Stone Eagle

[Damon Groves]

I just played Stone Eagle and what an amazing place. Visually it is spectacular and I was simply in awe at how anyone could envision a course up on the side of the mountain let alone figure out any type of meaningful routing. The routing is very good and while not the most walkable of courses you are hard pressed to find the cart paths which are hidden so well that your first time playing the course makes them very hard to find. Each hole is truly unique and while provides plenty of challenge for the very good player each hole gives the less accomplished player plenty of room. It is hands down the best desert golf course I have played and truly a very special place.

Thank you again Tom Doak for another magical place.

[Bill Brightly]

This course is a blast to play! I agree, my favorite desert course.

[Bill_McBride]

I love that last photo.  Is there another desert course with skyline greens?  Stone Eagle is indeed a special treat.

[Tom_Doak]

You played Stone Eagle in mid August?  Thanks for your bravery as well as your comments.

[jonathan_becker]

I've commented on SE before in other threads and I've played a lot of golf in the sw deserts and I can't get enough of this place.  I played last May and it was one of the most enjoyable golfing experiences of my life.  It's better than most desert courses because there is a lot more room around the entire place for misses and sprayed shots.

It's more than fair off the tees, the vistas are amazing, the conditioning is immaculate, it's got the coolest driving range i've ever seen, the staff was extremely kind and helpful, and they have the best chapstick on earth in the locker rooms!

I did find the greens very hard to read in that they would sometimes break in the total opposite direction of my thinking.  I parred the last 12 holes and could've taken it much lower with better green reads.

I could go on and on about this place.

[Bill_McBride]

You played Stone Eagle in mid August?  Thanks for your bravery as well as your comments.

It couldn't have been worse than the June afternoon the Kings Putter crowd played Stone Eagle - after a morning round down in the valley!  I recall it was at least 115^o that day.  It was almost too hot to appreciate the architecture!

[Thomas Patterson]

I'm very jealous of you all!  I will be in the area around the end of October but won't be able to play, due to overseeding.  I'm hoping to get in a couple of rounds elsewhere though.

[jkinney]

Smelling salts please !!!! Finally a thread complimentary to Stone Eagle !!!! It's taken four years by my count, but IMO, it was bound to happen. Tom Doak's work there is pure genius, and I find SE to be - by a factor of 10 - the finest golf course ever built in the desert.
Its reputation will only grow.

[Ben Sims]

Good to see Stone Eagle getting some praise.  I thoroughly enjoyed my round there, and would put it up against anything else in that area, or the Phoenix area for that matter.  Of the 5-10 or so great courses I've seen this year only once, it tops the list as one I'd like to study again.  The decision to route the course up and down the mountain worked beautifully.  The recovery options are better than any Renaissance course I've played.  The only weakness I saw was the difficulty of the walk, which in hindsight, isn't really that much more difficult than many other courses we love on this site. 

I think it should go down as one of Renaissance's biggest triumphs.  Not necessarily their best course--not even close really--but due the difficulty of terrain and what they were tasked with, one of their biggest accomplishments. 

[David Stamm]

Stone Eagle is an engineering marvel and I have a blast when I go there. It is such an intriguing design with some fascinating greens. It's also one of the best conditoned courses I've ever seen. I never really play well there, but I still enjoy the course very much.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I absolutely agree with the brillance of the routing given the land facts. I think  Tom did an incredible job. Nothwithstanding that it is far from the top of the desert golf heap. There is a nice small club in Carefree that has a firm grip on that trophy.

[Bill Brightly]

I first posted these pics about 15 months ago and we had a pretty good discussion about Stone Eagle, but I think it is worth repeating because this is a great example of designing a course that is entirely playable for mid-to-high handicappers as well as challenging for low handicappers. There are some scary looking bunkers, but plenty of room to avoid them.

It also ties in to the discussion about Hazeltine and the PGA set up. My wife and I traveled to CA and played Torrey Pines just before the US Open. The rough was BRUTAL, you literally had to be standing right over the ball to find it. I am a 4 handicap and managed to get around the course OK but my wife, an average woman golfer, just hated it. She picked up at least 4 times, and other than some nice views, really did not enjoy the round at all.

Then we went to Stone Eagle. i played from the tips and was challenged enough, paid the price for some over-aggressive lines but certainly found the grass enough. 18 was an example: I busted a drive on an aggresive (left) line, then hit a career 5 wood, to an uphill green,  over the trap, and made a great birdie. My wife played it safely down the right side all the way to the hole.

