ALERT: (Aeration Alert)
Will be aerating the greens 6/16 & 6/17 and then sometime in mid-August.
* Please note that although we put a great amount of effort into forecasting course maintenance, we still recommend you contact the golf course to confirm this information.
As the first area effort for Nick Faldo's design firm, Shadow Ridge opened in 2001 amid great fanfare. To this day, it's often mentioned in the upper echelon of Palm Desert area courses. Is this praise founded? I'd say so…though I believe it's the combination of a very good golf course with a truly amazing practice facility that together lead Shadow Ridge into the company of the elite.
While many desert courses seek to embrace the desert and the stark contrast between grass, sand, and tumbleweeds, Shadow Ridge takes a slightly different approach. Through the use of mounding, trees, and gentle hillsides, each hole has its own isolated realm in which to operate. Given the fact that the property is surrounded by city streets and developed (or soon to be developed) commercial and residential real estate, Faldo has done a very good job of making sure that golfers feel that they're playing in a place of natural splendor.
Of course, Shadow Ridge has it's fair share of ponds, rock walls, and other such manmade attractions (which sort of flies in the face of the natural splendor comment) but there's really very little secret that this is an artificial environment. Even the clubhouse has sort of a "desert oasis" feel to it that is almost surreal.
Starting gently with 3 forgettable holes, the 4th is the first one that captures this oasis vibe on the golf course. With a scrubby waste area to carry en route to the jumbo-sized green set against wispy hillsides and various trees, your group will have it's own semi-natural ampitheatre setting for a few minutes while you play this par 3. From there, the golf course continues with the similar pattern of isolated holes, extremly bold bunkering, and sloping greens.
Generally, the course continues to get better as it goes along, and heroes will find their opportunity to brag a bit if they complete the 16-17-18 stretch in style. A classic Donald Ross Par 5-3-4 finish (with a very non-classic Donald Ross design), the 16th is a par 5 with a centerline bunker to avoid off the tee and then a green that juts out into a pond. Be sure to bring a few good shots here, as the Marriott Shadow Ridge resort has buildings on this very pond, complete with balconies sometimes containing sparse (and possibly unwelcome if you aren't playing well) galleries. The 17th is your basic Palm Desert 17th hole…you know the one…all carry over water. Despite the lack of originality with holes like these, they're still fun to talk about when you conquer them. The 18th dares you to play your tee ball up the creek line on the left and reminds you with signature bunkering that if you chicken out to the right you have no picnic either. The approach shot is all carry to an elevated green, and a par here is an accomplishment worth a celebratory drink after the round.
Shadow Ridge is in excellent condition. While a bit short of pool table greens and carpet fairways, its consistently good. Greens are true, medium/fast, and mostly appropriate for the amount of slope in some of the complexes. Fairways and rough are healthy and well kept, and the bunker sand is quite nice (if a bit thin/firm in some spots). Overall, conditions will never be cited as a shortcoming here.
As good as the golf course is, special commendation must go to the practice facility. As host to the Faldo Golf Institute, you expect a decent range, putting green, and chipping area. What you don't expect is truly the most impressive practice facility I have ever seen. Sure, the range is just another big, wide, double-ended range…those are a dime a dozen at upscale facilities. Around the side of the clubhouse, though, is an expansive area of huge putting greens and what amounts to an all-fairway field probably 125 yards in length and at least 50-60 in width from which you can hit any number of short-game shots to 2 different putting greens. These greens are legitimate greens with bunkers, chipping areas, and slopes around them. There are bunkers for greenside and long bunker shots, and if you get sick of these shots, the greens are good enough to putt on. You can be certain that next time I want to practice my game, this is the first place I'd like to come. Impressive is an understatement.
In conclusion, Shadow Ridge is a very good golf course with some fun shots to be played, and the oasis/isolation vibe is nicely captured. Combine this with the all-world practice facility and it's a real winner for a day of golf.
