The Classic Club has been on my list for a couple years now and it didn't disappoint. Played this morning and beat the rain. Any course with a ton of water features is naturally going to rank high... Continue »

The Classic Club has been on my list for a couple years now and it didn't disappoint. Played this morning and beat the rain. Any course with a ton of water features is naturally going to rank high on my list. Throw in the beautiful clubhouse and the solid course conditions and it’s an automatic “winner” in my book. The clubhouse is absolutely stunning, complete with water features around it to truly make it stand out in the spectacular rating. Check in was super easy. I dropped of my bag at the front and even though I couldn’t remember my exact tee time (there’s a lot of times floating in my head this week) he quickly checked the sheet and got me up to speed. I walked in to the pro shop for a little browsing and shopping then headed out to my cart where my clubs were loaded for me. I had a traditional breakfast burrito in the “Climate Room” which come summer time I can imagine is all so nice. I headed to the all grass range (balls included) then met my playing partner on the first tee. The layout is enjoyable as it is scenic. First off there’s no houses in site which is obviously a rarity in the Palm springs area. Next are all the great water features that come into play on probably half of the holes. The course also has a good mixture of holes to keep the golfer thinking. All four Par 3’s were completely different. The longest being 200 yards into the wind with a sheer 25’ drop off to the right and the shortest being 136 yards down wind with complete safety all around it. Then there’s the 8th hole 147 yarder over water that is beautiful. Conditions are great all around. Not quite Excellent but close to it. Greens were excellent without a doubt. They rolled perfectly smooth at a medium pace. Green complexes were manageable. Some with two tiers others with modest slope. Nothing too crazy yet not flat and boring. Fairways were very nice. Not over the top “carpet” nice but very good always presenting a good lie. Skirt area around the greens were super impressive. Very green and lush. Rough ranged from green and lush to partial dormant grass giving the course the one negative. Dormant grass doesn’t bother me as it can even provide a nice contrast to the fairways. However the part brown part green was sort of distracting from the overall beauty of the course. It’ll be interesting to see if the rough goes completely dormant in the upcoming weeks or not. Sand bunkers were top notch. Two of the three, I was in were rated 10’s. Perfect deep fluffy sand. The third bunkers was good, just not quite as deep and fluffy. Obviously, I enjoyed the course and highly recommend it.

09/06/19 was a very nice Sunday morning here at the Classic Club. Blue skies and occasional winds of no more than 8-10 miles an hour, although it got up to a hundred degrees but still okay.

The la... Continue »

09/06/19 was a very nice Sunday morning here at the Classic Club. Blue skies and occasional winds of no more than 8-10 miles an hour, although it got up to a hundred degrees but still okay.

The last two reviews are right on but I just want to add some updates. We were told that each of the greens were rolled multiple times (difficult to see any effect on transition while putting across them). The sand on the greens were were blown away by their machines. They were hard and it rolled so smooth and yes, fast. Beautiful!

We were asked that when on the fairways and our ball was on the seems of newly sod area to just bump it away a foot or so (play it on or off), but it was all great out there today.

The bunkers were fine and all finished - well prepared for play.

The rest of the course were all good too.

Btw, it was a shotgun start (15th) with 12 carts, 6 carts was a tournament we got behind of- 5 hour round almost. But considering an almost comped round, I’m very okay with it.

The staff were all so attentive like it’s a full swing season- we loved that of course. The beverage cart came around at least 3 times- but no drinks for us today.

Gosh.. and to think they’ll close in a few days makes me think “why- what for?” But We’re told they are tearing down the fairways to reseed. :(

Ventured to Palm Desert on Thur. to visit friends in La Quinta and got in a round at the famed Classic Club a week prior to overseed shutdown, glad I did. Easy to find just off the 10 but it can get ... Continue »

Ventured to Palm Desert on Thur. to visit friends in La Quinta and got in a round at the famed Classic Club a week prior to overseed shutdown, glad I did. Easy to find just off the 10 but it can get very windy, I here. Luckily, perfect weather and only a slight breeze. I tried to set up some golf with my ol' bud Nickesquire but it wasn't meant to be. Maybe next time. Unfortunately, they did not mention the greens had been sanded a few days prior even though I asked. Fortunately, they were just a tad slow and only affected a handful of putts ... just took a few holes to get used to the speed. The rest of the course is still in very good condition, new bunker project is done, and it was a nice experience (did I mention the green fee was lowered to $50 which was a real good deal). Classy place, very well designed clubhouse and course, practice area pristine (unlimited balls on range ... I could hang here for hours), nice bar/restaurant, and the Turkey Club sandwich was outstanding. More water features than you would expect from a desert course and some very scenic holes. Not an overly difficult course (but played white tees) and greens are not over the top with undulations and the like, so good scores are out there. I'm sure playing blue or black tees would make a world of difference. And if the greens are cut low I'm sure it can be a big challenge to get the ball in the cup. It must be gorgeous here after overseed during golf season, Spring would be a good time to return, which I shall. Highly recommended.