The greens were surely "in play" and I guess I three-putted twice. My score was slightly better at SE but the round was 10 times more fun. And my wife just loved it and did not pick up once. I'm sure Doak's main goal was to build a course that would be FUN, one that average golfers would want to play again and again. I play lots of competitive golf on lots of really good golf courses, but this is the one that made me say, "Wow, that was FUN."

[jkinney]

Bill - Your comment "Wow that was fun !" is very close to what my brother said. He's a member of Shinnecock and The Creek, a 9.5 index and a guy whose played many of the highest ranked courses more than once. Walking off Stone Eagle's 16th green during his second round there, he told me "I can't imagine having more fun on a golf course". Two years later, on a similarly beautiful January day, again coming off 16, he repeated that statement.

[Kyle Henderson]

I've never been to Palm Desert, but I can only imagine that Stone Eagle must be among the most intensely irrigated golf courses on the planet. Does the ridgeline placement of the course expose it to more sun and wind than most of the valley courses?

I remember seeing the course a few years ago as part of a "Playing Lessons from the Pros" episode on The Golf Channel. It looked like an absolute blast and I dearly hope to give it a go some day.

[Peter Ferlicca]

I have played stone eagle more than anyone else by far, considering I am the assistant pro their.  I know the course like the back of my hand.  There are sooooo many good golf holes that require strategy and execution.  The bunkers blend in so well with the environment, the greens are out of control hard, and it has quite a bit of elevation change.  When it comes to comparing desert courses, I don't even think there is a chance for any course to compare to Stone Eagle.  It is so unique and offers and out of this world experience.  When you first take the half of mile drive up the mountain and stop at the gorgeous driving range you are already blown away.  Then you creep over the hill and view the whole golf course from the 17th tee, it is just BREATTAKING.  One of our members who is a member at Bel Air, Pine Valley, Congo, always says that whenever I creep over that hill I get the same feeling I do when walking into Yankee Stadium. 

The part I love the most about the golf course is how is intertwines so much.  All the fairways connect endless possibilities for golf holes.  I also like the fact that you could start your round on holes 1, 5, 17, 14, 19.  That is 5 different areas you could start a group.  Though it is hardly ever gets busy, it definitely makes it easy on us with that many options.  I love starting on hole 5 and playing through till 13 for a quick nine, its about as good as it gets for me.  A lot of people compare 9 and 11 stating they are the same golf hole, but IMO they are completely different except that both are downhill and have greens that run VERY fast down grain.  Hole 9 offers many different options on the tee shot depending on which tee you play.  I prefer the 310 yard tee to make it a driveable par 4 with a lot of risk and reward.  John Kirk the great member always plays the MacKenzie tee where it plays about 430 yards teeing off over 8 green.  Hole 11 from the back tee is quite an intimidating tee shot, with the ravine going down the whole left side and a bunker in the middle and right side of the fairway it offers a hard tee shot. 

Hole 18 is still IMO the HARDEST finishing hole I have ever played, NO CONTEST.  I have had soo many good rounds going with that hole in the back of my head of thinking that if I finish with a Par I will be lucky.  At 501 yards hitting to the thinnest fairway on the golf course, you will usually get a downhill lie for your second shot going to an uphill green surround by enormously deep bunkers, and to top it off it is the most undulating green on the golf course.

Even if I play bad I never have a bad time when I am out playing Stone Eagle.  All my other friends in the Valley that work as Assistants at the other clubs all agree that nothing even touches Stone Eagle as a golf course and experience.  We also have the best food and tacos thanks to our chef Armando.  Our staff is fantastic all around, we have an amazing Director of Golf and Head Professional and great F &B Manager, Stone Eagle really offers a great time for everyone that comes and plays.

If anyone wants to see more pictures I have tons from all different times of the season.  I have done a couple of threads on Stone Eagle, one of the being the walkers course.

