Played in the GK Year-end event on Saturday. Good times at a great course. I arrived early, had a decent breakfast at the club. The practice area was in good shape. Lots of really nice Callaway range ... Continue »

Played in the GK Year-end event on Saturday. Good times at a great course. I arrived early, had a decent breakfast at the club. The practice area was in good shape. Lots of really nice Callaway range balls to hit and chip. Everyone at the course was friendly and helpful. This was probably my third- or fourth-time golfing here and it has been a favorite of mine for a while. Greens were nice, firm, and medium fast. The pin placements were on the challenging side. At least the speed was not crazy fast or there could have been trouble. I would say in general, don't be above the hole. I fixed a few ball marks, but mostly the firmness of the greens prevented too many ball marks. Fairways and rough were nearly perfect. Good coverage on the overseeding and I never had a bad lie. We played the White tees and they were a mixed bag with some that needed leveling. It was not terrible, and we all found decent spots to hit from on most of the tees. Many of the tee shots favor a left-to-right ball flight and that helps with most golfers. The bunkers were very nice looking, but I did have some issues with my play from the few I was in. Great looking fine white sand on the surface, but it seemed a little firm underneath. I payed the price for not executing a couple of times. Overall, I find the course to be fun and challenging. Many of the holes are unique and it is visually very scenic. The beverage cart came around several times and we remained well hydrated throughout the round. Big thanks to Johnny for the event, Linksoul for the prizes, and Desert Willow for the course conditions and event space!

Played yesterday morning on a very pleasant day out in the desert. The course is in good condition overall except for the greens which are very patchy. They rolled OK for the most part and looked wo... Continue »

Played yesterday morning on a very pleasant day out in the desert. The course is in good condition overall except for the greens which are very patchy. They rolled OK for the most part and looked worse than they played. The course said it's because it hasn't been hot enough for the type of bermuda to grow. The rest of the course was in excellent condition and the layout is plenty challenging and enjoyable.

I played FIrecliff yesterday with a friend who is in town from Louisiana. I knew the area courses are in good condition now, but when driving in, I couldn’t help but let out a little gasp when I saw h... Continue »

I played FIrecliff yesterday with a friend who is in town from Louisiana. I knew the area courses are in good condition now, but when driving in, I couldn’t help but let out a little gasp when I saw how GORGEOUS, the fairways were! The customer service is very good here. My friend is a PGA member and they were very generous in extending his discount to me as well. There was one glitch, though, when I arrived. As I was walking in from the parking lot with my bag, a staff member took it and said it would be on a cart in out back after I checked in. Well, my bag was nowhere to be seen. We checked the dozen or so carts lined up with bags and then drove the length of the driving range to see if someone had taken it my mistake. Nope,not there. At this point I was not panicked, but definitely not happy as the attendant didn’t seem to take it very seriously. What seemed like an eternity later, a cart drove by us with my clubs on it. The guy said he never realized there was a bag aboard. Crisis averted! We were paired with a single woman, 6 hcp player who was prepping for an upcoming tournament and was really fun to play with. The course is absolutely immaculate tee to green. The fairways were perfect and the rough was the best for chipping that I’ve played in a while. The greens were smooth and firm, rolled a fast medium speed and I didn’t see a single ball mark all day. The bunkers could have used a tiny bit more sand, but there was just enough to easily hit from. Good thing, because my ball found a LOT of them! POP was good at 4:15, only having waited a minute or two on a couple of holes. There was just enough shade available to make that time easier in the 100 degree heat. Another great day at Desert Willow. Highly recommended.

Enjoyed an excellent GK Outing on T - Tuesday at Desert Willow Firecliff with Johnny, Gary and Matt. I can best describe Firecliff as a fun Players Course. I note Firecliff as Desert Style – Champ... Continue »

