I spent a long weekend in Palm Springs with a group of 16 with handicaps ranging from 0 to 25. Here is my summary:
Golf Club at Terra Lago - North (Doak 4) - an Arnold Palmer public that, in 2 club winds, was demanding. It is at a hilly location and, other than some hidden grass protecting a wide right opening tee shot is pretty tight tee to green. Those who dislike desert golf should not play here. Those who enjoy a desert course that follows the natural land and does not consist of a series of bowling alleys with bumpers to put the ball back in play should enjoy this course, particularly because I suspect it is one of the lower priced courses in the area.
Greg Norman Course at PGA West - (Doak 3) - slopes on both sides of the fairways funnel the ball back in play. Most unique aspect of the course is the bunkering style. The bunkers are pretty deep and scooped out in sort of a clamshell style reminiscent of Maxwell. The depth of the bunkers was similar to those on Sand belt courses. Of the zillion bunkers on the course, few of them really impacted how one played a hole.
Silverrock - (Doak 5) - This is a new course that will be used for the Bob Hope and it was the surprise of the trip for me. The setting is terrific - flush against the rock of a mountainside but not on a severe sideslope and without housing. The course was in terrific condition and I liked several of the holes, including a unique short par four that dogleged around some bushes and a closing stretch that uses one of those cement water canals as an ugly but interesting hazard.
PGA West Stadium - (Doak 6-7) - The course was pretty dried out and firm because overseeding will occur soon. We played from pretty short tees because of the range of ability levels in our group. From short tees, it was really an enjoyable, rather than a punishing experience. Par fives were all reachable. Par fours were a challenge with short irons and recovery shots are generally pretty fun. I just hate all of those silly severe slopes which would never occur in a grassed over portion of nature.