[Bill_McBride]

I have played stone eagle more than anyone else by far, considering I am the assistant pro their.  I know the course like the back of my hand.  There are sooooo many good golf holes that require strategy and execution.  The bunkers blend in so well with the environment, the greens are out of control hard, and it has quite a bit of elevation change.  When it comes to comparing desert courses, I don't even think there is a chance for any course to compare to Stone Eagle.  It is so unique and offers and out of this world experience.  When you first take the half of mile drive up the mountain and stop at the gorgeous driving range you are already blown away.  Then you creep over the hill and view the whole golf course from the 17th tee, it is just BREATTAKING.  One of our members who is a member at Bel Air, Pine Valley, Congo, always says that whenever I creep over that hill I get the same feeling I do when walking into Yankee Stadium. 

The part I love the most about the golf course is how is intertwines so much.  All the fairways connect endless possibilities for golf holes.  I also like the fact that you could start your round on holes 1, 5, 17, 14, 19.  That is 5 different areas you could start a group.  Though it is hardly ever gets busy, it definitely makes it easy on us with that many options.  I love starting on hole 5 and playing through till 13 for a quick nine, its about as good as it gets for me.  A lot of people compare 9 and 11 stating they are the same golf hole, but IMO they are completely different except that both are downhill and have greens that run VERY fast down grain.  Hole 9 offers many different options on the tee shot depending on which tee you play.  I prefer the 310 yard tee to make it a driveable par 4 with a lot of risk and reward.  John Kirk the great member always plays the MacKenzie tee where it plays about 430 yards teeing off over 8 green.  Hole 11 from the back tee is quite an intimidating tee shot, with the ravine going down the whole left side and a bunker in the middle and right side of the fairway it offers a hard tee shot. 

Hole 18 is still IMO the HARDEST finishing hole I have ever played, NO CONTEST.  I have had soo many good rounds going with that hole in the back of my head of thinking that if I finish with a Par I will be lucky.  At 501 yards hitting to the thinnest fairway on the golf course, you will usually get a downhill lie for your second shot going to an uphill green surround by enormously deep bunkers, and to top it off it is the most undulating green on the golf course.

Even if I play bad I never have a bad time when I am out playing Stone Eagle.  All my other friends in the Valley that work as Assistants at the other clubs all agree that nothing even touches Stone Eagle as a golf course and experience.  We also have the best food and tacos thanks to our chef Armando.  Our staff is fantastic all around, we have an amazing Director of Golf and Head Professional and great F &B Manager, Stone Eagle really offers a great time for everyone that comes and plays.

If anyone wants to see more pictures I have tons from all different times of the season.  I have done a couple of threads on Stone Eagle, one of the being the walkers course.

As an assistant you probably never have time to walk the course, right?

Tacos at the little half way house around the corner?  Great food at the Kings Putter.

Mr. Kirk always prefers a challenge. 

[Peter Ferlicca]

Here are some cool pictures

Hole 1 from the tee box

And then looking back up at the tee from behind the green


Hole 2 from the fairway

Hole 2 from behind the green standing on 3 tee box


Hole 3 from the tee


Hole 4 from the tee

The approach to 4 green

This is the view from behind the green you can see the severe tilt in the fairway


This is a sweet pic I took from the top of the mountain of hole #5 with the green sticking out into the ravine


I have more pics coming

[Peter Ferlicca]

I have played stone eagle more than anyone else by far, considering I am the assistant pro their.  I know the course like the back of my hand.  There are sooooo many good golf holes that require strategy and execution.  The bunkers blend in so well with the environment, the greens are out of control hard, and it has quite a bit of elevation change.  When it comes to comparing desert courses, I don't even think there is a chance for any course to compare to Stone Eagle.  It is so unique and offers and out of this world experience.  When you first take the half of mile drive up the mountain and stop at the gorgeous driving range you are already blown away.  Then you creep over the hill and view the whole golf course from the 17th tee, it is just BREATTAKING.  One of our members who is a member at Bel Air, Pine Valley, Congo, always says that whenever I creep over that hill I get the same feeling I do when walking into Yankee Stadium. 

The part I love the most about the golf course is how is intertwines so much.  All the fairways connect endless possibilities for golf holes.  I also like the fact that you could start your round on holes 1, 5, 17, 14, 19.  That is 5 different areas you could start a group.  Though it is hardly ever gets busy, it definitely makes it easy on us with that many options.  I love starting on hole 5 and playing through till 13 for a quick nine, its about as good as it gets for me.  A lot of people compare 9 and 11 stating they are the same golf hole, but IMO they are completely different except that both are downhill and have greens that run VERY fast down grain.  Hole 9 offers many different options on the tee shot depending on which tee you play.  I prefer the 310 yard tee to make it a driveable par 4 with a lot of risk and reward.  John Kirk the great member always plays the MacKenzie tee where it plays about 430 yards teeing off over 8 green.  Hole 11 from the back tee is quite an intimidating tee shot, with the ravine going down the whole left side and a bunker in the middle and right side of the fairway it offers a hard tee shot. 

