Palm
Springs: Where the Playground Never Closes
By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer
(Jan. 15, 2002) - You don’t have to look up into the clear night sky of Palm Springs to see the stars. Since the game first reared its upper class head in the Coachella Valley in the roaring 20’s, this desert oasis has been a golf playground for the who’s who of Hollywood.
Frank Sinatra favored “The Springs” as he called it, and Bob Hope made one of his homes there. Gerald Ford was a regular fixture on areas golf links, and Ginger Rogers was never one to pass up a winter trip to this stark, stunning desert playground.
These days, the Springs attracts the likes of Alice Cooper, Amy Grant, and any other of the myriad of stars you’ll find at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic – the PGA Tour’s annual romp through the desert tracks of Palm Springs.
Each year, thousands of golfers make the trek to Palm Springs and Palm desert, a rite of passage that lies somewhere between a golf trip to Scotland and Myrtle Beach, but can cost as much both trips combined. Seeing how one has to blow a college tuition payment and venture miles into the heart of some of the country’s most Godforsaken country, what kind of spell has Palm Springs cast upon the golfing world?
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Second, the golf courses are plentiful, and second to none in quality and conditioning. More than 100 golf courses stretch across the Coachella Valley, and most of them are of the Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones II variety. Sure, there are a few goat ranches that connect a few double-wides with a couple of Airstreams, but not everyone is on Donald Trump’s budget or has an ex-president’s connections.
Today’s Palm Springs hasn’t backed off the upscale charm. You can still hit the old joints that Frank and Sammy used to haunt, but there are plenty-o chic eateries and trendy hotels have sprung up to cater to the new money that visits the nine towns that make up the Palm Springs region. Top-notch layouts have been popping up in Palm Springs since the building boom of the 1970’s, and if you want to play in the peak season, you’ll have to pay the fiddler. Winter greens fees range from $150 to $235, but the 100-degree temperatures of the summer months can bring $100 to $150 reductions in prices at some courses.
The
Prizes of the Playground – Where to Play
PGA West Stadium Course: Pete Dye set the standard for Palm Springs desert golf with this opulent, dastardly, deceptively beautiful layout. The West Stadium Course oozes Palm Springs, from its casino style clubhouse, it target style golf, and its closely cropped fairways. Unlike some of the friendlier resort courses, Dye’s creation plays to a knee-knocking 75.9 course rating and 150 slope. Some aspects of the course are borderline gimmicky, but for the serious golfer, the course is a must-play. Cases in point: the 22-foot greenside bunker on the 566-yard par five 16th hole, or “Alcatraz”, Dye’s signature 168-yard par three that plays over a black lake to an island green surrounded by rocks and pot bunkers. The course hosted the Skins Game back in the late 1980’s, but weekend golfers shouldn’t expect to win anything other than humble pie. Price: $60 - $235. Phone: 760.564.7170.
La Quinta Resort Mountain Course
Dye’s predecessor to the Stadium Course, La Quinta’s Mountain Course opened its doors in 1980, and desert golf hasn’t been the same since. The front nine lulls players into thinking that they have a chance to sneak up post a solid score on one the game’s most penal course designers. The back nine, propels players out of civilization and into the wilderness of the desert, serves as a reminder that no average golfer will be going low on this track. The par three 16th hole is the Mountain Course’s signature hole. This one-shotter plays 167-yard downhill, and views all the way to Arizona are available from the elevated tee box. Price: $60-$235. Phone: 760.564-7686.
The Shadow Ridge Faldo Course
The new age of course design is being ushered in by one of the game’s most meticulous players. Nick Faldo has begun to dabble in golf course architecture, and we’d all be better players for it if he decides to stick with his new hobby. Shadow Ridge takes its inspiration from the Sand Belt courses of Australia, and the layout is one of the most visually stunning productions in the region. The course is chalked full of native grasses, closely cropped collection areas, flared up pot bunkers, and plenty of jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching holes. The par five second hole plays to over 600 yards, and features a clandestine lake to the right and waster bunkers to the left. Price: $50 - $150. Phone: 760.674.2700.
Mission Hills North
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The point being, if you are tired of getting beat up by Dye, you can always mosey on over to Mission Hills and be stroked with the kid gloves of this player friendly Gary Player designed course. The course is known for its wide fairways, negotiable water hazards and large greens that cater to the weekend golfing locals. Yet, from the back tees, its 7000-plus length and fast greens keep the low handicappers happy as well. The wind is a major factor at Mission Hills, and the desert thermals can make some holes play two or three clubs longer. Price: $60 - $150. Phone: 760.770.2908.
If You Have More Than a Long Weekend …
Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort (760.346.7060) is a classy
muni designed by Michael Hurdzan with plenty of desert hazards
… PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course (760.564.7170)
is a player friendly version of Dye’s Stadium Course …
Land Mark Golf Club Skins North Course (760.775.2000) is home
to the Skins Game through 2004 … Desert Dunes Golf Club (760.251.5368)
is a late 1980’s RTJ II offering that feels like a links
course stuck in the desert.
Sneaky Best Course for the Money
The Ted Robinson designed Resort Course at Tahquitz Creek (760.328.1005) is open to the public and one of the most affordable upscale tracks in town.
Rest
Your Pretty Head -- Where to Stay
The La Quinta Resort provides the type of desert getaway fantasized about in old movies. Palm Springs represents the “Golden Era” of Hollywood, and La Quinta models the luxurious surroundings the stars used to inhabit. Stars such as Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, William Powell, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Clark Gable, and Errol Flynn have paid Palm Springs a visit.
The resort was built in 1926 for recreation and relaxation amid an atmosphere of exclusivity and privacy, and years later became Frank Capra’s inspiration for It Happened One Night.
The deluxe accommodations offer 16 different types of rooms, 42 pools and 51 spas all spread out over the desert property. Only in Palm Springs can guests indulge themselves in the pleasures of both indoor and outdoor spa. Relaxation therapy under the stars, offers several different luxuries including a celestial shower. The award winning Tennis Club is consistently rated in the "Top 10" by Tennis Magazine.
Guests can play on 23 courts of hard, grass and clay surfaces. 10 courts are lighted for night play. A fully stocked Pro Shop and Olympic-sized pool and spa surround the historic Clubhouse, once a gracious estate.
La Quinta Resort & Club
49-499 Eisenhower Drive
La Quinta, CA 92253
Phone: 800-598-3828
www.laquintaresort.com
Refuel
– Where to Eat
PALM DESERT – Pepper Maggies Restaurant, , 42-245 Washington Street, 360-6135. Open 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. daily. Specialties: Paella from Spain, lechon lubano, and cochinita pibil Mexico.
LA QUINTA - Cliffhouse Restaurant, 78-250 Hwy. 111, 360-5991. Open 5-9 p.m. Su-Th, 5- 9:30 p.m. F-Sa. Specialties: Citrus glazed fresh fish, steak, ribs, pasta, Kimos hula pie, and JJ’s artichokes.
LA QUINTA - Shangri-La, 78-790 Hwy. 111, 777-0203. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Specialties: Moo Shu dishes and Mongolian beef. All dishes prepared to order.
PALM DESERT - Daily Grill, 73-061 El Paseo, 779-9911. Open 11:00 a.m-10 p.m. M-Sa, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Su. Specialties: Steaks, seafood, chicken pot pies, and meat loaf.
LA QUINTA - The Beer Hunter, great sports bar, 78-483 Hwy. 111, 564-7442. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. M-F, 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Sa/Su during football season. Specialties: Hamburgers, pastas, and steaks. Best appetizers in town.
Staff Writer Kelly Saul contributed to this article
