Played the blue tees at Desert Willow Firecliff on Sunday with a 12:10 tee time as the course was very busy and could not get an earlier start time. DW is one of the few tracks in Palm Springs area th... Continue »

Played the blue tees at Desert Willow Firecliff on Sunday with a 12:10 tee time as the course was very busy and could not get an earlier start time. DW is one of the few tracks in Palm Springs area that does not enforce Cart Path Only after re-opening after over-seeding, and that might be a big reason why. But we took the time anyway.

It's about what you would expect for the winter prices right now, however there were certainly some POP issues that you don't expect when paying good dollar for a premium course, and the greens were very slow and bumpy. They were in good shape from an aesthetic point of view, but really needed to give them some push even on the downhill putts. And they were much bumpier than expected.

Other than that though, the course has come into winter in very nice shape. The fairways are very lush and never had a bad lie all day. The rough is definitely thick and can really grab at your club if you're even the slightest bit too steep. I was in only a few bunkers but the sand was nice and fluffy. The tee boxes were in pretty good shape, but optically a little shaggier than I thought I would see, but no issues there because you're off the ground anyway with a tee.

The cart girl Tanya was lovely and very consistent in her appearances. There were also plenty of ice and water stations every 4-5 holes as the desert temperatures are still pretty high, especially with the mid-day sun beating down on you. POP was again an issue though as we waited on a good majority of the holes - is it just a matter of too many foursomes per hour being allowed? I'm not sure, but it was rather annoying when paying a good fee.

Always a fun and challenging track though with bunkers and danger everywhere the eye can see. There are some stunning holes at Desert Willow so get out there in a few weeks when the greens have hopefully been bettered and it will be a good time. I also managed to finally break 100 there and did it with some room to spare shooting a 91, so that was good!

I like to wait a week before posting my review from a group organizer perspective with a GK Plays outing. Thank you to everyone that has already posted their review and came out to play GK Plays Deser... Continue »

I like to wait a week before posting my review from a group organizer perspective with a GK Plays outing. Thank you to everyone that has already posted their review and came out to play GK Plays Desert Willow! As far as the playing conditions, I thought we had some bad luck with the greens being small tine aerated likely days before our outing. Seemed to be a spur of the moment procedure to vent the greens. However what could have likely been close to immaculate greens for our outing, turned out to be a little bumpy and slow. I bet this weekend the greens are close to perfect. As far as bunkers, not good at all with the coming bunker renovation in May. Oddly very firm in that it’s not like hitting off typical sand but rather you are playing of the foundation sand of the bunkers. Made for some very difficult green-side bunker shots. On the positive the fairways and rough were ultra-lush and perfect. Loved them. As far as working with Desert Willow Golf Resort, they treated us terrific and their service was excellent. It was great of them to set us up in an enclosed semi-private room when they anticipated the rain (although it barely rained). Even before the outing, the tournament director is pleasure to get things set up with paying close attention to every detail. The clubhouse and practice facilities are beautiful. I like how the Firecliff Course tee box is right next to the cart staging area and practice facilities to keep things easily organized. I've run many GK outings here and will continue too. We’ll be back next year.

Also played in the GK outing. Sorry for the late review. With all the bunkers, I think this is a much tougher course than the Mountain View, their other course. I thought the course was in good/very g... Continue »

Also played in the GK outing. Sorry for the late review. With all the bunkers, I think this is a much tougher course than the Mountain View, their other course. I thought the course was in good/very good shape.
Yes the bunkers were sub-standard but I guess they do not want to put money into something they are going to over haul. I think that is a reason they lowered their prices.
I stuck my divot tool into the greens and thought they were hard but putted slow. I don't think the tiny holes affected my putts as much as everyone else.
The Tee Boxes were very good with the exception of a couple of par three holes. The fairways were excellent.
The staff was very friendly and I saw the cart girl several times

I played here for the GK on April 9. I agree with other reviews the course was in good shape and picturesque with the landscaping and water features. The greens were disappointment with the recent ae... Continue »

I played here for the GK on April 9. I agree with other reviews the course was in good shape and picturesque with the landscaping and water features. The greens were disappointment with the recent aeration and were quite slower than I expected. Bunkers were firm and are in need maintenance. I find that surprising since it is still prime time for the desert. Fairways, tees, and rough were all in very good shape. The staff was courteous and attentive and the facilities were top notch. I had a great time playing with Wendy, and both Kevin’s. As usual Johnny did a great job with organizing the event and extensive prize list. Thanks again to Johnny for all of his efforts.

