Golf in Palm Springs -  It's Just an Adventure

There is always a measure of anticipation when one boards an aircraft bound for a sunny, southern climate. Especially, that is, when departing during the Canadian winter. And there cannot be many better locales than Palm Springs to whet one’s appetite for golf and the good life.

When examining the entire Coachella Valley in California’s interior, the results confirm a total of eight cities await, including Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and Indio. However, in promoting the entire region around the globe, “Palm Springs Golf” is the moniker most travelers can most readily identify with.

The Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is easily accessible from major centres across North America. Flights into John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, Ontario International Airport (ONT) in Ontario, California, and Los Angeles International (LAX) are also available, although a short drive will be required before you arrive in this magnificent urban oasis.

When BC Golf Guide made its way to Palm Springs, the adventure included four rounds of golf and a day at the Bob Hope Classic, a PGA Tour event. Our six nights of accommodation were split between two resorts.

Day One: Ranch Las Palmas Resort

The first three nights of our stay were spent at this resort in Rancho Mirage, located just north of the California State Highway 111 on Bob Hope Drive. It’s about eight miles from PSP, an easy 20-minute drive. The full-service facility quickly established a “hospitality first” reputation when our request for an additional mini-fridge was attended to within about ten minutes. Outstanding!

As we peered from our room at a lush green fairway, a quick scan of the resort information package confirmed the Rancho Las Palmas golf course offers three nine-hole options. While not on our dance card this time around, locals advise the facility is a very playable layout with excellent practice facilities. They also like the price!

There is a cozy outdoor lounge at the resort near the pool area where a welcome reception enabled our group to experience an evening that began under a big, bold and beautiful, California blue sky. As the sun set and the temperature cooled slightly, the outdoor heating kicked in to keep us warm as we toasted the good fortune that brought us all together in Palm Springs.

Day Two: Desert Willow GC – Firecliff Course

Owned and operated by the city of Palm Springs, Desert Willow is home to a pair of courses, Firecliff and Mountain View. We played Firecliff, a layout built to test one’s ability to control the golf ball. Measuring a little shy of 7,000 yards from the blue tees, there are forced carries that will challenge and perhaps intimidate. To ensure a slightly less stern test, there are plenty of tee boxes to consider that will eliminate the forced carries.

What struck me most pleasantly about the layout are the fairway widths. Although fairway bunkers behave like golf ball magnets, there is plenty of room if you are able to control your golf ball off the tee. Approach shots are a little trickier as the target areas tend to narrow a bit as you get closer to the greens.

And one very cool feature was the “pop-up” rakes near the bunkers, a mechanism that keeps the rakes out of your way and well below ground.

Glen Erickson

Golf in Palm Springs -  It's Just an Adventure Interview with Bruce Nation, Director of Sales and Marketing, Desert Willow Golf Resort   Listen to Bruce and Glen Here!

According to Bruce Nation, Director of Sales and Marketing at Desert Willow, the two golf courses are very busy. There is a successful teaching academy on site as well, an area that Desert Willow will soon be promoting through online instruction advertisements on GolfChannel.com. 

Day Three: Indian Wells Golf Resort – Players Course

A huge treat, this golf course in the city of Indian Wells presented the most closely mown fairways I have experienced in my 38 years of playing this great game. While this can create some cause for concern among those who believe that golf shots are struck by “getting under the ball”, educated players will be enthralled from start to finish by the opportunity to compress the golf ball and control flight patterns and trajectories. Alas, the layout is stunning, yet admittedly a difficult test as you weave around occasionally ferocious bunkering.

What makes the course eminently playable are the generous fairway widths and also the potential to play approach shots along the ground. Miss the greens left or right and any up-and-down from a bunker will require you to be at your best. Yes, there are a ton of bunkers to negotiate, but none block entry on to the putting surfaces.

On the par-4 16th hole, I stood over a downhill shot from 52 yards out (according to the GPS unit) with the pin cut into the front of the green. Oddly, the only logical choice I could come up with was to pull my putter out of the bag, much to the surprise of my two playing partners. When the ball stopped rolling less than two feet from the cup, the doubters were happy to knock the ball in my direction in form of a concession. It was a golf shot made possible only by the quality of turf conditioning at Indian Wells.

There is another fabulous layout at Indian Wells, the Celebrity Course, which we were unable to play. After our morning round and lunch, we were hustled over to the Bob Hope Classic for a couple of hours before heading back to prepare for dinner at the Jackalope Ranch.

