boxout

I have played Desert Dunes several times. It is often windy, and it was for our round on 10/27/2020, but not for 10/28/2020. I always enjoy playing this course, even though it usually kicks my butt. I played it better on the 28th than on the 27th, partly due to lack of wind and partly (probably) due to the fact that it was my 3rd day of golf in a row. The course is in pretty good shape right now. It is not a manicured country club course, but it is fair. There are some sketchy spots in the fairways, but overall they are good. The greens were in great shape and the ball rolled true. Even so, they will get your attention. It is not a long course from the white tees, which is where I played from both days. I am 77, and a good drive for me might be between 190 and 220. The fairways are on the generous side, but if you miss them, you can be in deep rough or impenetrable desert brush. I think it is Robert Trent Jones course. If I am right, it is probably junior rather than senior. Either way, with either RTJ there is usually a bailout, and that is the case here. That means if you don't want to try to fly it over a hazard, there is usually a safe place to lay up or play around it. This makes it playable for most players. If you don't like wind, you should check the weather before coming out here, but that is probably true of most of the courses in the area. In fact we played The S at Rancho Mirage three times on this trip, and one day it was just as windy as the windy day at Desert Dunes, and since it is surrounded by trees, there was a great deal of debris flying around and scattered around the fairways and greens. Even on windy days this is not an issue at Desert Dunes, but the wind will definitely affect the games of most golfers. All that said, I love the course and will play it again if I get a chance.

I would say this is a pretty nice resort track that has seen better days but is still very playable. Some areas don't havcart paths are very old asphalt and full of pot holes. The course had been recently overseeded and the greens sanded, so it was pretty ragged. They actually gave us a rate lower than the golf now rate and offered a refund if we were not satisfied. I thought the price was reasonable for the conditions. Any course in this area is a risk at this time of year, but the weather is OK now, whereas the heat a month earlier would have been brutal. The fairways are wide, but the course is still reasonably challenging.

I was paired with a local couple, who played right along and were good company. This course would be difficult to walk with several steep hills. Some water on the back; challenging putting greens. On one hole (possibly 18) the fairway was torn up and essentially unplayable. Other than that the course was in good shape for the time of year. I will go back again.

Staff was good at check in, although the complexity of the deals offered made it difficult and time consuming for them and us. The course is split into 3 nines, so you don't always know which ones you will play. From the back tees at least, the fairway on some holes is not visible, so it is hard to know where to aim. The fairways and greens were in pretty good shape. Greens were fast and difficult. I played the first nine (Canyon) as a single until I ran into foursomes on the 8th. From there I joined a twosome. Play was not unreasonably slow with a threesome. I paid $37 including the $2 Golf Now charge.