Catching up on my GK Plays Classic Club review from 9/28.

GK Plays outings are back and this one went fantastic. THANK YOU to everyone that made it!!!

The previous reviews from our event about... Continue »

Catching up on my GK Plays Classic Club review from 9/28.

GK Plays outings are back and this one went fantastic. THANK YOU to everyone that made it!!!

The previous reviews from our event about the course conditions and high level of customer services we received are spot on with mine, so I’ll give a golf course event organizer perspective.

I was fortunate to able to plan this event on short notice with Classic Club as it’s a very popular golf destination in Palm Desert, CA. Outside services from bag drop, starter and club cleaning we’re professional and friendly. Upon arriving the proshop had our F & B Vouchers and Classic Club Golf Towels ready for me to hand out. Some of our players arrived before me in which case I was immediately informed (always helpful). Our tee times were on-time despite a sold-out tee sheet with excellent pace of play. After playing, tables were set up prior to group 1 finishing which I tasked with retrieving the prizes boxes and post-round set up. Big thanks to mpiskarski, circaflex, itslikeimsayin and Adam. It was nice to be able to play all 18 and not feel rushed to set-up.

I’ll be working with Classic Club and Micheal Reese again for a 2026 event!

Hope to see many of you in December 20th at our next Palm Desert, CA event - See GK Events page. Link on top right side of the nav bar.

Highly Recommended!

Thoroughly enjoyed the day @ Classic Club from all aspects…but it was my playing partners, Johnny G. and Mark E., who really made it extra special. Couldn’t have asked for a better duo to be paired wi... Continue »

Thoroughly enjoyed the day @ Classic Club from all aspects…but it was my playing partners, Johnny G. and Mark E., who really made it extra special. Couldn’t have asked for a better duo to be paired with.

Classic Club is one of my favorite courses in the Palm Desert area and for many reasons: outstanding layout…challenging yet fair…full-featured practice facility, professional/outgoing staff, and a meticulously-manicured, ambient setting that blends in so well with the property.

Course was in very good shape tee to green but it was difficult to not be disappointed with the overall quality of the greens. Possibly attributable to the time of year, they ran slow, grainy, and not as true as I had anticipated.

But what really caught my attention were the frayed and ragged edges around a number of cups…which led me to believe they elected to not cut fresh hole locations that morning. It’s not something I would expect from a high-end course such as this…especially after having already come out of aeration.

With that aside, this is a well-run operation; every staff member I interacted with was pleasant, courteous, and on top of their game. They genuinely make one feel welcome here…and that isn’t always the case at many other venues.

I opted to have dinner at Bellatrix at the conclusion of the GK raffle and the food/service were excellent. The generous meal credit is a nice touch and provided added value to the day’s entry fee.

I highly recommend Classic Club as a ‘must play’ if you’re in the area. The facility checks all the boxes when it comes to an enjoyable and satisfying experience, from start to finish.

And thanks again, Johnny, for organizing and making this all possible. It was great to have the opportunity to tee it up with you!

Played in the GK plays event on 9/28. What else is there to say about Classic Club that hasn't already been said? All the previous reviews summarized it up quite nicely but I will add that the facil... Continue »

Played in the GK plays event on 9/28. What else is there to say about Classic Club that hasn't already been said? All the previous reviews summarized it up quite nicely but I will add that the facility, customer service, and overall environment are incredible. You add to that fairly stellar conditions (greens the only blemish and hardly that. grainy as noted) for late summer, and a sunny day at 85 degrees with a slight breeze and it makes for a perfect day. Huge thanks to Johnny for putting this together!! Amazed at all you do for the golf community in Socal.

Played here yesterday in the first group off (8:30) of the GK Plays event with mpisarski01, Adam, and Kevin. Good times! We waited on the group in front of us all day, but POP wasn’t bad at just under... Continue »

Played here yesterday in the first group off (8:30) of the GK Plays event with mpisarski01, Adam, and Kevin. Good times! We waited on the group in front of us all day, but POP wasn’t bad at just under 4 and a half hours.

Conditions are quite good for late September, highlighted by really nice fairways that provided good lies all day (although one of my drives did find a dry/bare spot). Greens are smooth, late-summer slow, and accept full shots well. Sometimes desert greens get a little furry in summer, but these were cut short and looked great, seeming like they’d roll much faster than they did. As a result, I had a hard time judging the speed on many greens. The rough had mostly great coverage and was a little longer than the fairways, but not very penal, except some areas far off line where taller grasses grow. (I found one such area left of 5.) Bunkers were nice; no issues to mention. Blue/white combo tees were all good. The starter mentioned they arrived Sunday morning to a mole hole appearing on the second green, but it didn’t affect me at all and I even forgot to go see how severe it was.

