Played Marriott Valley Sat. morning with fellow GK members Sixpez, Eaglee, and Lotrgolfer48. thanks guys for the great time. This course is a Ted Robinson design, a golf course architect that I real... Continue »

Played Marriott Valley Sat. morning with fellow GK members Sixpez, Eaglee, and Lotrgolfer48. thanks guys for the great time. This course is a Ted Robinson design, a golf course architect that I really enjoy playing his courses, as his mix of holes generally has you playing different clubs off the tee not automatically reaching for driver all the time. Mostly forgiving fairways, water hazards, some of the greenside bunkers were deep But a visually beautiful course, pleasure to play. Greens in good shape, a tad faster than Desert Willow played. Sand was compact typical for summer in the desert. Fairways were great, never had a bad lie. Fun Island water hole. We played at a discounted rate of $39, how can you beat that? Will definitely add to the courses I play in the area

We had a great morning warm-up round today, with GKers Eaglee, lotrgolfer48 and mendel joining me at the 6:45 tee time and rob1563 in the group right behind us. The place was already pretty busy with ... Continue »

We had a great morning warm-up round today, with GKers Eaglee, lotrgolfer48 and mendel joining me at the 6:45 tee time and rob1563 in the group right behind us. The place was already pretty busy with earlier groups out ahead of us, but the pace was still nice at about 4:15. For $39, it was a great deal.

The course was in excellent condition all around. Fairways looking and playing beautiful, rough cut tight, so not penal at all. Tee boxes lush and level. I was in most bunkers on the course today, so I got a pretty good sampling. The sand quality was always good. I was surprised, though, when I had a ball plug in the face and then bury completely. They didn't seem soft enough for that, but it happened nonetheless. Greens had been verticut and rolled, so they were very smooth and relatively fast for this time of year in the desert. Not as fast as you'll get in winter here, but with all the tiers and undulations on these greens, you definitely were better off below the hole. Very firm, too. Matt was able to make some healthy ball marks with a few moon shots, but otherwise it was hard to make too much of a dent.

I think both Desert Springs courses are a bit overlooked/underrated amidst all the fantastic desert options, but they are both worth checking out. The conditions always seem excellent and the layouts are fun, crazy greens and all. Very pretty course with lots of good scenery, nice water features/landscaping and well-framed holes visually.

I teed off at 7:37am on Sunday morning over Memorial weekend for $59. It was my first time playing the course and with so many outstanding choices in the area, it was difficult deciding where to play... Continue »

I teed off at 7:37am on Sunday morning over Memorial weekend for $59. It was my first time playing the course and with so many outstanding choices in the area, it was difficult deciding where to play. Ultimately, I was very happy that I decided on the JW Marriot Desert Springs and found it to be a great value for the $59 rate. Thanks go out to Shebylo and JohnnyGK for some guidance. The golf course was 1 of 2, 18 hole courses at the resort hotel. Each 18 hole course had its own driving range with complimentary range balls and its own practice putting greens. The customer service at the entire facility was top notch; from the golf shop to the starter to the cart girl and after round service guys. Our group was a 3some and although we were waiting on pretty much every shot, POP was good since we finished in about 4.5 hours. The marshal and cart girl came around several times throughout the round; beers were $6 a pop :( so I didn't need the cart girl to come around as much as she did. The tee boxes were all level and lush with some divot damage but nothing excessive. The fairways were lush as well but I did wind up in a couple unrepaired divots. I was in a number of bunkers throughout the day and they were all some of the best bunkers I've played out of. The greenside bunkers had sand that was soft and white with excellent coverage. If I were to complain about anything, it would be the greens. Although they were pretty hard and only the highest of approach shots left minimal damage, they were quite slow and grainy. I did enjoy the course layout and felt that the design was diverse. The entire course was lush and not a traditional desert course. I played from the blue tees and found it to be quite fun and a decent enough challenge but not terribly difficult. I'd recommend this course and will be back.

