Palm Springs Advice

I am new to this site and found some useful advise. I'm pulling together a trip late March for a group of guys from the UK. I know its peak season so I'd like to pre book courses in advance. But most sites I've found only give 7-30 days advance booking. Any solutions available?, be a shame to come all that way and have to compromise on courses.

To maximise exposure to Desert Golfing I had planned to use a mixture of 12-1pm tee times (best bang for our buck) and mid morning.

Will be over for 6 days and currently looking at -:

Eagle Falls

Morongo Legends

Silverock

Desert Willow

Escena

Mission Hills-G Player

Would this give us a good Desert experience, do not want to play a resort course surrouded by housing. Happy to drive 1hr for a good day.

Group plays 8-14 handicap and has visited US many times, never to PS area.

Finally I read "beware of the winds", now we are use to blustery conditions but just do not want to get beaten up for 6 days.

Appreciate any advice, Thanks in advance.

Paul, We go down once a year to play in May and I have played many of the courses on your list. I would not worry about booking situation. Palm Springs has plenty of courses so most you listed there will accomdate you. Some of the bigger ones like Silverock you might have to move around but only by a day or so. Mission Hills has 2 courses. The Player course and the Dye course. Both are pretty good but both have houses around them. The Classic Club is sort of out on its own and one I recommend but it has the price point more like Silverock than some of the others you have listed here. The Golf Club at La Quinta didn't have that many houses, and might be more in the budget you are looking for. I will say that putting houses on the golf course is a Palm Springs tradition so you are limiting yourself a bit by staying away from those. Lastly the wind can be bad in certain places. March can be beautiful or can beat you up pretty bad. Places like Mission Hills or anything on the 10 freeway can be bad, but places like La Quinta can be calm. I think it will be no worse than what you face at home. @tristanhilton85 should be able to add more here as well.

I have to say that you picked a solid list of courses to play. As far as wind goes, March is the time of year that it can pick up, but you could also be perfectly fine as well. as Mike said above, courses along the 10 freeway usually are hit a bit harder than those tucked against the hills in La Quinta. The big one you'll have to worry about the wind at is Morongo, it's right in the pass and it can really blow there. Also, FWIW, of the two courses at Morongo, most tend to like the Champions side over the Legends, and I personally feel that the course right on the other side of the freeway, Oak Valley, is better than both. Most of the courses you listed also fit the bill of not being surrounded by housing; to that list I'll also add the Classic Club and Marriott Shadow Ridge, both are excellent. However, houses will come into play on the Mission Hills courses (although not that much). The La Quinta Resort Mountain course should also be on your list; there really aren't any houses to worry about until you make the turn, and then it's only for a few holes. Many consider that to be one of the most beautiful courses the valley has to offer. Also, I know you said you're willing to drive, so if you go about an hour and forty minutes from the valley, there is Oak Quarry in Riverside which is awesome!

Also, don't worry too much about the booking.... just know the courses policy and book when they let you. As long as you book at the start of the courses booking period you'll get the times you want. On top of that, even if you happen to miss a particular course (which I doubt), you'll be able to find a good one to play; there is no shortage of great golf out here. I know that a lot of people who visit the area use ParTeeGolf to handle the booking for them. They can book on a lot of courses up to 90 days in advance so you may want to check them out.

Anyways, hope you have fun. If you have any other questions about the area, let me know as I live out here.

Michael & Tristan

That is first rate advise, just what I needed. Hope it helps future travellers as much as it has me.

Tristan your input on La Quinta Mountain really pleased me, when I looked a couple of weeks back everything told me it was closed until April. However their web-site now says it is re-opening end of Jan......it is booked...chuffed to bits. I will also take yr advise on Oak Quarry ( the drive time will keep the boys out of the bar!!) and Oak Valley.

We will land in LAX about 4pm (mid week), so i figure 5.30 rolling with rental van. It's 10yrs since I've landed at LAX but I remeber a 1hr drive taking 2+ hrs. So I'm thinking of going down to Venice for a couple of hrs to chill and head out about 7.30. Does that make sense and is the timing about right?, we do not want to overnight in LA.

Thanks for yr valuable advise.

As far as timing to the desert from LAX, I have no idea... can't help you there. Any other questions about courses or the desert area, let me know.