Enjoyed an excellent GK Outing on T - Tuesday at Desert Willow Firecliff with Johnny, Gary and Matt. I can best describe Firecliff as a fun Players Course. I note Firecliff as Desert Style – Championship Course that places premium on accuracy off the tee and into greens. The course features a clear definition between its mid-sized fairways and greens, and rough areas; there is well placed bunkering on all fairways and proximate to greens, along with some strategic trees and water hazards, all being punitive to wayward golf shots, but still a treat for the eyes. The course is generally flat but does offer mild elevation changes from tee to fairway and green on many holes, along with great views of localized mountains. The course plays like a true Championship Style layout. If you miss your mark, you will be punished. The course played its yardage for the most part, and I emphasize this course is a Ball Striker’s Delight, without being a target layout. The course was very well manicured and in excellent condition. The course layout is rated a 5 out of 5, conditions are rated a 4.6 out of 5. I note the following: Tee Boxes: Level and lush, no damage. Excellent condition. Fairways: Green at times tight. Excellent condition. Greens: Green, very fast in speed and firm, while still holding quality shots. Speed at about a 12 – 12.5. These greens were not for the faint of heart or weak-minded putter! No damage observed. Excellent condition. Sand: Well-maintained but hard, heavy, and course at times. Condition above-average. Rough: Well defined from the fairway and green collars but not too overgrown, about 2 – 4 inches. Grabby at times. Excellent condition. Waste Areas: Observed on various holes and did not offer much opportunity of recovery due to the overgrown nature. Excellent condition. Driving Range: The range was nice and spacious. Hitting off a grass surface. Situated on a flat section of the facility and hitting into a grassland with green markers at 100, 150, 200, 225, and 250 yards. Range ran out at about 350ish. Range balls were your typical rangers and in good condition Practice Putting Green: Ample and very well maintained. Surface speed was consistent with the course greens. Chipping Green: Also ample and very well maintained. Several pins noted to work on the short-game, along with sand bunkering. POP: 4.5 hours – very little wait encountered. Service: excellent service received. This track truly is a Desert masterpiece and great for the price! Its layout is spectacular, and the use of the topography and land could not be better. If looking to play while in the Desert, this one has to be in the top 3, no doubt! Really enjoyed this course and certainly wish I could play it more often. If I lived closer, this would be on the monthly rotation. I fully endorse playing this great track when given the opportunity. Very much looking forward to my next visit here. 5 Stars! Strongly endorsed! Thank you Johnny and GK for this outing!

Day two in Palm Desert started with an early morning 7:20am round on one of my very favorite courses Desert Willow Golf Resort FireCliff Course. Joined by GDR23, mark_6m and mpisarski01 for a tremendo... Continue »

Day two in Palm Desert started with an early morning 7:20am round on one of my very favorite courses Desert Willow Golf Resort FireCliff Course. Joined by GDR23, mark_6m and mpisarski01 for a tremendously fun round of golf. I missed out on the Birdie Chain Battle at Palm Valley CC the day before so was pretty pumped before the round. Great weather in the morning, wind never kicked up before we finished our round, golf course was in immaculate shape and such a fun layout. Even for a Tuesday with high winds in the forecast the tee sheets for both FireCliff and Mountain View were packed. I’m looking into setting up a GK Guru outing at Desert Willow Golf Resort in March or April. Playing Desert Willow Golf Resort always delivers. Check out the PHOTOS I just posted.

I’m looking into setting up a GK Guru outing at Desert Willow Golf Resort in March or April.

Highly Recommended!

Great time out at Desert Willow yesterday with JohnnyGK, GDR23, and Mark_6m. We had a 7:40 tee time and as usual the practice areas were very busy but still plenty of room to warm up. We went off righ... Continue »

Great time out at Desert Willow yesterday with JohnnyGK, GDR23, and Mark_6m. We had a 7:40 tee time and as usual the practice areas were very busy but still plenty of room to warm up. We went off right on time and enjoyed a nice 4:30 pace with little waiting. We did get hounded by the marshal twice to hurry up but we were a hole ahead ourselves too. No big deal in my opinion plus its nice to see that they care about POP.

Course is in fantastic shape right now with wall to wall lush conditions.

Tee- 9/10 a few of the par 3's were a little chewed for the purple tees. Still had room to hit from.

Fairways- I give them a 10/10 I found no areas that would warrant a deduction and they were just a pleasure to play from.

Rough- 9/10 I found the rough quite a bit and one of those shot did find a bare area bit other wise 2-3 inches thick and can really hurt if you make poor contact.

Greens- 8/10 FIRM AND FAST!!! Don't be above the hole and you will be fine. A little too firm for my liking. We noticed a survey team scanning the greens and one mentioned they are going to redo all of them and make a few larger so that is something to look forward too in the near future.

