Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) in 3H, 50M with Darryl & Bruce in clear, breezy conditions. This course would be difficult to walk since numerous tees are a long way from the last green. Plenty of ... Continue »

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) in 3H, 50M with Darryl & Bruce in clear, breezy conditions. This course would be difficult to walk since numerous tees are a long way from the last green. Plenty of water stations on the course. Good practice facilities and complementary range balls although the range tops out @ 220 yards. The tees were lush, only a few of the par 3's needed divot attention. The fairways were lush and well maintained. Few unfixed divots. The Bermuda secondary rough was dormant and not overly penal. The over seeded primary rough was lush, mowed down and usually good to play from. The sand traps were dark brown sand/dirt. They were muddy and several had standing water from over watering. The greens were medium fast and smooth. They held full shots well. The breaks here are not as severe as on most Dye layouts. This layout features the traditional Dye runoffs around greens, mounds/moguls and railroad ties around water features. However, they are more modest than a normal Dye layout. OB down both sides of many holes and numerous holes have water that comes prominently into play. Most of the landing areas are generous in size. Not a super tight course overall, there are just specific shots where there is little margin for error. From a design perspective, a par 70 with only 2 par 5's is a minus. But still 18 solid holes of golf with plenty of variety. Beverage cart was out making the rounds, with the customer service excellent from everyone. Recommended.

Typical desert resort course with occasional Pete Dye features thrown in to keep you interested. (Such as the railroad-tied water feature on 18.) Info about re-seeding on GK appears to be wrong. Cour... Continue »

Typical desert resort course with occasional Pete Dye features thrown in to keep you interested. (Such as the railroad-tied water feature on 18.) Info about re-seeding on GK appears to be wrong. Course has been open for over a week. Course is in average condition, just re-emerging from over-seeding. Notable things: a few tee boxes on the back nine were crowned and had a curious amount of divot damage considering they were on par 4's; sand was generally compacted and in need of some conditioning; fairways appeared to be well on track from the re-seeding but were a bit longer than I would expect to see so no roll-out on tee balls; rough was getting heavy but still playable. Greens were the major factor. Slower than sludge and with a light sand treatment visible here and there. Granted, they are recovering from the maintenance but I would generously estimate them at 5 or 6 on the stimp. At least they were fairly smooth. Could be a fun course if you are a double-digit handicapper - otherwise, it does not contain much challenge except for the occasional water feature and some interestingly angled green complexes on the approach. Par 70 with only 2 par-5's.

Info here at GK is spot on. They will be doing maintenance is a few weeks so it is a good time to go play this course. Be wary of temps after 10am as it gets really warm out here. We had 6:30 star... Continue »

Info here at GK is spot on. They will be doing maintenance is a few weeks so it is a good time to go play this course. Be wary of temps after 10am as it gets really warm out here. We had 6:30 start time and finished in 4 hours despite having to wait on each hole for group in front.

Course conditions were pretty good. Greens smooth and medium fast. Doesn't break as much as you think. rough was about 3 inches but is not as penal as you would think. bunkers well stocked.

Grass driving range/warm up facility with practice greens/chipping area.
No GPS but they provide a mini-yardage sheet with reference distances. Water coolers with cold water spread out the course helps keep you hydrated. Starter even provided us with Mango-infused cold towels to keep everyone cooler.

Great facility, great staff. Definitely a must-go-back course.

I had a 2:46 TeeOff.com “Deal” time (minus 25% promo code) out here on Saturday, June 10. Amazing price for the quality of course. It wasn’t too busy out there, so they sent me out by myself, but ther... Continue »

I had a 2:46 TeeOff.com “Deal” time (minus 25% promo code) out here on Saturday, June 10. Amazing price for the quality of course. It wasn’t too busy out there, so they sent me out by myself, but there were two threesomes right in front of me all day. POP was still pretty good at 3:35. Beautiful blue skies, weather wasn’t too hot, and there was a decent breeze most of the day. Good water/ice machine right outside the clubhouse and abundant jugs all throughout the course to keep hydrated.

