I would go out of my way NOT to play this course again.
Can't find anything positive to say about it. Even the marshall chewed us out for no good reason . . . thought I was playing a municipal course. It's just plateau greens and fairways with endless bunkers many of them hidden, no one could make a putt, this course is way overrated and over priced. If you want to enjoy a round of golf in the desert play the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

I would play this course again, because the second time around is bound to be better. It's hard to settle in the first time here. The $$$ is all about #15 &16, two of the most beautiful holes you will ever play. On a sparkling fall afternoon one could hardly be in a more enchanting place than on the 15th tee, then slowly going down the fairway to the green, coming off the high of 15 and then following that up with 16. If only there was a course with 18 holes like these these 2! Course is in great shape, $120 is a bit much but twilight for $80 is more like it. Very friendly A+ staff, give StoneTree a try, just realize it's a Johnny Miller design . . .

This course feels squeezed into an area where it really doesn't belong. Fairways are way too tight, only a dead straight tee will work, finding the line and distance of a lot of shots requires local knowledge, approaches that run thru greens disappear in heavy clump grass. This course has everything that one tries to avoid in a golf course, it's very tough for the wrong reasons. I felt like putting my clubs away after playing here, exactly the opposite feeling that a golfer is after. The course doesn't help you find your game, it makes you feel that you don't have a game. Johnny Miller courses can do that to you, his courses reflect his personality perhaps but given the site he had to work with, I'm not sure there was much he could have done differently.

Recommend playing the course in the morning, that way you have a chance to miss the cold heavy air and wind in the late afternoon as the fog rolls in. This is especially important on the back 9 which is a brute. Front 9 is really enjoyable, holes are right in front of you, fairways wide . . . the back is one of the toughest 9 you will ever play. Narrow fairways, severe doglegs, heavy rough, uphill, downhill, tree limbs squeezing in from all sides. Very good course in great condition, worth playing.

I play here often and regard it as the best course in the Bay Area (excluding Pasatiempo which is $$$$$). The service here has always been 1st class. They treat everyone like a member of their private club. The issue with the greens is a potential problem but it didn't effect my round at all. It isn't clear what the problem is but they are losing areas on the greens and will have to do something but right now there is no reason not to play there.

Let's face it, people are different. While we were stumbling out of our cart after finishing, half frozen and beaten to a pulp by the course, there were guys in shorts and tee shirts who carried their bags around this place, laughing about what a great time they had. Good to know a lot of people like this course, I didn't. Start with the wind, relentless 20mph, gets real old and cold on the back 9. A great deal of similarity to the holes, nothing memorable, bunker sand varies, native grass lines each hole and balls just disappear right and left. A lot of elevated greens with massive bunkers in front. But mostly the wind which makes it very tough to get the right yardage, send the ball a bit too much this way or that and it's gone. Local knowledge here is a must. The greens were excellent, some of the best I've played, the fairway grass was not to my liking, and there were many dried out areas. With no wind this course would be tough, with high winds it is a battle. However, a lot of people we saw on the course seemed to be having a great time, different strokes for different folks!

The +'s . . . very scenic, variety of holes, inexpensive. The -'s . . . unlevel tee boxes, spongy grass that grabs your club, and greens that can give you fits . . . too slow and bumpy, I couldn't make a putt there in two rounds. I don't believe I could ever get the feel of these greens and everyone I played with had the same problem. If by some chance you are able to putt well here then it would be quite a worthwhile experience.

Played May 7, 2007; 75deg. calm, clear, perfect day which is very unusual for this area. So we caught it just right and it was one of the best rounds of my life. The course was in fantastic shape, the way you wish every course would be. It is a user friendly course, it won't beat you up. This one jumps up high on my list of favorites, a must play for the Bay Area. Staff was very helpful, asked if we could go off as a twosome by ourselves and were accomodated. Try lunch at the Ritz-Carlton. Not a difficult or long course, you can score well here, kept the driver in the bag and went 3W exclusively. Very scenic and peaceful feeling. GREAT!

Keep in mind, this is a mountain course, a great course if you are in the mood for this type of set up. Greens are world class and very tough to get the ball in the hole, breaks are subtle with difficult reads. Very scenic and well maintained, the course is fair, the rough is deep and difficult. This can be a very tough golf course. Like many mountain courses with severe elevation changes it is a challenge to select the right club, here it seems that hitting a long iron off the tee is usually the right play. I'd rate it at the top of mountain courses, and with that being said, I am tired of mountain courses, I just never get comfortable on the course and enjoy the round.
Service is as good as it gets, so is the food, if you love mountain golf this is a must play, just bring your 3 iron and you'll be set.

Played 12/3/06 . . . the course did not quite live up to the hype as being the most scenic and dramatic course in CA, but it almost did! With expectations so high it's tough to judge accurately, but it just doesn't feel as high class as the PGA West courses. I would play there again but don't get a tingle thinking about it, maybe I'll have a more favorable impression next time, but yes it is very dramatically beautiful so bring your camera!

not a 'players' course, but what would bring me back there is the beauty, it just feels good to be out there and that is quite an accomplishent for any course. I liked the bridges, the cart paths, the views from the tees, clubhouse, restaurant, pro shop, parking, in other words the Total Experience of a round of golf here should be ranked quite high. If you are alright hitting a hybrid off of most tees and hitting mid to long irons into the greens then you will do fine. The bunkers are very penal in where they are placed and the sand is not high quality. Some of the holes are just so beautiful and a few are very tough such as 17 and 18.

First the good news . . . very friendly and helpful marshal, course seems to be set in a Thomas Kinkade like fantasy with impossibly immaculate and expensive homes lining the fairways . . . now the bad news . . . no pictures of the holes either on scorecard or at the tee and with the zigzag nature of the holes, most of the time I had no idea of where I was supposed to hit the ball which made for a brutal round. Local knowledge is a must here! Scorecard also the worst I've ever seen, overly busy and the hole numbers obscured when clipped to the cart. Then there is the impossibly slow play as many groups seemed to not be able to play at all. And the course really isn't that interesting other than the 18th which is torn up and under construction now. Don't have high expectations here unless you love to look at great houses while you play.