Jackalope Ranch (www.restaurantsofpalmsprings.com/jackalope.php)
Located in Indio, this is an amazing facility, over 21,000 square feet that can accommodate 700 people in a myriad of different rooms and spaces, both in and out of doors. The experience from start to finish here was seamless here, as our group of 18 was catered to by a pair of friendly and efficient servers. Our wine glasses were never empty and our bellies were plenty full. 

Day Four: The Classic Club, Palm Desert (www.classicclubgolf.com)
During a quick scan of the local newspaper prior to departing Rancho Las Palmas, I found an advertisement for the much ballyhooed mobile Bridgestone Golf Ball Fitting Challenge (www.bridgestonegolf.com/product/ball-fitting) at Lumpy’s in the city of La Quinta. I decided to visit this popular off-course retail golf shop and give the Challenge a try.

As a Bridgestone “staff player” since 2007, I am confident in the product and continue to be impressed with what the company is doing to bring valuable information to the golfing public. I chose not to identify myself as a staff player, simply putting myself in the capable hands of the fitting specialist. I made about ten swings before letting the launch monitor and simulator confirm what I felt I already knew. For me, it’s the Bridgestone 330, a golf ball that performs best with driver clubhead speeds above 105 mph. The design and performance features also promote a lower ball flight without sacrificing spin and control around the greens. Then, it was off to another phenomenal golf course!

What separates the Classic Club from every other layout in the region is the purposeful absence of palm trees. The property is dotted with pine trees, apparently brought in at the insistence of the builder from the state of Colorado. Yes, one can confidently surmise what direction the prevailing winds blow from, given the definite lean of a many of the pines, but really, this golf course is truly outstanding.

If required to commit to a favourite on this trip, the Classic Club unquestionably gets the nod. There are plenty of nay-sayers in the region who point to the facility’s location north of Interstate Highway 10 in a supposed wind tunnel of sorts. However, my afternoon at the Classic Club felt like a lottery win on two counts.

Firstly, there was no wind; just an inviting layout in absolutely pristine condition with wide fairways and large greens. And second, I enjoyed the company of a gentleman (Mark) from Topeka, Kansas, (remember that city, folks). He’s a member at the private Wolf Creek Golf Club, a facility where Tom Watson makes frequent appearances. A plus-1 handicapper, he insisted I take the one-stroke per side I had coming as we ventured into a match-play battle with a cold bottle of Budweiser awaiting the winner.

As many of us know, playing golf can provide opportunities to meet some amazing people from around the world. Perhaps not every experience is pleasurable, but overwhelmingly in my life I have met wonderful people who enjoy the game for reasons similar to mine. At the Classic Club, we played together as a twosome on separate power carts. I thoroughly enjoyed the day while chatting about everything from golf, to life and family, to business, to our passion for football as lifelong fans of our respective favourite teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

At the Classic Club, complimentary yardage books, repair tools and a souvenir towel are all part of the amenities package. My playing partner, who was celebrating his 34th wedding anniversary, paid $129, which included a $15 voucher in the restaurant. He had used the practice facility for much of the morning as well, and mentioned to me on more than one occasion that he was ecstatic about the value for his dollar. Upon completion of our golf and a quick beverage, I made my way to the La Quinta Resort and Club to check-in and prepare for dinner out at Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant.

La Quinta Resort and Club

It’s easy to find this storied resort by just following the “Presidents”. Off Interstate 10 heads south on Washington and make a right on to Eisenhower. The entrance is lined with palm trees and you can feel the cobblestone surface below your tires.

At La Quinta, it’s all about ground level entry. The resort is huge, with many pools, tennis courts, a putting green and a spa. There are a number of restaurants to choose from, as well as a strip of retail shops. Over breakfast at “Twenty 26”, director of sales Patty Donovan explained that the “star power” effect has long required discretion by resort personnel when accommodating Hollywood’s elite.

Guests at the resort also have more golf than they might be able to handle as La Quinta provides access to a total of nine golf courses.

Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant (www.arnoldpalmersrestaurant.com)

What can I say about this experience? Really, anyone interested in the history of golf will be engrossed by the memorabilia in the various trophy cases at this restaurant. And with a touch of nationalism in mind, I felt a grin emerge when I spied a souvenir scorecard from the Weston Golf & Country Club, the site of Palmer’s first professional victory, the 1955 Canadian Open.

The place was jumping, to say the least. After all, the night before the final round of the Bob Hope Classic meant one last chance to let it all hang out for PGA Tour fans. The lounge at Arnold Palmer’s was packed and we waited a little longer than expected for our table. But for me, it was not an inconvenience at all, just more time for me to tour the rooms and feel the vibe.

