u000006693545

This course really makes use of winding amongst the surrounding homes. I was a bit surprised when the path guided me to the main roads (Jefferson and Westward Ho) and cross them in the cart! You stay in the crosswalk so it's not dangerous, but I admit to, at first, being alarmed. The course is superbly maintained but most holes are quite ordinary in design. Yet, it was fun day and good value for dollar.

If you're having trouble controlling your driver, this is the course for you. The fairways are the width of a football field and very forgiving. Not a particularly visually appealing course, but it's in excellent condition with good greens.

This course is magnificent. To truly enjoy the course, one would have to walk, but I suppose that carts rule the golfing world these days. Course design, conditions of the fairways and greens, and views are superb. Robert Trent Jones Jnr has created another masterpiece. The clubhouse, however, is looking a bit ragged and frayed around the edges, and needs renovations.

SilverRock was one of Arnold Palmer's finest and most beautiful courses and was about as close to perfect as an architect can get for a desert environment. It was the only public-access course in Palm Springs that you could never play too much. What an amazing gem. However, the new redesign is a profound disappointment. Whatever were they thinking? Arnie's original design was not broken, so why did they feel they had to fix it? And at what cost? Well, the good news is that the first nine remains untouched. I suppose the redesign was related to the proposed housing. Some visitors I spoke with thought the course was good, but they had never played the original. C'est la vie.

The course was in superb condition, with stunning vistas across the mountains. The stimps of the greens varied considerably, presumably due to the greens being cut on different days. Also, the distances between some holes were absurdly long. Nonetheless, it is an excellent course worth playing.

The Celebrity course was excellent in all respects. Two points, however: 1. The GPS will shut down the cart at unpredictable parts of the course. Not as bad as some courses, but very annoying nonetheless. 2. A staff member wanted to shut down the driving range and was bellowing rudely for everyone to get off the range. Why on earth would the course shut down the driving range at 11am during peak season? Apparently, it was for "maintenance"...what? Why not carry out maintenance later in the afternoon when no one is teeing off.

Small wonder that the Stadium is a TPC course. It is in the top five in the Valley, without question, both in design and condition. I've played a few Pete Dye courses, and this may be his best. So many courses in Palm Springs are so good, but a persistent problem is the way the surrounding homes encroach claustrophobically into the course designs. Not so TPC Stadium at PGA West. The houses are there on the periphery, but they're not cramping the course. It's a welcome relief. Also, Dye has put giant swales around the greens, making a good short game imperative if you have any hope of scoring well. The greens were in superb condition, despite the 107-degree temperature.
Cal from Melbourne

Palm Springs has so many excellent courses, but for me, this is the best of the best. The layout is challenging and clever, and never predictable. It is one of the most visually stunning courses I've ever played, with the Santa Rosa mountains coming right up to the fairways' edge. The mountain sheep are a treat, as they graze at the edge of the course. This is a must-play course, one of Arnold Palmer's best. And the practice facilities are first rate. Get out a couple of hours early and work on your game. SilverRock gets a 12 out of 10.
Cal from Melbourne

What a beautiful course. Accolades go to the ground staff for not only a superb golf course, but also stunning flower beds and garden architecture. The fairways and roughs are so generous that the golfer who manages to miss both and get into the scrub deserves what he gets. The greens are true and in top condition. Throughout the course are ice and water stations, which was important because the day was so hot. I drank about 10 litres of water. The GPS screen on the cart was especially helpful for a first-time visitor like myself.
Cal from Melbourne

Another gem from Robert Trent Jones Jr. This course is up there with the best of them. I've had the pleasure of playing other RTJ courses, principally The Old course at The National outside Melbourne, Australia, and the nearby Cape Schanck course, both masterpieces.

What a superb course! This course is surely the best value in the US. The layout and course features are superior to many of the expensive, five-star courses in the valley. The influences of the great Billy Casper are clearly present in the design. The only problem is evident in the green fees: the maintenance budget is obviously much too low. The course needs much greater care and renovations, but how would that be possible with such low green fees? Nonetheless, the staff are doing a great job. Cathedral Canyon is a must-play. If they could add half a mil to their budget, the course would take a quantum leap into a superior category.
Cal from Melbourne, Australia

A brilliant course in every respect. The lushness of the course was impressive, with large trees and heavy shrubbery everywhere. The fairways are generous and in perfect condition. The greens need a little work and seem to have some invasive grasses, but are true and in good condition...nine points out of ten.
Excellent practice facilities and a fun series of practice greens. Great practice chipping area.

What a fabulous course! The design and condition of the course were outstanding. If you want to see the challenge that Player and his design and construction team faced, just look outside the course boundaries at the barren, flat desert.
My only minor reservation was the grass used on the greens, which presumably is some sort of drought-resistant hybrid for this hot, harsh climate. It was a little "bouncy", but the ball runs true on it as long as you give it a firm strike.
Nonetheless, give this course a go. The mountain views are stunning, and the layout is a treat.