Conditions are very nice. Greens were a little crispy on top but accepted full shots really well. They rolled smooth and medium fast. They were very firm and it was very hard to make any ball marks, but like I said earlier, full shots did stop quickly. Fairways had great coverage of green grass, clean lines and cut short. They provided great lies all day. The rough was only about an inch deep and also had great coverage. There was some minimal yellowing in spots in both the fairways and the rough, but nothing too problematic. The black tee boxes were nearly perfect for the first 10 holes, but then there were some suspect spots on some of the holes on the inward nine. Overall still great, though. Bunkers were pretty good, although seemed to buck to conventional wisdom – fairway bunkers were fluffy and full of sand, while the greenside bunkers were thinner and/or had a little crust on top. Perhaps best of all, the course still felt very well manicured and doesn’t yet have that scruffy summer appearance some courses get when the temperatures rise and prices plummet.

I hadn’t played here in nearly 20 years and I enjoyed it more this time. The water holes are all captivating with Dye’s signature railroad ties bordering the lakes. Speaking of which, I wonder if they’ve replaced the railroad ties somewhat recently, because they looked very uniform and in great condition compared to courses like PGA West Stadium. All in all, the course looked great in the late afternoon sunlight.

I took lots of pictures and posted 46 to a Flickr album that can be viewed by copying and pasting this URL: https://flic.kr/s/aHskYtJbq9

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) in 4H, 10M with mendel, Matt & Ryan in clear, breezy conditions. Played both courses on an AD UP voucher. An oddity for a 36 hole course layout is that the Player a... Continue »

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) in 4H, 10M with mendel, Matt & Ryan in clear, breezy conditions. Played both courses on an AD UP voucher. An oddity for a 36 hole course layout is that the Player and Dye courses are about a mile apart and all their facilities (restaurant, driving range, clubhouse etc.) are completely separate. I have appreciated the Dye layout more after each round played here. Still not a great layout in my mind, but 18 very solid holes of golf with plenty of variety. OB down both sides of many holes and numerous holes have water that comes prominently into play. However, not a super tight course overall. Most of the landing areas are generous in size, there are just specific shots where there is little margin for error. A conventional Pete Dye layout, with the traditional Dye runoffs around greens, mounds/moguls, water features etc. However, they are tamer here than on most Dye courses I have played. The Bermuda tees were fairly lush, only a few of the par 3's needed divot attention. The Bermuda fairways were fairly lush and well maintained. Few unfixed divots. The Bermuda rough was semi lush and not overly penal. Usually good to play from. The sand traps were dark brown sand/dirt and were decently maintained. The greens were relatively smooth for Bermuda but were at most medium speed. Firm but still held well struck approach shots. The breaks here are not as severe as on most Dye layouts. This course would be difficult to walk as numerous tees are a long way from the last green. From a layout perspective, I feel like a par 70 with only 2 par 5's is a minus. Plenty of water stations on the course and the Beverage cart was out making the rounds. The customer service was excellent from everyone. Good facilities, complementary range balls although the range tops out @ 220 yards. Well above average course in most locales, but middle of the pack by Palm Springs standards. If I had to pick one of the two Mission Hills courses to play, it would be the sister Player course. Recommended = Yes.

Played 12/14 on a cheap GN Hot Deal at 12:30pm joined another group of singles, a couple were locals. First impression I was not overly excited about his course. They had recently top-dressed the gree... Continue »

Played 12/14 on a cheap GN Hot Deal at 12:30pm joined another group of singles, a couple were locals. First impression I was not overly excited about his course. They had recently top-dressed the greens which wasn't disclosed. They had us start on #15 for some reason which was disappointing and ultimately frustrating as I made my way around the course. On top of that we had three twosomes of couples ahead of us so we waited on every shot. The greens were terribly slow with the sand. Layout was kind of boring, crammed into the housing units. The locals I played with said this one is better than the Gary Player course so I'll have to try it again under better conditions and the proper hole routing. Worth a cheap price if you find it but there are better options available.

Ran over to the Dye course after being chased off Player because they closed at 3:00 on 8/28 with Nickesquire. Staff was exceptionally accommodating and sent us right out. Never much to add to an "e... Continue »

Ran over to the Dye course after being chased off Player because they closed at 3:00 on 8/28 with Nickesquire. Staff was exceptionally accommodating and sent us right out. Never much to add to an "esquire" review. Just emphasizing the condition of the greens. It's tough to read a break when your ball is in the air 40 percent of the time on it's way to the hole. Nick was right when he quipped, "We need Chris Berman to do the commentary on these putts, "He's rumbling, bumbling, stumbling, and could he -- No, stopped short at the 5 yard line.'" While the course is in good shape otherwise, it's definitely treated as the step-child of the two. Be aware that according to the cart guy Dye is the only course open during the week. If you have the UP voucher for unlimited play between the two make sure you go on a weekend.