Played 4/7/13 @ 722a, golfnow rate $79. This place is AWESOME! The entire course is so green, no bare spots, just immaculate conditions throughout. Checking in was not a problem at all after the bag d... Continue »

Played 4/7/13 @ 722a, golfnow rate $79. This place is AWESOME! The entire course is so green, no bare spots, just immaculate conditions throughout. Checking in was not a problem at all after the bag drop. Customer service excellent, we ran a little late, they were very accommodating & got us on right away. Cart girl came around several times, everyone is always making sure you're doing alright. I think this is a resort course at its finest! Tee boxes level and lush, fairways unbelievable, sand traps great, greens rolling excellent. I just can't get over how much I enjoyed myself! (scoring good also helps)This course does not beat you up by any means, but you can still make big numbers if you're not careful. Course runs through the entire resort so there are people all over the place, got a little noisy next to the pool areas, but that was nothing. I'll be back for sure!

Played here this morning and, on all levels, this was the best course I played this weekend. 6:52 tee time, paired with another single and a twosome. We teed off a little behind our time, but the earl... Continue »

Played here this morning and, on all levels, this was the best course I played this weekend. 6:52 tee time, paired with another single and a twosome. We teed off a little behind our time, but the early morning pace was nice at just under 4 hours. $70 rate on GN, which isn't bad for this time of year (their weekend rack rates are like $160 right now, which is insane).

As the previous reviewer stated a couple weeks ago, this course is in pristine condition from tee to green. Tee boxes, fairways, rough, bunkers are all immaculate. Very impressive. The greens were pretty good, but definitely the weakest part of the course condition-wise. The turf on them felt a tad thin and they also had a very light coat of sand, though it didn't affect much. Otherwise, gorgeous conditions!!!

This is a fun Ted Robinson layout and has a definite "resort" feel. The fairways are very wide and forgiving, but not many flat lies on the whole course. You do have a lot of good risk/reward options if you want to be more aggressive. There is a lot of water on the course to offer beautiful scenic touches and challenge, but there's plenty of bail-out room on most water holes, too, if you want to play safer. Many of the greens are slightly elevated and well-protected by bunkers. As is typical with Robinson greens, it's all about playing the undulation on your approaches to be on the right shelf if you want to have a shot at posting good scores.

Again, for the right price, I'd gladly play here all day. Beautiful and fun course in exceptional condition, so I look forward to coming back soon and playing the Palm course.

Played here for the first time on a moderately breezy spring morning. Overall and straight off the bat, the whole course is at least a 9.6 or 7. There is hardly a blade of grass out of line.

I will... Continue »

Played here for the first time on a moderately breezy spring morning. Overall and straight off the bat, the whole course is at least a 9.6 or 7. There is hardly a blade of grass out of line.

I will concur with previous reviewer, however, that the greens held the eccentric distinction of being super firm yet somewhat slow. Downhill putts often did not make it to the hole. That said, they ran true and mainly smooth so a minor issue on another-wise immaculate layout.

Specifics: back tees were immaculate, flat, perfectly even cut and no evidence of damage. Like a tour tee. Fairways were as lush a carpet as you could hope for. What divots existed were mainly filled. Ditto rough. Sand had plentiful coverage of the high grade, powdery white stuff. Fringes and approaches immaculate. Greens a bit of a mystery as they looked fast and crusty but did not play that way, as mentioned above. In fact, they rarely held even a well-struck high, soft approach with a wedge - and that matters given the structure of most of the green complexes.

