. It features holes that are well-secluded from each other either by the mounding, bunkering, or trees old and new that Fought utilized in the design. But the best thing about the golf vacation favorite is yet to be unveiled.

Apart from the trees, flawless conditioning and maintenance and great layout that the Players Course of the Indian Wells Golf Club enjoys, the course also abounds in so much naturally beautiful surroundings. John Fought has well captured the views of the surrounding mountain ranges from any hole – and that remains uninterrupted as there is not a house in sight. In here, golf trips are really about golf trips – and only a course as good as this could transport anyone to this kind of paradise.

Indian Wells Golf Club – Celebrity Course

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Real celebrities, they have their way of reinventing themselves time and time again. This is the only thing they could do to keep themselves in the ‘in’ crowd, to not be outdated and left behind the celebrity train. How they do it is the real deal question. Not too much a mystery, though; it only borders on two things: make themselves better or worse. In that case, the Celebrity Course of the Indian Wells Golf Club in Palm Springs, CA is every inch of a celebrity. From being a simple golf course back in the 80s, it has transformed itself into a golf vacation destination of stellar status.

The Celebrity Course of the Indian Wells Golf Club reopened in November of 2006 after the careful and magnanimous redesigning project by Clive Clark of the original 1986 East Course design by the legendary Ted Robinson. From the relatively flat course with very few striking features, Clark created a golf course that makes for interesting games. Clark filled the course with an array of huge mounds around the holes, some neat but provocative bunkering, and water features that are as beautiful as they are challenging, the golf course became golf vacation favorite.

And as with most celebrities, they cannot simply be good. They have to be even better looking. And that is, apparently, well-achieved in the part of the Celebrity Course of the Indian Wells Golf Club. The impeccably manicured greens and its planted flowers and trees blended all too well with the natural beauty surrounding it. This golf trip goodness measures 7,050 yards from the back tees, par 72, and endless fun.

PGA West – Jack Nicklaus Course

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It took Jack Nicklaus some years and a lot of hardcore golf championship titles before he got to the legendary status in the sport. That is one story. How he became equally legendary in the golf design aspect is another. Not all champion golfers are equally as successful in golf course design; and Nicklaus is a definite standout. One look at any of his works is a perfect reason to say how good he is at the craft. One golf vacation destination that tops this list of Nicklaus creations is the Jack Nicklaus Golf Course in PGA West, Palm Springs, CA.

The Jack Nicklaus Golf Course is one of the five world-class, championship golf courses in the PGA West fame, and shares the limelight for the PGA Q-Tour finals with its most famous sibling, the TPC Stadium Course. This Jack Nicklaus signature is known for challenge, beauty and and drama combined to perfection. This golf trip favorite is one for the adventurous, being served with equal parts of demanding and forgiving. The course is set amidst the same golden-red desert that has graced the Stadium Course for a backdrop. And in the hands of one such genius as Nicklaus, this natural spectacle is a magnanimous part of the overall look of the course.

What this golf vacation paradise is best known for, however, are its two signature island greens, Jack Nicklaus Golf Course being one of the few courses in the world to have such feature. But that should not be surprising, this is a Jack Nicklaus creation, considered among the best of his works. This 7,200-yard, par 72 beauty is more than enough a proof that indeed, Jack Nicklaus is as much a champion golf course designer as he is a champion golfer.