Great to see the return of GK Plays! I felt like Johnny was really in his element during the raffle and it seemed like old times – great to visit with some longtime GKers and meet new ones. I got some great prizes and had a super fun day.

Note: My rating reflects the late summer conditions, less than two weeks before they close for maintenance. I know the course will be much more lush and greens will roll faster post-overseed.

Played here on Sunday 9/28 for a GK Event. Loved every minute of it. The course was in fantastic shape. The teeboxes were level, no major divot issues and they were lush which was great for end of sum... Continue »

Played here on Sunday 9/28 for a GK Event. Loved every minute of it. The course was in fantastic shape. The teeboxes were level, no major divot issues and they were lush which was great for end of summer in the desert. Fairways were like carpet, loved how well they were kepts up. Greens were nice, they felt slow most of the time and the 2nd hole had a mole hill, but no complaints really from me. The rough was lush, some areas were super thick which made it challenging. Pace of play was just around 4 hours and 20 minutes. The practice facility was superb; prov1 practice balls were supplied; there are about a dozen spots on the range. The shortgame area is nice as well, they have bunkers and chipping greens along with a large putting green with about a dozen holes. The employees working were friendly and attentitive. Would highly recommend playing here. Thanks for the amazing time Johnny!

We had a fantastic time at the GK Outing! Check-in was quick and easy, and the staff was very friendly. The all-grass practice areas were well-maintained, featuring a large range, a nice chipping area... Continue »

We had a fantastic time at the GK Outing! Check-in was quick and easy, and the staff was very friendly. The all-grass practice areas were well-maintained, featuring a large range, a nice chipping area, and an expansive putting green. The starter got us out on time and even shared some funny parting jokes with us.

The course was in very good shape for the end of summer. The tee boxes were level, with plenty of options to choose from; we played from the blue/white combinations. The fairways provided ample roll while still offering a nice cushion to hit from. The rough was in good condition, just long enough to challenge your ball striking.

The greens were in okay shape; they were a bit shaggy, which is typical for end-of-summer conditions aimed at keeping them alive. Most rolled at a medium pace, but you needed to pay attention to the grain, as any putts into it were noticeably slower.

Overall, the layout of this course is fantastic, with water in play on over two-thirds of the holes. It is visually appealing and challenging to play. I absolutely loved it!

GK event, September 28, 2025. Got out in the fourth group of the outing today. Great company, fantastic course, and a solid rate from Johnny and CC. I had a little time to use the wonderful practice f... Continue »

GK event, September 28, 2025. Got out in the fourth group of the outing today. Great company, fantastic course, and a solid rate from Johnny and CC. I had a little time to use the wonderful practice facility: all grass range, large practice putting green, and chipping green. Classic Club is the SH!T! Great conditions from tee to green!

Greens were okay, but it is summer in the desert and Bermudagrass is somewhat slower and grainy.

Fairways were very good. Lots of roll out and good lies everywhere.

Rough was thick and lush.

Bunker sand was in good condition and easy to hit from.

The snack bar was very good as well.

Good times were had by everyone as far as I could tell.

Thank you, Johnny GK and Classic Club!

I finally got around to playing this "Classic" courtesy of a Griffith Park Golf Tournament. Many holes have on one side water and on the other, bunkers, placing a premium on tee shots. The trees are n... Continue »

I finally got around to playing this "Classic" courtesy of a Griffith Park Golf Tournament. Many holes have on one side water and on the other, bunkers, placing a premium on tee shots. The trees are numerous but relatively sparse. Number 12 is a 160 yarder that when the pin is in the front could be the hardest tee shot under 175 yards in Southern California. I really want to play here again. I was distracted by one in our foursome who was utterly clueless about playing ready golf. I complained to the tournament committee. Conditions are great. No elaboration needed there. Like Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci, or a William Shakespeare this course is a classic.

What a gem! If you're wondering if Classic club is worth a few hundies, let me be direct. Do it. You can blow 200 at a mediocre course in OC or spend 200 for an exceptional memorable experience her... Continue »

What a gem! If you're wondering if Classic club is worth a few hundies, let me be direct. Do it. You can blow 200 at a mediocre course in OC or spend 200 for an exceptional memorable experience here. The lunch vouchers and towel gift are just icing on the cake.

Classic club conditions are pristine. As a member of another course in OC, you only get conditions as ideal as this only several months a year. The greens were fast but fair. The practice greens were slightly faster. The fairways are so well kept that it looked artificial. I was not in a trap but my playing partners were. They hit out them like Phil Mickleson. And he was a 19 handicap!

Pace of play was fast. We were only 4 hours because we decided to drink more than normal.

Lastly, you normally go to a restaurant for the food and return for the service. I'm happy to say that service matched the course.

I ran into a member at Classic club that used to be a member at my course. She said, it's a no-brainer to join at Classic. The course is always spectacular.