next »

[PFerlicca]

This whole facility just underwent a 90 million dollar complete renovation.  About half of that was for a complete redesign of both courses.  The celebrity course was redesigned by Clive Clark and the players course was redesigned by John Fought.  They didn't keep any features of the old courses and pretty much started from a clean slate.  The players course is a great golf course that has big bold bunkers and large undulating greens.  It is a tough golf course with a lot of raised greens and very deep greenside bunkers.  This is IMO the best public course in the Coachella Valley, and is always in the best condition (usually better than most private clubs out here).  The skins game IF still intact will be held here for the 2009 season instead of the celebrity course.

Hole 1 Par 5



Hole 2 Par 3 (the two par 3's on the front are extremely hard, raised greens that don't hold that well, both being over 200 yards)



Hole 3 Par 4


Hole 4 Par 4 (the start of three really hard par 4's)



Hole 5 Par 4 (cool par 4, requires a cut tee shot, and then a high iron shot into the green)



Hole 6 Par 4



Hole 7 Par 5




Hole 8 Par 3 (220 yard par 3, extremely hard)



Hole 9 Par 5



Hole 10 Par 4



Hole 11 Par 4



Hole 12 Par 3


Hole 13 Par 4 (best hole on the entire property, gentle dogleg to the right to an attractive green surround by good looking bunkers)


Hole 14 Par 5


Hole 15 Par 4



Hole 16 Par 4


Hole 17 Par 3


Hole 18 Par 4

[Lynn_Shackelford]

I have not played this course.  I have driven it in a cart.  Maybe if I played there, I would have a different impression.  The green sites with two or 3 exceptions looked pretty similar.  Since this course has been rated pretty high by GolfWeek raters, I am surprised there isn't more comment about it.  Someone please tell me why this rates among California's best.  Please exclude conditioning, which is Augusta like.

[Garland Bayley]

Lynn,

It's got ponds in the desert. That's always good for a few points with those low handicap raters! 

[Ryan_Simper]

I have never played any of the Indian Wells courses. 

Still, somehow I knew, while scrolling down through these, that the 17th hole would be a par 3 with a pond guarding the green.  I'm pretty sure that's a stipulation in the Coachella Valley water rights contracts.