Sand- 5/10 This was the only downside of the course. Appearance looked fine but they did not have enough sand in them. Greens side traps were just too firm to control. I think a nice refill and they will be fine.

The Staff and Facilities are always top notch and this round was no different. This is the best deal in the winter while all other courses charge 250+ you can find great rates here and you will not be disappointed.

Day 2a buddies trip. Play day Tuesday 2/21/23 at 720am joined by Johnny, Mark and Matt on a perfect weather Palm Desert morning. Pop I think was around 4 hrs 30 minutes for an enjoyable relaxed pace.
... Continue »

Day 2a buddies trip. Play day Tuesday 2/21/23 at 720am joined by Johnny, Mark and Matt on a perfect weather Palm Desert morning. Pop I think was around 4 hrs 30 minutes for an enjoyable relaxed pace.

My 4th time playing here and the conditions are just stellar as usual.

Greens firm and true. Only holding irons with high trajectory and spin. Chips running out firm. Hardly any ball marks. A pleasure to putt on. Green sizes were medium and had some undulations to them. Always enjoy putting here. Most greens are sloped back to front. Rated 9/10

Desert Willow has some of the nicest Fairways rated 9 to 9.5 out of 10. Perfect lies. Fairways here depending on the hole can have ample room to smaller landing areas depending on the hole. Nice mix of short and long par 4s from the back two tees.

Rough is incredibly lush. It does not look long to the naked eye but is thick upon impact. Rated 9.5/10

Was not in any bunkers but playing partners mentioned firmness of sand.

Tees were perfect, level and lush. Rated 9/10

I prefer this side to Mountainview. A very nice challenge and always fun to play. Backdrop on holes 9 and 18 are spectacular. We didn't have a chance to eat on their patio but for sure a cool vibe.

Highly recommended

Played Sat 2/4, 8am shotgun, cold morning, hot day. Greens running a slow 11, firm and true. Course in fabulous shape. Wonderful track with lots of bunkers, quite a bit of water in play. I could p... Continue »

Played Sat 2/4, 8am shotgun, cold morning, hot day. Greens running a slow 11, firm and true. Course in fabulous shape. Wonderful track with lots of bunkers, quite a bit of water in play. I could play here everyday.

Made our annual trek out to the Desert to play peak season golf. We had to choose two courses to play, so why not choose golf courses that support Greenskeeper.org! We played Desert Willows - FireCl... Continue »

Made our annual trek out to the Desert to play peak season golf. We had to choose two courses to play, so why not choose golf courses that support Greenskeeper.org! We played Desert Willows - FireCliff Course as our 2nd course on SAT 1/28 at 8:10 and 8:20 am. Despite a 30 minute frost delay, operations run smooth as they always have here. The wonderful staff was well equipped to handle the large volume of patrons at this course. A busy morning with lines of happy patrons waiting to pay and shop inside a super well stocked pro shop. They were running at 30% off apparel special! I bought a hat and a shirt! They also had a large volume of women's clothing and hats which was nice to see. The course is in really good shape despite a packed tee sheet during peak season. Fairways were very lush and well maintained. The sand traps were raked and maintained. The golf carts were super nice with quilted seats. Nicer than my car! Greens were the highlight of the course running smooth and firm and fast at 11/12 with some diabolical complexes. Watch your speed as it is a challenge just to two putt. The rough could be problematic if you are really crooked. Tee boxes on some of the par 3 had some divot damage. Throw some sand on it players! The bottle are in your carts for a reason. On the par 4 and 5, the tee boxes were level and just fine. The layout at extremely challenging and the marshal keep things moving along. We finished in 4 hours and 15 minutes. We encountered the pleasant cart gals numerous time. The carts were well stocked and prices were reasonable. The bathrooms here are also very clean and have ice and water and cups! After the round, we had lunch at their beautiful patio. The food was fresh, reasonably priced and prepared promptly. The staff was efficient and the Arnold Palmers were promptly refilled. They have a really cool bar that overlooks Holes 9 and 18. There was plenty of staff ready and willing to help. You can see a lot of non-golfing patrons that come here for casual and business lunches. I brought 6 newbies to this golf course and they quickly added this course to their "must play" list amongst their golf groups. Cannot wait to come back here again. Thank you Desert Willows for a fantastic round!