Day Four: The Bob Hope Classic – PGA Tour (www.bhcc.com)
This is actually a five-day annual event in Palm Springs and we spent Sunday watching the final day at PGA West’s Palmer Private Course. The event is a celebrity pro-am and among the stars we saw on the day were comedian Ron White, actors John O’Hurley (Seinfeld) and Kurt Russell.

We walked the entire back nine, following a few different groups. Of particular note was the David Duval-Webb Simpson-Justin Leonard trio. The back nine features a closing stretch of holes among the mountains, including the very narrow, downhill par-3, 17th where we watched four threesomes navigate the 130-yard tee shot to one of the narrowest greens the players experience over the course of the entire season. Alas, we saw only one birdie, by Leonard after he stuffed his tee shot inside of two feet.

When we arrived near the 18th green, we were able to find seats in the bleachers. As I ascended the stairs to our seats, I received numerous cheers and jeers as the spectators laid their eyes on my Saskatchewan Roughriders’ shirt. Of course, the Palm Springs region is the winter home to thousands of Canadians, which might just explain why it is such a friendly environment.

As the players completed their rounds, we collectively marvelled at how many of the touring pros were unable to knock in their short putts at what had to be a very cagey pin placement. And when Jhonattan Vegas three-putted for bogey, we were treated to a three-way playoff, including defending champion Bill Haas and Gary Woodland from, get this, Topeka, Kansas.

At the second extra hole, when Vegas gutted out a nifty par on the insanely difficult 453-yard, 10th hole, he claimed his first career victory and a cheque for $900,000.

Day Five: PGA West – The Stadium Course

Famous golf course designer Pete Dye has been quoted posing the question, “golf is not a fair game, so why build a course fair?” Certainly this is not without logic, but I would suggest Mr. Dye has not spent much time talking with modern-day recreational players.

Glen Erickson

Golf in Palm Springs -  It's Just an Adventure Jim Pedone, Executive Director of Sales, LaQuinta Resort & Club   Listen to Jim and Glen Here!

According to Jim Pedone, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing at La Quinta, the Stadium Course is “Pete Dye at his diabolical best!” For a $217 green fee, the recreational masses might wonder why they have paid for this kind of punishment. Or, they may very much suggest they enjoyed playing a truly demanding golf course.

I think Mr. Dye has indeed rolled the dice with the Stadium Course. Railway ties abound, bordering bunkers, greens and water hazards throughout the property. The putting surfaces are the fastest I have ever experienced, a tremendous challenge, even when mopping up from inside a couple of feet.

For me, the highlights were the finishing holes, those I’ve seen on television on many occasions. The 16th hole (San Andreas) is a lengthy par-5 with a greenside bunker at least 35-feet below the edge of the putting surface. While it did not come into play, I chose to toss a golf ball down there and give the shot a try. I was successful, but not by much. It’s a shot you simply have to try and play!

The 17th hole (Alcatraz) was made famous by Lee Trevino on Nov. 29, 1987 when he made an ace for $175,000 in the Skins Game. I saw it happen on television that day, my 25th birthday. I never, ever thought I’d have an opportunity to play the hole, but was elated to hold the island green with my tee shot and make a solid two-putt par.

The “Skinny” on Travel & Tourism (www.palmspringsusa.com)
The Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority in Rancho Mirage is intent on making the traveling public aware of the region and its many recreational activities. Their efforts include significant promotion within the state of California where the enormous population provides a valuable rubber-tire market segment. Almost 70% of tourist travel into Palm Springs originates from within the state.

In the near future, the CVA will be embarking on a venture with Urban Golf, a group in London, England that includes Joe Talbot and James Day among those operating a trio of indoor golf centres. In conjunction with a marketing partner (Guy Chambers - Black Diamond) and Air New Zealand (Gary Kershaw), the promotion seems destined for success. A promotional video was produced by Talbot during our trip, ostensibly for use in Great Britain and Europe, though I hope to see the finished product online at some time.

Of course, the entire Palm Springs region recognizes the well-documented value of Canadian tourists, even though our population pales in sheer volume to that of California or Great Britain. Many “snowbirds” already own property in the Coachella Valley and continue to spend the winter months enjoying life in SoCal!

A recent article published in the December 6, 2010 edition of the Palm Desert Sun quoted a 2007 survey, suggesting over 81,000 Canadians pump about $123 million into the region’s economy. But this accounts only for those who fly into Palm Springs. In 2009, 1.2 million Canadians created an economic impact of $1 billion (that’s BILLION!) in California.

Only time will tell if the CVA’s new marketing effort in London can increase activity incrementally and perhaps generate like some big numbers from Great Britain. Admittedly, in comparison to business supplied by Canadians, it would be a tremendous success story and one helluva great accomplishment!