Hole 18 is still IMO the HARDEST finishing hole I have ever played, NO CONTEST.  I have had soo many good rounds going with that hole in the back of my head of thinking that if I finish with a Par I will be lucky.  At 501 yards hitting to the thinnest fairway on the golf course, you will usually get a downhill lie for your second shot going to an uphill green surround by enormously deep bunkers, and to top it off it is the most undulating green on the golf course.

Even if I play bad I never have a bad time when I am out playing Stone Eagle.  All my other friends in the Valley that work as Assistants at the other clubs all agree that nothing even touches Stone Eagle as a golf course and experience.  We also have the best food and tacos thanks to our chef Armando.  Our staff is fantastic all around, we have an amazing Director of Golf and Head Professional and great F &B Manager, Stone Eagle really offers a great time for everyone that comes and plays.

If anyone wants to see more pictures I have tons from all different times of the season.  I have done a couple of threads on Stone Eagle, one of the being the walkers course.

As an assistant you probably never have time to walk the course, right?

Tacos at the little half way house around the corner?  Great food at the Kings Putter.

Mr. Kirk always prefers a challenge. 

To tell you the truth I am about the only one that walks the golf course.  Mr. Kirk has walked it a couple of times, I walked it with Ben Sims, and then have walked 9 holes with my head pro.  Those are the only other people that I know of that have completely walked the golf course carrying there own golf bag.  In total I have walked the golf course about 15 times, and have done my own version called the walkers course about 30 times.

[Peter Ferlicca]

Hole 6 the approach shot




Hole 7 playing as a par 4 from six green


Hole 8, this is the approach shot.  One of my favorite par 5's


Hole 9, this is from the 310 yard tee box, my favorite tee to play on this hole and the most convenient for walking

This is the greenside bunker for hole 9 in good sunlight, shows how it mixes in well with all the rocks


Hole 10, shooting up the heart of the canyon

Here is the approach to 10

[Peter Ferlicca]

Hole 11 from the alternate tee playing as a par 3,  I have other pictures but they are on my other computer


Hole 12, a great looking par 3


Hole 13 from the walkers tee

The approach to 13


Hole 14 approach


All my good pics of 15 once again on my other computer but here is a pic of the green


Hole 16 from the tee, with tons of bunkers lining the whole left side of the fairway



Hole 17 from the tee


the approach to 17 green


And the hardest finishing hole

and a couple of pics of the approach shot from different angles

[Garland Bayley]

Here are some cool pictures

...

I didn't see any ponds! I'm sold!
 

[Peter Ferlicca]

I know I have posted these pics before but here are some extras I have taken

18 with the skyline green approach from the side, looks like you are on top of the mountain


Hole 19 a great extra par 3


And here are some cool pics I have taken from hiking behind the course

[Peter Ferlicca]

Here are some cool pictures

...

I didn't see any ponds! I'm sold!
 

Well unfortunately there is one single pond on the left side of 4 green and you drive over it on 5 tee, I definitely wasn't Doaks idea, it was all the developers who wanted a fancy waterfall to be in view from the Aerie Restaurant.  But trust me when you are playing you don't even notice it.

[Garland Bayley]

Here are some cool pictures

...

I didn't see any ponds! I'm sold!
 

Well unfortunately there is one single pond on the left side of 4 green and you drive over it on 5 tee, I definitely wasn't Doaks idea, it was all the developers who wanted a fancy waterfall to be in view from the Aerie Restaurant.  But trust me when you are playing you don't even notice it.

A pond and a waterfall.
 

Was one of the developers named Trump?
 

[Ben Sims]

Peter,

So let me get this straight.  This place for 3/4's of the year and Colorado for the summer?  I thought I had it all figured out when I was 21-22 years old.  Five years later, I now know that I was pretending.  Thanks for more pictures of a place that I loved at first sight and hope to see again.  There are better golf courses out there sure--albeit not many--but few are as pretty as Stone Eagle.  It was like meeting Gisele.  If Gisele could beat your brains out with her bare hands...