Played with GK'ers today, course is as good as you can get right now...super great WIDE fairways, full good rolling greens, even sand traps are very good. Had the pleasure of playing with Tim and Tom... Continue »

Played with GK'ers today, course is as good as you can get right now...super great WIDE fairways, full good rolling greens, even sand traps are very good. Had the pleasure of playing with Tim and Tom both GK regulars.

Wonderful day out at Desert Willows Mountain Course yesterday. First time playing Mountain Course after playing Firecliff Course last year. Spectacular golf facility with world class driving range, ch... Continue »

Wonderful day out at Desert Willows Mountain Course yesterday. First time playing Mountain Course after playing Firecliff Course last year. Spectacular golf facility with world class driving range, chipping green and putting green. Well stocked pro shop with full service indoor and outdoor restaurant along with nice breakfast snack shop. All employees encountered were friendly, interested, and ready to serve. Staff really took pride of their facility.

Despite a 1 hr 15 minute frost delay, operations were smooth and organized. Once we got called to tee off, Larry the starter was pleasant and gave great tips and explained their strictly enforced pace of play policy. Nice to hear because we had 5.15 min round the day before at PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course. The golf course is green and lush. Tee boxes were like perfect felt. Fairways and rough and traps pristine despite a packed tee sheet. Greens were rolling smooth at around 10. Unique variety of holes mixed with water hazards and amazing views of the southern and northern mountains. Snack carts came by several time. They were well stocked and we ordered double shot margaritas which were not cheap but we were happy to pay given the experience. Golf carts had coolers and precise gps to the actual flag.

Overall conditions were better than PGA West - Nicklaus Tournament Course and they just hosted the pros two weeks ago.

Such a wonderful treat to play here!

Cannot wait to tell all my friends and fellow GKers to come and play!

Booked a group for last Friday for a bachelor party. Most of the golfers in the group have never played anywhere nice so desert willow was a logical choice. $55 on a Friday is totally worth it right n... Continue »

Booked a group for last Friday for a bachelor party. Most of the golfers in the group have never played anywhere nice so desert willow was a logical choice. $55 on a Friday is totally worth it right now even though it was still over 100° this day. Check in was smooth and the cart guys prepped our carts and ice chests for the round. Course was fully sold out this day for both courses so the range was a little busy and POP was around 4:45 but never felt too slow.

Course is in good summer shape right now as previously reviewed a few weeks back. Tee boxes flat and many to choose from. Grass was lush and minimal divot damage. Fairways mostly lush with a few browning areas as they get ready for over seed in a few weeks. I never had a bad lie so no issues there. Sand was good and consistent in the 14 sand traps that I played from this day, fairways traps were a little more firm as expected and green side soft and easy to hit from. I did notice 2 traps where the liner is exposed on the lips so that will need a little TLC to fix. Greens were medium fast and a tad on the firmer side. They rolled smooth and held shots just fine. Rough was lush but had some bare spots here and there the farther offline you got.

Carts were nice with GPS, USB plug, ball/club washer and an cooler. Cart girl was around at least 5 times on the round and the on course restrooms had ice and water machines to keep you hydrated. Overall this is a must play course if in the desert area.

Rode the Purple tees (6507/71.2/128) in less than 3H late afternoon. Hazy, breezy and in the low 100's. Tees good with only a few needing divot repair. Level and mostly lush. Fairways lush and nic... Continue »

Rode the Purple tees (6507/71.2/128) in less than 3H late afternoon. Hazy, breezy and in the low 100's. Tees good with only a few needing divot repair. Level and mostly lush. Fairways lush and nice to play from. Rough very lush and mowed low, not very penal. Traps nicely maintained with good quality sand. Bermuda greens medium speed and firm. Late Summer Bermuda bumpy with the heat. Always exceptional customer service here. Quick, efficient check-in. Excellent all grass practice facility with complementary range balls. Nice GPS on the upgraded carts that have ports for electronics. No Drink cart this afternoon, but plenty of ice/water stations on the course every few holes. Fun layout with plenty of water and traps but they do not overwhelm you. Recommended.

