Played today 4/4 as a twosome with a tee time at 11:20am. Warm sunny weather, about 90 degrees.

This course really is ideal resort golf. A beautiful nearly immaculate course that is average to sl... Continue »

Played today 4/4 as a twosome with a tee time at 11:20am. Warm sunny weather, about 90 degrees.

This course really is ideal resort golf. A beautiful nearly immaculate course that is average to slightly below average in difficulty but is a blast to play. There are several forced carries in areas which might give 20+ handicappers a tough day but anyone below a 15 handicap shouldn't really have much trouble. As an 8 handicap I played from the blues (6600 yards) but it felt shorter because this course only has two par threes. Even the 430+ yard par fours played easier because the generous fairways allowed shots at the green even with wayward drives. There are many ponds, streams, and bunkers on this course but honestly except for some greenside bunkers they were never in play for me.

Tee boxes were probably the worst part of the course but still totally playable. Just numerous divots and used tees.

Fairways were pretty much immaculate. A continuous carpet from tee to green. Great for taking divots.

Rough was moved very short and wasn't penal. Had 100% coverage.

Greens were immaculate and rolled at a really ideal speed of maybe 10 on the stimp.

We payed about $160ea which is pricey but I'd pay it again.

Late review from Indian Wells GK event. What a fabulous day on the course. As in previous events held here everything was top notch. Greens were great, tricky putts and rolled true. Made the mistake s... Continue »

Late review from Indian Wells GK event. What a fabulous day on the course. As in previous events held here everything was top notch. Greens were great, tricky putts and rolled true. Made the mistake several times of being above the hole which caused a few 3 putts. Fairways were lush and provided great hitting conditions through out the course. Dormant grass provided tricky hitting conditions. I am one who enjoys playing out of bunkers and the examples at I.W. Celebrity provide a great challenge, terrific sand allowing for all your shots. Thanks to Johnny and the staff at I.W. for providing another great year end outing

Played in the GK event last Sunday. Big shout-out for JohnnyGK and how this was run and the prizes available, also to the Resort staff for the exceptional treatment and service.

Visually, this cou... Continue »

Played in the GK event last Sunday. Big shout-out for JohnnyGK and how this was run and the prizes available, also to the Resort staff for the exceptional treatment and service.

Visually, this course is as good as it gets. Overall the conditions were very good, nice lies in the fairway, rough was thick enough that you didn't want to be there, but still playable. Sand was excellent and the tees were in good shape. Its a fun course you can just play and enjoy, but still capable of presenting a challenge if you want to post a good score.

While the concept of 14 par 4's didn't bother me, I lean towards the opinions expressed by 1PLUS1 and RobertKPan. Why not make #12 a long par 3 and #15 a par 5? Yes, back-to-back par 5's are a little unusual but not unheard of and they basically play that way anyhow (Soboba is laid out that way - in fact, before the course revamp several years ago they had THREE par 5's back-to-back-to-back). #9 is kinda odd as well but not sure how that could be fixed given the terrain limitations.

The biggest thing was the greens. The green complexes are well laid out and will reward shots played to the correct position - and give you headaches if you go "pin seeking" and don't pull it off. A touch slower than they looked, they were consistent and rolled well.

However, I was surprised by the number of badly repaired/un-repaired ball marks and general overall condition. Having recently played Rams Hill, the difference was significant - those showed virtually no marks and were as close to "tour" greens as I've ever seen. Surprisingly, the greens at Hemet Golf Club and General Old are in just as good of condition regarding speed/condition (though a little slower and no where near as challenging).

Even so, it was fun to play and I would recommend it be played at least ONCE just for the visuals (and service).

Played in the GK year end event and had a great time. I was fighting a very bad lower back. I almost didn't show, I'm glad I did - complete with a TENS unit firmly attached. I had some painful mom... Continue »

Played in the GK year end event and had a great time. I was fighting a very bad lower back. I almost didn't show, I'm glad I did - complete with a TENS unit firmly attached. I had some painful moments... my horrid golf shots!!! :) I have to thank Mark, Jeff and Lee for their patience. A great group to play a round of golf with on an incredible December desert day. Thank you Johnny for putting on the event.

The practice facility was one of the nicest I've ever been on. The staff was great, very helpful and courteous.

The course was the nicest visually I've ever been on. I enjoyed playing and thought it was strange to only pull a driver maybe 6-8 times. Hit a bunch of hybrids off the tees. The 12th hole as mentioned is a strange layout. Missed closest to the pin by 6 feet to my cart partner Mark, great shot in there! Not to mention his mid 70's score for the round. Mark was a machine!