Rode the Blues (6711/72.9/135) in less than 3H as a single using Troon Rewards. The weather was around 90, overcast and actually sprinkled during parts of the round. Classic Club was closed for 2 mo... Continue »

Rode the Blues (6711/72.9/135) in less than 3H as a single using Troon Rewards. The weather was around 90, overcast and actually sprinkled during parts of the round. Classic Club was closed for 2 months this summer for a full bunker renovation and only recently reopened. They utilized the closure time to also resod weak areas of tees, fairways, rough and numerous greens. Most of the resodded areas are still not ready for prime time, but should be great by the time they reopen after fall over seeding. I did not expect great conditions considering they were only going to be open for a month sandwiched between long closure periods. However, was pleasantly surprised at how lush and green the place is. The Bermuda tees were level and lush with great coverage. Par 3's were pretty chewed up, but the other 14 were excellent. The Bermuda fairways were lush, mowed close and firm. The Bermuda rough was lush. Nice to chip from as the ball usually set up. The sand traps looked the part of a full bunker renovation. Do not play here if you do not like to play out of soft white marble sand that is thick and deep. They look and played great with all their borders resodded Bermuda. The Bermuda greens were mostly smooth but medium slow. The original greens are mowed lower and are firmer. The places that have been resodded seemed to be mowed higher and were softer. Overall, currently mediocre, but I suspect they will putt excellent after fall over seeding. The customer service was excellent from everyone encountered. Drink cart out making the rounds. Nice GPS on the carts. Complementary water and range balls on a 1st class grass practice facility. Everything about this place is top notch. Definitely recommended.

Ventured out to Palm Desert to play Classic Club in a scga event Saturday morning. Had played this course once before and was very impressed, so needless to say, I was very much looking forward to pla... Continue »

Ventured out to Palm Desert to play Classic Club in a scga event Saturday morning. Had played this course once before and was very impressed, so needless to say, I was very much looking forward to playing this course again.
My tee time was set for 9:50 so I hit the range about 45 min before my tee time. The range is like many higher end courses in that as many range balls as you'd like to hit are available to you. As with the course, throughout the practice area it is wall to wall carpeted grass. The precision with which the course is manicured shows in the chipping area, in that the fairway cut and rough cut are represented accurately. Two chipping areas and one large putting green that was an accurate replication of the greens on course.
Tee boxes were very good, cut to a length that was just a touch more lush than the fairways. Don't remember having a problem finding a flat spot all day, in actuality it would have been much more difficult to find an unlevel spot. I don't know whether to attribute it to the scarcity of play or the fresh placement of markers for the event, but the par 3's had an unusually low number of divots. 9/10
Fairways were nice as well, although I did encounter a couple soggy lies. Not much rollout on drives due to the soft sometimes wet fairways. Occasionally your second shot would have to be taken with a bit of mud on the ball. Had a few second shots that in normal conditions would land short of the green and roll up and onto the green, but hit the ground rolled only a few feet further. 8/10
Rough today wasn't overly penal, easy to find balls, no more than an extra club in most cases. Not one hardpan spot anywhere within the rough cut! 9/10
The bunkers were the outlier on the course. While they weren't 'sidewalk' hard, the sand was wet and compacted in most. Those conditions made greenside bunker shots very difficult, but the lone bunker I played from was a 160yds out in the fairway, so needless to say, it was a benefit in that particular instance, lol. 6.5/10
The greens rolled smoother than you would expect based on the appearance. No putts bounced off line and rolled very true, although they were a bit slower than expected, based on the visuals. They looked as though they could be as quick as 11 or above on the stimp, but as you hit a few, you quickly learned they were probably closer to about 10. Very few putts blown by the hole, many left short amongst everyone in our group. Soft and receptive to approach shots, similar to the fairways, not much rollout. I'm very proud to report, even with the softness of the greens, the clientele here was/is diligent in repairing divots! 8.5/10
Several water features throughout the course, with lakes to avoid on many holes. With fairway and greenside bunkers strategically placed, but with ample landing areas for drives, makes for a challenging but very fair and enjoyable round. Also I feel it necessary to mention the sheer beauty of this course, along with the visual aesthetics from the tee boxes. What also must be mentioned is the helpfulness and hospitality of the staff.
Just an overall great experience at Classic Club and again demonstrating why it's remained as one of my favorites!