Greens were recently punched or something to that effect. They were receptive but putts did not hold the line. That and the sandless bunkers are my only complaints.

Tee Boxes and Fairways were ... Continue »

Greens were recently punched or something to that effect. They were receptive but putts did not hold the line. That and the sandless bunkers are my only complaints.

Tee Boxes and Fairways were all lush. It was a stark contrast to the greens and bunkers. Firecliff has a LOT of Bunkers so .... I saw a few of them that day -- without sand really more like a hard base. They even had weeds growing out of a few of them.

Personally glad it was a discounted price we were given for the outing. Not quite worth it especially given the past reviews. I would return in a few weeks after greens had a chance to firm up.

Also be mindful that the cafe closes around 3PM. Hard to get anything after 3PM.

It’s been a few days since the GK Plays and I wanted to take the time to absorb my bad round – “never write a review when you are angry”. Right!! It’s my own fault for playing from the wrong tees and ... Continue »

It’s been a few days since the GK Plays and I wanted to take the time to absorb my bad round – “never write a review when you are angry”. Right!! It’s my own fault for playing from the wrong tees and fighting alignment problems all day – this made for a very frustrating round for me and my playing partners. Thanks again to Johnny, Ron, and Brian for their patience. First time meeting GKer dangerousbri and he’s a great guy to play with.

I can’t blame the course either, as I agree with other reviewers that the course overall was in good shape and receptive to good play. I never saw a bad lie in the fairways and the rough was cut short. Tees were generally level and in good shape, although a few had scattered uneven spots and a couple (esp. #18 blue) were restrictive in terms of where you could set up. Greens were generally receptive and OK, with the punching not really affecting our play, in my opinion, although it took a few holes to realize the on-course greens were not as fast as the practice green. As John said in his review, the bunkers were the biggest disappointment, with the deep greenside bunkers being especially difficult and magnifying my sand game shortcomings.

I wouldn’t hesitate one minute to play this course again in the future. While there is some repetitiveness in some of the holes the overall layout fits my eye and my game, and I would look forward to attacking it. I just hope I have my swing challenges under control and am paired with partners with the patience I was extended last weekend(!). Recommended.

Played 4-9-16 with the GK plays. Course is in OK shape. Most fairways were lush with some thin spots. Greens were still healing from aeration so were a bit slow but rolled Ok. Many tee boxes were chew... Continue »

Played 4-9-16 with the GK plays. Course is in OK shape. Most fairways were lush with some thin spots. Greens were still healing from aeration so were a bit slow but rolled Ok. Many tee boxes were chewed up and some were not level. Bunkers were firm but playable. This is a pretty challenging course. Nice layout that keeps you interested. Didn't seem worth the cost but may be more worth it once the greens heal. Worth checking out and checking out if you are in the area looking for a challenge.

Played in the GK outing Saturday. My first time playing here at DW Firecliff. Thanks to Steve, Jeff and Steve for a great round. I agree with most of reviews that the course was in good shape exce... Continue »

Played in the GK outing Saturday. My first time playing here at DW Firecliff. Thanks to Steve, Jeff and Steve for a great round. I agree with most of reviews that the course was in good shape except for the greens and traps. Greens, little bumpy and slow due to recent aeration. Traps are firm but they mentioned that they are being remodel soon. Overall I liked the course and next time I would like to play DW mountain view course. Thanks to Johnny and all the sponsors. I look forward to next GK outing.

Played 4-9-16 with the GK group, for a nice fun day of golf. Tee boxes were in good shape and very lush, but they did have a lot of small dips in them that made you search for a level stance. Fairways... Continue »

Played 4-9-16 with the GK group, for a nice fun day of golf. Tee boxes were in good shape and very lush, but they did have a lot of small dips in them that made you search for a level stance. Fairways were in great shape very lush and real nice to hit from. Rough was also in great shape, 1-3 inches ,very healthy and easy to hit from. Bunkers are in the middle of renovation so all are very thin and firm which is okay for fairway bunkers but not so much for high faced greenside bunkers. Greens were a disappointment having recently been punched with a small tine which left them a little bumpy and on the slow side. Overall great day, great company, and a course mostly in good shape.