Fairways, tee boxes and rough were all good by me. I thought the greens varied greatly from one hole to the next and on the slower side. The local muni greens are faster right now. I'm usually pretty solid on pace and really struggled. I agree with 1plus1 here, they were not the best in regards to consistency or speed. Some greens had plenty of unrepaired marks, especially 11. Poor green needed some Pro-activ. The rest of the experience was very good.

Sand in the bunkers was very good.

Great to meet the rest of the GK gang, it was a pleasure to talk with those I met. I'll definitely plan on attending future GK events. If they let me, I'd play with the three others in our group anytime. Good people. On a side note, I figured my back would be torched Sunday night... I actually felt better and have all week. The event may have been the nectar to recovery! Thanks again for a great event.

Still thinking about Sunday at Indian Wells Golf Resort and the good times at our GK Event. Thank you again to everyone that participated. Next up is Rams Hill Golf Club, Sunday, January 10th. Click t... Continue »

Still thinking about Sunday at Indian Wells Golf Resort and the good times at our GK Event. Thank you again to everyone that participated. Next up is Rams Hill Golf Club, Sunday, January 10th. Click the GK Events link in the upper right corner of this page for more info. As far as Indian Wells Golf Resort Celebrity Course, this has got to be one of the most visually pleasing layouts I’ve ever played. The contrasts in colors are stunning. It’s also a very challenging layout IMO. Normally a course with 14 par 4’s would bug me but I like it here. You have to pay close attention to your GPS screen on the carts to know how to avoid the gorgeous yet treacherous fairway bunkers and at times hidden small water hazards. As far as conditions I thought they were fantastic. The only flaw in comparison to the rest of the golf course were the greens being too slow for my tastes. But once I adjusted to putt the ball more firm I had my feel dialed in within a couple holes. The fairways were lush and groomed. The rough was short, only about an inch higher than the fairways, lush and groomed, tee boxes lush and groomed and the bunkers were stunning with high quality sand combined with dormant bermunda turf framing the intricately sculpted designs. As far as service, exceptional in every way. From a group organizer standpoint, I just love this place. The staging area is excellent with carts, range, practice putting, putting course and clubhouse together. The first tee is across the bridge but being the bridge is the only way to the first tee it allowed me to station myself before it so to not miss a single player before they teed off. The Players room after our golf is superb for small groups like ours. The overall service as I mentioned exceptional to the players but even more exceptional to the organizer. You have a team of golf course staff helping you and asking you if you need more help frequently. This was my forth outing at Indian Wells Golf Resort and always, everything is set-up perfectly on-time, takes a lot of stress out of the equation. I've got photos and recap of our GK Event outing posted on the GK Events page so please check it out. Highly recommended

While it would be easy to get in line behind those who have heaped high praise on the golf course that hosted the GK End-of-Year Event this past Sunday, I simply cannot do so, so that will be me stand... Continue »

While it would be easy to get in line behind those who have heaped high praise on the golf course that hosted the GK End-of-Year Event this past Sunday, I simply cannot do so, so that will be me standing alone off to the side. Now, as far as the event itself goes, it was well done from start to finish; kudos to Johnny for another fine job of assembling all the pieces and a deserved tip of the hat to a staff of employees that do all within their power to ensure a pleasant day's experience from beginning to end. Whether it's the range attendant, cart person, starter, bartender, everyone I interacted with was friendly, helpful, sincere, and enjoyable to talk to. There's plenty of competition in the Coachella Valley and a multitude of great courses to choose from and in many cases, it's the hospitality and atmosphere that tips the scale one way or the other. Indian Wells, under the auspices of Troon Golf, definitely gets it and has done a wonderful job of nurturing this customer service-oriented culture. With regards to the course itself, it's extremely pleasing to the eye and the degree of elevation changes incorporated into the design is somewhat surprising. There's plenty of variety so all facets of the game are in play, allowing the methodical target-oriented player to be challenged as well as the let-it-rip bomber. Still, there are a couple of holes that I find to be questionable (#9, in my opinion, is a terrible hole and I'll endorse RobertKPan's assessment of the 12th). I have no issue whatsoever with the fourteen Par-4/two Par-5/two Par-3 set up but wonder what other routings were on the table before deciding on this particular one. Tee boxes, fairways, and rough were all in great shape and warrant no complaints. I can do without the flower beds (totally unnecessary and an added maintenance expense as well) but the dormant Bermuda ringing the perimeter of the bunkers really provided a stunning visual impact, thereby bringing the presence of these hazards into sharp focus. And speaking of the bunkers, the sand was excellent; would love to see this type and consistency of sand adopted everywhere. Nice and fluffy to a good depth, there was no danger of hitting something firm under the surface and blading the shot who knows where. I'm not a fan of the 'mulit-tongue' design; visually impressive but not very sensible from a playability standpoint.. Okay, so you knew it was coming, right? The GREENS. While most reviewers have alluded to the putting surfaces being somewhat on the slow side, I think that's an understatement, at least in my view. I found them to be totally unputtable and not in step with the rest of the course. Did I have a bad day out there? Certainly did...one of my worst from tee to green. Am I letting that fact influence my review? I hope not, which is why I've taken some time to think about it before posting this review, yet here it is two days removed and I feel exactly the same as I did while walking off #18. I was also taken aback by the number of unrepaired ball marks I encountered and their effect on numerous putts. It may not be a fair comparison but the greens at Shadow Ridge, where I played on Saturday and Monday, set the standard as far as I'm concerned when it comes to conditioning, presentation, and speed. Sadly, there's a good possibility I'll pass on next year's GK Event at Indian Wells and spend that money at Shadow Ridge where I feel I'll get a much better return on my "investment". At this time of the year, only a couple of months out of re-sodding programs, I believe there's no excuse for greens to be "held back" due to maturity concerns. You may not agree but I'm not buying it. Before I sign off, I would be remiss in not acknowledging the fine bunch of guys I was paired with. It was a pleasure to meet Rob and Lee as well as connect with Mark for the second year in a row. Also got to meet Kviser and Dangerousbri for the first time as I was leaving and exchanged pleasantries with them as well. And being there to watch Mark play a beautiful round of golf was an added bonus. I was aware of his potential during last year's event; it was nice to see him put it all together on Sunday and fire a very solid 76. Well done Mark.