What a great course! It played tough and the breeze made it even tougher than it already is, but a good course for sure. Pretty to look at but it plays tough. It was warm to hot with temps getting ... Continue »

What a great course! It played tough and the breeze made it even tougher than it already is, but a good course for sure. Pretty to look at but it plays tough. It was warm to hot with temps getting up high to mid 80s and that’s nice for a change. While we didn’t experience the recent uniform green colored golf course, its playability was excellent. Color, of course, adds to the experience, but it wasn’t bad at all, there were just a few spots that were stressed from the sudden (heat) change in temperature which happens to many courses. The greens were so nice to putt on, smooth and on the fast side, making even the misses a pleasure to watch. Just saying that it was conditioned well enough so no complaints if we missed- the greens were near perfect. A few bunkers had standing water as we were warned about by the starter and also went on to breakout an update that they’re preparing to re-do their bunkers confirming @JohnnyGK’s report in Greenskeeper.org community forum thread. Everything else were just great. The grass there are healthy and lush. The rough can make for a tough shot at times, but not all the time. Balls were in the air on time at 7:50am and the last ball was holed by 12:10pm. Slow side. We held two groups behind for a few holes- a whole hole and a half was empty ahead of us… ugh... We caught up with the group ahead a couple holes before we finished. Thank goodness! The beverage cart came around a few times. Good staff services, massive entrance and clubhouse (first time in it since it was built). Even the trees are now fully grown and lush. Our check in at pro shop was as smooth as expected. The restaurant is nice and the food was good. The $15 voucher was a nice touch – although it was no bargain, it just made it easier to stop and grab lunch from the $70 greens fee (local rate). There was something missing… I am remembering one of the holes had a dinky little green that’s so tough… and I may have seen it passing in between holes on the front nine. I was dreading to play that hole, but it’s not there anymore. After the round, I used the practice facility for another couple of hours. They had some nice Titleist NXT balls. There were also tents to stay in overnight or so at a few selected locations on the golf course being rented for $1,100 a day for the Stagecoach Festival. I can’t say I’ve seen that nor stayed in on a course before.

Joined Gk'er Rudyclub yesterday to celebrate his birthday weekend. I am not normally one to pay full rack rate in the wintertime due to the extreme prices but I made an exception after reading a recen... Continue »

Joined Gk'er Rudyclub yesterday to celebrate his birthday weekend. I am not normally one to pay full rack rate in the wintertime due to the extreme prices but I made an exception after reading a recent review on GK. The rate was $155 and included a $15 food and beverage credit which could be used anywhere on property. They also had a special for $30 extra they would throw in a dozen Pro V1's. The staff here is fantastic as expected for a troon run facility. From the bag drop to the starter everyone was very courteous. As for the conditions, The course is in fantastic shape. The Fairways have nice emerald green grass and full coverage. Tee Boxes were very nice and have many tee's to play from. The greens were the highlight for me as they were fast and firm. I can not believe how many lip outs our group had. The only down side to the course yesterday was the sand traps. There was not a ton of sand and there was a clay layer that you could not get through. Overall this is a fantastic course with a lot of danger surrounding the fairways and greens. This is a must play at any price. Even at $155 Id play here again.

Played 1/26/19 Pop 4+ $155
Course was in fantastic shape. Fairways perfect. Only some small dry areas well out of play spotted. Greens were firm and running at a medium fast pace. Ran true and smoot... Continue »

Played 1/26/19 Pop 4+ $155
Course was in fantastic shape. Fairways perfect. Only some small dry areas well out of play spotted. Greens were firm and running at a medium fast pace. Ran true and smooth. Hard to get any stopping power without perfect contact. Traps were tough. Mostly hard pan and great for fairway but sucked anywhere near greens. Expensive but still recommend

Week ago today I teed it up at Classic Club with GK’ers GDR23, rgm2525 and 24hourgolf. Super time. We went off at 12:35pm and finished just before sunset. Little under 4 hours.
I waited to post this... Continue »

Week ago today I teed it up at Classic Club with GK’ers GDR23, rgm2525 and 24hourgolf. Super time. We went off at 12:35pm and finished just before sunset. Little under 4 hours.
I waited to post this review because I wanted to post high resolution photos on GK. Last night cychow coded it so we could moving forward. Curious what you think of the upgrade.
The photos are gorgeous as was the golf course. We also caught it on a postcard December day in Palm Desert.

This is a grand golf experience in every way. Massive clubhouse with exceptional food. Excellent service on every level. Fantastic large practice facilities. But most importantly, the golf course. It’s a Classic style layout in the middle of the desert. Very unique layout compared to other courses you’ll play in the desert. All the features are large. Large greens, large fairways, large bunkers, large water features…you see where I’m going with this. Check out the photos. There is not one let down hole and they are all beautiful and challenging. For those of you that don’t know this golf course was once a PGA Tour stop.

As for the conditions, excellent. Fairways and rough rye grass carpet. Bunkers well manicured with high quality sand. Tee boxes groomed and cut tight. Greens, as expected a little slow as pure rye grass greens are always in December. They had remnants of light verticut with no sand. They rolled smooth and held shots. The greens should be fantastic in January/February/March.

Classic Club is my favorite golf course to play in the Coachella Valley even though every time, and I mean every time I’ve played it, I’ve played poorly. Next time I play Classic Club I’m going to have one of the best rounds of my life. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

btw – if you order a hotdog and they ask if you would like grilled onions and peppers on it, get it! Also get the fries, so good.