Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort

Palm Springs, California

Playing golf in the desert can be a fickle endeavor. One moment, you're looking out on a flat, plain landscape lined with native trees and pockets of sand bunkers and dry desert washes. The next moment, you're entering a mirage of lush green foliage, trickling waterfalls, and arching fountains. Such is the case at Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs, where two distinctly contrasting 18-hole courses display the whole spectrum of desert golf.

Designed in the 1950s during a boom time for California golf course developments, The Legend Course is the senior arm of the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. The fairways are mostly flat with subtle undulations and the landscaping is minimalist. Mature desert trees, tall skinny palms, and '50s-style homes line the fairways, while the San Jacinto mountains elevate the surrounding views. The Legend Course underwent a renovation in 1996 by the Palmer Course Design Company which added over 40 new bunkers to the course, creating more strategic considerations on this long desert course.

The Legend's 18th hole, a 451-yard par-4, positions a large bunker at the inside of a dogleg where you'd like to cut the corner. Previously an easy par-5 finishing hole before the 1996 renovation, the new 18th hole caps a tough stretch of five holes to finish the back-9 of this traditional desert course.

The Resort Course, by comparison, is a tropical paradise lush with tall, bushy palm trees, island fairways, and cool waterscapes. Designed by Ted Robinson, Jr., and opened in 1995 just before The Legend's renovation, The Resort Course's most striking feature is the introduction of waterways and fountains along eight of the course's holes. A couple par-3's require you to loft your tee shot over waterfalls. Golfers who land their approach shots anywhere on the greens are often helped out by the bowl-shaped greens, but missing just off the green will often result in just the opposite effect of rolling away from the green into a bunker or low-lying valley.

The Resort's 8th Hole, a 196-yard par-3, is widely considered the signature hole of this aqueous desert course. A waterfall and small lake surround the front of the green, which can be difficult to reach if hitting into a prevailing desert breeze. The 8th is a short yet scenic hole, which sums up The Resort Course as compared to its longer sister course.

Both courses at Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort are very affordable with rates under $70 each during the peak season. Plus, you can score a super deal by playing the slightly less expensive Legend Course in the morning, taking a nice break for lunch at the clubhouse, and then playing a "same-day discount round" at The Resort Course. For less than $90 you can play two Palm Springs' golf courses with drastically different styles and landscapes.

Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort is an ideal course for recreational golfers and even presents occasional challenges for more advanced golfers. Along with Escena Golf Club, the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort is one of the best values in Palm Springs.

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