Should also mention both courses (Stadium & Tournament) run through housing developments. For Tournament the homes seem smaller, closer and more claustrophobic. Be sure to mind the housing :)

Should also mention both courses (Stadium & Tournament) run through housing developments. For Tournament the homes seem smaller, closer and more claustrophobic. Be sure to mind the housing :)

Played Sunday. Course hosted Jr. Tournament so was given option by very helpful starter -- take advantage of practice range (balls included with green fee), play 9 holes at TPC Stadium, come back to ... Continue »

Played Sunday. Course hosted Jr. Tournament so was given option by very helpful starter -- take advantage of practice range (balls included with green fee), play 9 holes at TPC Stadium, come back to Nicklaus Tournament course and play as many holes as you can or just wait until my tee time. -- showed up 1 hour before tee time. I chose to play both Stadium (again) and Nicklaus later. Boy was I happy the starter was that accomodating and pointed out my options! I not only managed to play the Stadium front 9 but managed to double back, still catch up with the group ahead on 9 but also play all 18 on the Nicklaus course! In other words almost 36 holes in under 5 hours :D

Once again shuttle from La Quinta deposited me at the starter/club house. This time around the staff of the starter were VERY helpful and accomodating. I almost felt like a member, no sarcasm just the facts and options. They immediately got on the walkie-talkie with both starters and explained what I was going to do and I was off to the races.

The rest of this review pertains to the Nicklaus Tournament Course only.

Starter was aware of my situation. I started at 2PM+. Gotta say the turf of both courses -- Stadium and Tournament are the same. Greens very quick but more undulating here. From subtle to extreme breaks.... you get what you see even if you do not believe it. Fairways extremely green and lush but also hard so ball will roll. Rough is yellow and if you're not careful you can loose your white ball in the glare and yellow of the rough. Be on the lookout balls will roll into that stuff and disappear. Sand is first rate - soft and fluffy. I don't know but for some reason on this course the terrain tends to kick balls into trouble versus Stadium. Strange. But rough this time of the year is easier to hit out. The key here is approach shot and short game because any aggressive shot is rewarded with your ball rolling off the green. Greens, those balls ran fast and very true. You need to roll it up on these greens and without GPS equipped carts you need to bring your own strange for the regular price folks pay. Distance matters here especially if it requires a certain shot. I must recommend buying a yardage book. This is invaluable here as it shows the lay of the land as well as hazzards hidden by terrain. Course is well marked with yardage markers for both Stadium and Tournament.

Golf is different here on Tournament. Playing as single, folks let you play through. So I managed to rip though the course and finish 18 before sun disappeared over the mountains. Now if you have ever played a Nicklaus course ( I have never) but some of these holes.... they are insane. You have different ways of playing the hole and the terrain is really undulating either way you have. Get stuck in the rough be prepared to literally play with the ball really above or below your feet.

I would play this course again. Remember to take a remembrance photo at 18 (Bear Claw.. I think). Even though both Stadium and Tournament share the same clubhouse I really had a different vibe from the staff. They were more helpful. They were more curteous. And that only helped with the golfing experience. Hats off to the guys and guys that toil here at PGA Nicklaus Tournament.

PLAYED A WEEK BEFORE Q SCHOOL. AWESOME CONDITION. COURSE IS NICE, BUT BASIC. CONDITION MADE THE COURSE GREAT.

PLAYED A WEEK BEFORE Q SCHOOL. AWESOME CONDITION. COURSE IS NICE, BUT BASIC. CONDITION MADE THE COURSE GREAT.

WOW!!
I cant believe how lush this course was. Two complaints was the greens seems like they were aerated relatively recently and not fully recovered.....putts were soooo Slow.

Other complaint wa... Continue »

WOW!!
I cant believe how lush this course was. Two complaints was the greens seems like they were aerated relatively recently and not fully recovered.....putts were soooo Slow.

Other complaint was that the club house was being renovated and was unable to get any food/breakfast, so grab your meal b4 you get there!

Wide open fairways, and even errand shots you were able to have a pretty good line of sight to pin.

Pace of play was awsome, no one riding our A$$ and marshalls were friendly!!

Layout of course excellent and some holes are just sooo pretty and unique, I cant believe this course in the middle of the desert.

My advice is to get early Tee Time!
I Teed off at 8:07 and finished round 12:30....with a slight hangover
Between 12-4 is not good....105-110F

It is by far my Favorite course!!!!!
But then again I have only played Golf since May and have many more Courses to play, but for now PGA West is the Da BOMB!!!

