The whole point of playing a round of golf is to enjoy the sunshine and the views while working on your handicap. No better area offers the perfect weather conditions almost all year long and countless courses to putt along than Palm Springs. If you want to take a vacation to see how many of the best golf courses in Palm Springs you could go up against, start your list with these. With over 350 days of sunny conditions, you should be able to test your irons at all of them.
The best golf courses in Palm Springs that are challenging, but fun
Indian Canyons Golf Resort: South Course
Tee off where Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, Bob Hope, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Frank Sinatra all have, at the South Course at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort. Starting as the private Canyon Country Club in 1961, it was given a facelift in 2004 by Casey O’Callahan, with LPGA powerhouse Amy Alcott lending a hand in the design.
While the course is outlined by the San Jacinto mountains, you’ll weave through five par five holes, 850 palm trees, and 500 Washingtonia Filifera trees, so try to keep your eye on the ball. Be sure to check out the Players Course while you’re there.
Desert Willow Golf Resort: Firecliff Course
If you want to challenge yourself but have views that make you forget about your score, the underrated Desert Willow Golf Resort has a course for you. Play through various water features, work your way around over 100 bunkers across over 7,000 yards, see how you end the par five final hole, and know if Golf Digest got it right when it gave Firecliff a spot on the Place to Play list.
Escena Golf Club
A newer addition to the pool of courses in Palm Springs in 2005, Escena Golf Club is the first public course to open since the 1990s. Conveniently located by the Palm Springs International Airport, Jack Nicklaus designed the course to have breathtaking views of the San Jacinto Mountains. While the perfect challenge for a skilled golfer, everyone will have over 7,200 yards of beautiful rolling greens and decently spread fairways to work on their handicap.
Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort: Resort Course
If you love having room to drive the ball, the Resort Course at Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort delivers. Designed by Ted Robinson, this links-squee course starts with a fast par four hole and ends with a gentler par 5 with gorgeous views. But watch out on the 8th hole, as the water bunkers on the side of a super-small green will get you every time if you aren’t paying attention.
The best golf courses in Palm Springs for tournaments
PGA West: Pete Dye Mountain Course
Pete Dye used the beauty already there when designing the Mountain Course. When you attempt holes 4 through 6, and 14 and 15, you play right against the Santa Rosa mountains, where your skill will come in handy because the stones are fair play to ruin your game. It might be the oldest of the five courses in Coachella Valley (built in 1981), but every hole along the 6,781 yards of tough green has tall grass, rocks, and pot bunkers to keep your game sharp.
SilverRock Resort
Don’t let the name SilverRock make you think you will play in straight desert conditions. At more than half of the holes, you will fight water features to sink the hole. You won’t miss the stunning views of the Santa Rosa Mountains as you take on an 18-hole course that hosted the Bob Hope Classic tour event from 2008 to 2011. That’s not surprising, considering Arnold Palmer and Erik Larsen designed the course, which opened in 2005.
PGA West: Nicklaus Tournament Course
Jack Nicklaus did not go easy on anyone designing the Tournament Course. Not only does every hole have a new feature and challenge to tackle and bunkers to battle, but there are two island greens to figure out. Due to the combination of gorgeous mountain views and over 7,200 yards of treacherous greens, it’s the perfect location for the first PGA Tour event every year in the U.S.
Classic Club
No matter what level your game is on, you’ll have a good time playing on the Classic Club course. If you are scared of water, this course will put you through it. Out of 18 holes, 14 have some type of water feature to deal with, and quite a few holes that happen to angle towards the water. Home of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic from 2006 until 2008, Arnold Palmer didn’t hold back when he added 30 acres of water hazards to weed out the beginners from the pros.
We know asking for the best golf courses in Palm Springs is subjective, depending on how you play the game. Some players want a course with a friendly vibe that isn’t too demanding, while others want to be challenged and feel they are playing in the Masters. Whether you want a satisfying round that ends in both parts, tears and joy or a softer course that offers nothing but the most amazing views, these courses in Palm Springs will let you soak up the sunshine and stretch out your swing for almost 365 days a year.