Rode the Purples (6507/71.2/128) on a GN Hot Deal mid day in 3.5H. Matched up with Zach and Brian, nice guys to play with. It was 117 when we were finishing, and it is supposed to be above 110 locally... Continue »

Rode the Purples (6507/71.2/128) on a GN Hot Deal mid day in 3.5H. Matched up with Zach and Brian, nice guys to play with. It was 117 when we were finishing, and it is supposed to be above 110 locally every day for the immediate future. Course very playable but beginning to show signs of the recent heat wave. Fun layout with plenty of water and traps but they do not overwhelm you. Tees were good with a few needing divot repair. Level and mostly lush. Fairways mostly lush with a few thinner areas and firm. Same for the rough. Mowed low, not very penal, mostly lush. Traps were nicely maintained with good quality sand. Would just like to see more sand in them. Greens were medium speed and firm. Beginning to get what I call middle of the summer Bermuda bumpy when the heat gets above 110 for a few days in a row. Always exceptional customer service here. Quick, efficient check-in. Plenty of ice/water stations on the course every few holes. Excellent all grass practice facility with complementary range balls. Nice GPS on the upgraded carts that have ports for electronics. Drink cart around a few times early in the round. Recommended.

Played in the lead group out in front of the GK Cup Team Match Play final with rudyclub and circaflex at 11:15am on a gorgeous Sunday, 3/14/21. Tim and Kevin are easy to play with and great guys. Weat... Continue »

Played in the lead group out in front of the GK Cup Team Match Play final with rudyclub and circaflex at 11:15am on a gorgeous Sunday, 3/14/21. Tim and Kevin are easy to play with and great guys. Weather was sunny and warm, and we didn’t have too much wind until it freshened on the back 9 and was definitely a factor over the last 6 holes. Easy check-in at the shop and the cart guys knew about our GK event and were great in getting us set up. This was my first time playing the Mountain View layout – I had to beg off last Fall’s outing here due to high temperatures. Overall course conditions were very good. Even after playing Firecliff in past rounds I was surprised by the amount of slope within the holes, as many are canted significantly R/L or L/R by elevated edges and deep washes running between holes, which must be considered in selecting lines and placing shots on many holes. Most fairways and greens were bounded by long humps and swales; east of the entry road, these had the effect of isolating each hole from the others. While the remaining holes were a little more open, each hole was well-defined by the terrain and visually pleasing. Water was used more extensively on the back 9 where the inter-hole slopes were not as severe, but the wind effects are greater. Greens had complete coverage and were uniformly firm and very quick. I have to say that this doesn’t play into my game as I am a streaky, below-average putter and don’t spin the ball much at all. These types of greens make me completely defensive on and around the greens and I rarely had a putt where I felt I could attack the hole. JMHO, but as a “resort” course I would think that most patrons would prefer conditions where they felt they had a reasonable chance to make a putt, even when faced with a downhill slider. I know you have to set your course up to be playable by all levels of golfers; I just don’t see this type of green set-up as being “fun” for the majority of patrons. Fairways had uniformly good coverage and the ball sat nicely. Rough was 1-2 inches, uniform, and easy to play from. Around the greens the turf was cut lower and in many cases the putter was a good option from 20 feet off the edges. Tees were level and in good condition. I found several greenside bunkers and all had a very thin layer of sand over a wet, packed base. Rakes were provided, so there were very few stray footprints. In keeping with the resort mode, traps are not severely deep or steep-sided. Course was on-time and play moved smartly along – we waited on the foursome ahead only a couple times for a couple of minutes, so no problems. Carts are very comfortable with a good interactive GPS system and club/ball washer. Ice chest with ice. A yardage book is available, and the holes feature fairway plates and Kirby-type markers for distances. The course deployed entry/exit gate markers on most holes to direct cart traffic and try to minimize/spread out turf damage from cart traffic – I’m a fan. Sand bottles on the carts and many refill racks available – use ‘em, people! Saw a cart girl several times, and the nicely-appointed restrooms also offered ice/water machines, which we aren’t seeing in the OC. Highly recommended, although winter rates in the desert are a factor in course decisions. Wish the greens were more “resort-y”.