Layout - front nine is old school desert with grand trees lining ample fairways and no houses really in sight. Back nine is more typical PS golf winding through condo complexes. Resort-styled golf in the main, but with plenty of challenges. Both me and my partner (a very capable college golfer) agreed they had the course set up about as hard as it could be as it is possible to tuck pins here or put them in tiny landing areas - as they did! Course is open off the tee, but much more demanding on approach. Running the ball up is not a good option here as many greens have narrow fronts and are elevated (like most desert golf) so you have to be precise as the greens present narrowly to the eye with lots of sections and undulations so if you miss your spot three-putts are on. Plus, there is deep bunkering and lots of mounding around most greens so the combination of tight targets and awkward lies makes for interesting times if you are not precise on approach.

Overall I was very impressed (top-notch all-grass practice facility too) and will add this (and likely the neighboring Palm course) to my desert golf roster.

Played Desert Springs Marriott for the first time today at 7:30am as a single. Beautiful facility and excellent customer service. Check in was easy and I warmed up at the driving range before my rou... Continue »

Played Desert Springs Marriott for the first time today at 7:30am as a single. Beautiful facility and excellent customer service. Check in was easy and I warmed up at the driving range before my round. Starter was very friendly and I was paired with 3 others. From tee to green, the Valley is in excellent shape. Tee boxes were level and lush, fairways are almost perfect, and the new sand in the bunkers is top notch. My only complaint is that the greens are extremely firm and do not hold shots very well. They rolled true and are medium speed. I like the layout of the Palm course better, but I also enjoyed the Valley. Water comes into play on some holes, a few doglegs, and most of the fairways have undulations. Not a lot of trouble off the tee, but you have to hit your spots or you can have awkward lies. You do have to think about your tee shots and driver is not always appropriate. Lots of well placed bunkers...I seemed to find most of them on the first 6 holes. The Valley has lots of nice views with backdrops of the nearby mountains, but it isn't as striking the Palm course. You do wind through some condos but they are set back enought that they don't come into play. If you can find a good deal, I recommend this course. Not too difficult but you have to find the fairways and you have to either hit high approach shots or bump and run to stay on the greens.

We chose this course for the entire experience. The resort, Oasis Grill, and the golf. The Valley Course doesn't circle the hotel, and may be somewhat less interesting (I hear) than the Palms course, ... Continue »

We chose this course for the entire experience. The resort, Oasis Grill, and the golf. The Valley Course doesn't circle the hotel, and may be somewhat less interesting (I hear) than the Palms course, but we weren't interested in playing ping pong with the condominium lined fairways. The Valley Course was well maintained and had several very interesting holes. An island green on the back was fun and interesting. The whole place is just built for relaxation and enjoyment. The beverage cart had a margarita tap and we hit it. Pricey at $10 a pop, but it's December 30th, I'm wearing shorts, 75 degrees, playing golf in Palm Desert, so it's a no-brainer. Best part is the Oasis Grill poolside for the 19th. If you've been there, you understand. This course is a good one for just being there and in the moment.

Marriott Desert Springs Course Review
Palm Springs California Golf Course Reviews

Quiet day on Tuesday Dec 13 for two of us teed off at 1125 after the rain stopped. Nice staff throughout, as is expected from this resort, check in easy, good prac/fac with balls included. Huge bulldo... Continue »

Quiet day on Tuesday Dec 13 for two of us teed off at 1125 after the rain stopped. Nice staff throughout, as is expected from this resort, check in easy, good prac/fac with balls included. Huge bulldozer design by Ted Robinson, with condos and villas on most holes and plenty of water; and then with the water comes the water fowl, and of course with water fowl comes the 'goo'. Typical resort style golf with some holes engaging and pleasing to the eye; some contrived. Tees, rough, greens were good. Fairways, and some greens, still growing in the rye over seed with the bermuda dormant peeking through but good. Sand was good throughout; fine and plentiful. Greens complexes are tiered and usually in a 'bowl' guarded by sand and rough. We saw the drinks cart frequently, a few water fountains by some tees, no marshal (too quiet), and only 4 hours to play. If you want some good vistas, a modest challenge, good service, and you can get a deal, try the Valley course.

Marriott Desert Springs Course Review
Palm Desert California Golf Course Reviews