I would go out of my way NOT to play this course again.
Can't find anything positive to say about it. Even the marshall chewed us out for no good reason . . . thought I was playing a municipal cours... Continue »

I would go out of my way NOT to play this course again.
Can't find anything positive to say about it. Even the marshall chewed us out for no good reason . . . thought I was playing a municipal course. It's just plateau greens and fairways with endless bunkers many of them hidden, no one could make a putt, this course is way overrated and over priced. If you want to enjoy a round of golf in the desert play the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

Played April 14/2008
Great shape, impressed!
100 degrees when we teed off at 3pm!

Would like to play again!

Played April 14/2008
Great shape, impressed!
100 degrees when we teed off at 3pm!

Would like to play again!

I got the chance to play "The Nick" at PGA West yesterday (3/12/08). It was a last minute thing. The normal rate to play this beautiful golf course is a little steep for my pocketbook ($189.00) - - ... Continue »

I got the chance to play "The Nick" at PGA West yesterday (3/12/08). It was a last minute thing. The normal rate to play this beautiful golf course is a little steep for my pocketbook ($189.00) - - but - as a single, I was able to place a call the night before (after 4:00 P.M.) to "Standby Golf dot com" - and my rate was only $109.00. That's a HUGE savings! The savings alone will pay for my next round at Goose Creek or Eagle Glen!

I got a time with a threesome that was scheduled to go off at 10:22 A.M. We tee'd-off at....10:22 A.M.

That should not be a surprise. Everything at PGA West is top-shelf, all the way. From the nice kid that takes you clubs and parks your car (self-park is available, but - what the heck...I saved eighty-bucks...I had them valet my car!!), to the staff behind the counter (very nice, very helpful, very customer-oriented!) to the starter (he was great!) and ALL of the marshalls (yes, there were several...and they kept things moving!)

The course is in immaculate condition. The fairways were as nice as any I have ever played...sort of like a plush green carpet...and I mean plush and I mean green! This entire place is picture-postcard nice...the epitome of desert golf! I took some photos...I'll get them posted in the next day of so...

The greens are....well...they are nice. A little form for my tastes...and a little firm for the way the course was designed. You see...when ol' Jack Nicklaus designed this baby, he must have been a FOUL mood!! Hey, Jack...D'YA THING YOU COULDA PUT IN ANY MORE SAND TRAPS??? The greens (almost every one) are elevated, have false fronts, and are "well trapped". THAT is the understatement of the year.

Playing tip: "Stay out of the bunkers!"

There are two holes with "island greens". One is a par three (with a catch-area bunker behind the green - yes - I managed to find that one, too!) - - and the other (believe it or not) is on a par-5!! Kind of quirky. I guess a big-hitter might try to hit the green in two...but from whatever tee you're playing, it can't be worth the risk!)

Because of the elevated greens and the necessity of taking "one more club" than usual...I found the hardness of the greens a little disconcerting. My ball would just not hold. And, being above the hole on bermuda greens, putting down-grain...not fun!!

This golf course will make you think. The weather is getting warmer (it was pushing 90 yesterday...it may have even reached 90 by 2:00 P.M.)

Oh...my score (my normal average score for 18 holes is around 85) - did more than just "push 90" - I went over and beyond...shot a 91 - and had to sink a 6' putt for double-bogey to do that!! Yes, you guessed it...huge sand-trap in the fromt-right of the green, water all down the right-hand side!

Overall - a great golf experience. I will return, as long as I can not pay the full rate!

We played on Saturday, Feb 2 at 8:00AM and the course was in very good condition. This is a classic Niclaus course with a lot of dog legs and penalizing bunkers. On the down side there was no GPS an... Continue »

We played on Saturday, Feb 2 at 8:00AM and the course was in very good condition. This is a classic Niclaus course with a lot of dog legs and penalizing bunkers. On the down side there was no GPS and the course wasn't very well marked (spent a lot of time looking for yardage markers). In my opinion, it is a nice course but way over priced.

Played the course Saturday, Feb. 2nd. We were the 3rd group off at 7:30 am. Course was cart path only till 08:00 am due to slight frost delay. The course is in very, very good condition with the gr... Continue »

Played the course Saturday, Feb. 2nd. We were the 3rd group off at 7:30 am. Course was cart path only till 08:00 am due to slight frost delay. The course is in very, very good condition with the greens being just short of superb. The only blight on this otherwise nearly perfect day was our interaction with the nearly obsessive pace of play attention by the "player assistants". We played the round in 04:15 as a foursome, but were bugged several times by hints by the marshall/player assistant to keep up the pace of play. In consideration of the fact that we never lost sight of the group in front of us; it was an irritation especially considering the $205/player greens fee.