I tee'd it up with a great group of guys at the GK Event this past Sunday. Thanks Jerry, Mattias and Kevin for a fun day.

I absolutely loved everything about my experience at Indian Wells. Every me... Continue »

I tee'd it up with a great group of guys at the GK Event this past Sunday. Thanks Jerry, Mattias and Kevin for a fun day.

I absolutely loved everything about my experience at Indian Wells. Every member of the staff that I encountered did a great job. They were welcoming, funny, super helpful and it felt like they really enjoyed being there, which is always something that comes across well. I can't say enough about the treatment we got.

As for the facilities, top notch all the way around. I actually got to the course pretty early for once and got to enjoy the range, the short game area and the putting course. The putting course was really cool and I could see this being a great place to enjoy some drinks and some friendly wagering with friends...if you're into that sort of thing :)

As for the layout of the course, I thought it was really fun and kept my attention at all times. For a course with 14 par 4's I can remember each one, which says a lot about the design. Of all the golf courses I have ever played, Indian Wells Celebrity might be the most visually stunning and beautifully landscaped. I've played other courses with more naturally beautiful settings like Pinehurst of Pebble, but the crew here and the course designers need to be commended because I kept looking around and saying "wow, this course is insanely beautiful" (I think Mattias can attest to that).

I think it would be tough to find anything to complain about regarding the conditions of the course. I guess I could echo what's been mentioned in prior reviews and say the greens were a little slower than what they looked, but they rolled absolutely true and I had a lot of fun chipping and putting on them. No complaints at all. I did talk to the guy after the round and he said the grass on them was still a bit young and with the colder weather it would be risky to really cut them low and thin them out. Bet these things will be absolutely pure in a bit.

This course and facility have absolutely jumped high on my list of places to play. I will do everything I possibly can to get out here again over the next few months and tell everyone I can to do the same.

I also played in the GK event on 12/13. As everyone else has said, the course was in great shape. I think its the most beautiful course I've played to date. The fairways were completely green edged w... Continue »

I also played in the GK event on 12/13. As everyone else has said, the course was in great shape. I think its the most beautiful course I've played to date. The fairways were completely green edged with beautiful flowerbeds of pansies and roses. Only a couple of greens had a noticeable number of old ball marks, the bunkers had perfect sand (and i was in a lot of them). The rings of dormant grass around the bunkers created a wonderful visual and it was quite easy to hit from. The 9 hole putting course was fun. It's a nice change from the usual practice green. All of the staff I encountered in the pro shop, cafe, starter, valet, were so friendly and helpful. Thanks to all of them, and most importantly, to JohnnyGK, for making this such a wonderful day.

Played in the GK outing also. I thought the course was in very good to excellent shape.
I can't really add to much that has already been said. It is a great facility from the service to the condition... Continue »

Played in the GK outing also. I thought the course was in very good to excellent shape.
I can't really add to much that has already been said. It is a great facility from the service to the condition of the golf course. Thanks Johnny for putting these events together