Played here 3/14 in the spectator group of the GK Cup. I had an absolute blast, this course is always pristine and worth the money+drive.

Facility: The bar and restaurant were open for in-door seat... Continue »

Played here 3/14 in the spectator group of the GK Cup. I had an absolute blast, this course is always pristine and worth the money+drive.

Facility: The bar and restaurant were open for in-door seating as well as outdoor. The range is sold by time only, not by bucket size; however it is included in your round as far as I know. You are hitting off of grass which is nice. There is a large putting and chipping green area.

Course: Simply put, this course was PURE. The fairways were lush and a beautiful green. I spent a lot of time in the rough and it was just as pure; surprisingly for a desert course the rough was nice and lush and not all that bad. Bunkers were full of sand that was inbetween fluff and compacted down; it was great. The greens were probably the only negative, they were extremely firm. I am a high ball hitter and an so used to finding my ball mark and fixing it, however on this day not once did I leave a ball mark which was odd. The greens were super fast and the style of play was definitely more on the defensive side. There was a cart girl who made her rounds and we saw her 3 or 4 times which was great. Water was available on the course near the bathrooms/rest areas.

All and all, I would highly recommend you check this place out.

Played Sunday in the GK match play final. First time playing this course. I read the reviews of both courses so had high expectations. The service, layout, and conditions exceeded my high expectati... Continue »

Played Sunday in the GK match play final. First time playing this course. I read the reviews of both courses so had high expectations. The service, layout, and conditions exceeded my high expectations.
I figured bag drop was closed, so parked, grabbed my bag, and walked to clubhouse. Half way there I was met by an attendant in golf cart - he took my bag, confirmed my time and group (nice he immediately knew I was with GK when I told him the tee time), directed me to the clubhouse/golf shop, and told me my clubs would be waiting on my cart. Nice service!
Encountered a few other course employees on my way to check in, was greeted by each one. They really made me feel welcome. Check in was easy, shop was well stocked, and was given a quick overview of layout and directions.
Range / Practice Area - large putting green, separate chipping area, and large, all grass range. I could spend a day just on the practice area.
Course - Wow - One of the best conditioned courses I've played. Tee boxes level, fairways were close to perfect, allowed for some roll and always a great lie. Rough was not too high, a little sticky, thicker in some spots, and was fair but made you think about the shot. Greens were firm and had a little more roll out than expected. Unless you had a high wedge, play short of your target and you'll get some roll.
I haven't played too many Palm Springs courses, but I think this is my favorite so far. Wide enough fairways, lots of bunkers and water that make you think about placement, and a nice mix of holes keep your interest throughout the round.
Hope I can play the other course next month. Highly recommend.

We played the GK Cup final here on 3/14/21 and had an 11:25 tee time. The staff were wonderful and attentive, the practice facility is great, and the weather was also amazing.

At first look it see... Continue »

We played the GK Cup final here on 3/14/21 and had an 11:25 tee time. The staff were wonderful and attentive, the practice facility is great, and the weather was also amazing.

At first look it seems as though there a ton of traps and that they squeeze a lot of drives into smaller spaces, but there's more room generally that you would expect. The greens are all well trapped as well with some big lips and faces, but there was plenty of firm sand in them which allowed for some nice recovery shots. There were a few rakes scattered about as well which was nice to see.

Tee boxes were in great shape and the fairways were firm and well manicured. The greens were very firm but accepted shots and rolled true and not as fast as I had remembered. Many pin placements in the front which demanded that you land short of the green and let the ball release to get anywhere close. Thankfully, it wasn't real sticky or soft and with well executed shots those front pins were accessible.

As always Desert Willow showed it's best. It was beautiful, fair, but challenging, and left very little to be desired. I will always look for opportunities to play here and am already looking forward to our next stop there.