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) with 140ver using UP. Matched up with Nick, we teed off after 4:30 and were the last group finishing before dark. Rarely waited and zipped around, POP was excellent @ ... Continue »

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) with 140ver using UP. Matched up with Nick, we teed off after 4:30 and were the last group finishing before dark. Rarely waited and zipped around, POP was excellent @ slightly over 3H. A slight breeze made it feel cooler than the 106 it actually was. The layout meanders through a resort and condo's, so there is ample OB down 1 or both sides of most holes to get your attention. There are also numerous holes where water comes prominently into play. Overall, it's not an overly tight course, although you have a half dozen swings per round here where the landing are is VERY tight and being even a few yards off is going to produce penalty strokes. Layout wise, IMO a par 70 layout with only 2 par 5's is a minus. Both par 5's here are very scorable. Overall, there are several excellent golf holes on this course, with a bunch of unmemorable holes. From tee to fringe the course is in excellent shape. The Bermuda tees were lush and well maintained. A couple were crowned but only a few of the par 3's needed divot attention. The Bermuda fairways were lush with few unfixed divots, nice to play from. The Bermuda rough was usually lush and mowed down to where it was usually good to play from. What I would characterize as good POP rough where you could easily find and advance your ball. Both the green side and fairway bunkers were firm. Generally okay to play from, the quality of the dark brown sand/dirt was better than it looked. A few fairway traps were basically GUR because of standing water and the green side traps were a real challenge to get out/on the greens with steep faces because they are hard packed. The Bermuda greens were firm but still held well struck approach shots. It was hard to make a ball mark even with a high short iron approach. They were punched about 10 days ago and are probably the poorest greens I have putted on this golf season. They putted bumpy and SLOW to the point they radically affected play. Definitely had not been mowed in at least a day, I presume they keep them long because of the heat and recovering from aeration? Nice facilities. The range is irons only and they provide complementary range balls with your round. Even if the weather was moderate, this course would tough to walk as numerous tees are a long way from the last green. The customer service was excellent all around, as I have almost always experienced @ a Troon run facility. Plenty of water stations on the course and the drink cart was out making the rounds numerous times. Good course that suffers from being so close in proximity to so many well above average to great courses within a few miles. Recommended = Yes.

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) in slightly over 3H as a 2some with Mike. Got in a quick & cheap 18 on the way out of town. We played through some groups and zipped around, POP was excellent. A sligh... Continue »

Played the Golds (6158/69.5/125) in slightly over 3H as a 2some with Mike. Got in a quick & cheap 18 on the way out of town. We played through some groups and zipped around, POP was excellent. A slight Breeze and overcast made it feel cooler than the 113 it actually was. Layout wise, there are 4-5 excellent golf holes on this course, with 18 being an outstanding finishing hole with a lake down the entire left side. The more I see this layout the more I like it. Overall, I think a par 70 layout with only 2 par 5's is a minus. Both the par 5's are very scoreable. The layout meanders through a resort and condo's, so there is ample OB down 1 or both sides of most holes to get your attention. There are also numerous holes where water comes prominently into play. However, it's not an overly tight course, although you have a half dozen swings per round here where there is little margin for error and being even a few yards off is going to produce penalty strokes. The course is beginning to suffer from the dog days of the Palm Springs summer of day after day 100+ heat. The Bermuda tees were fairly lush with ample coverage. A couple were crowned but only a few of the par 3's needed divot attention. The Bermuda fairways were FIRM & semi lush with few unfixed divots, nice to play from. The Bermuda rough was usually lush and mowed down to where it was usually good to play from. What I would characterize as good POP rough where you could easily find and advance your ball. Both the green side and fairway bunkers were firm. The quality of the dark brown sand/dirt was okay. However, the green side traps were truly a challenge to get out/on the greens with steep faces when they are so hard packed. The Bermuda greens rolled well but were slow in speed. I presume they keep them long because of the heat? Firm but still held well struck approach shots. it was hard to make a ball mark even with a high short iron approach. Nice facilities. The range is irons only and they provide complementary range balls with your round. Even if the weather was moderate, this course would tough to walk as numerous tees are a long way from the last green. The customer service was excellent all around, as I have almost always experienced @ a Troon run facility. Plenty of water stations on the course and the drink cart was out making the rounds numerous times. Good course that suffers from being so close in proximity to so many well above average to great courses within a few miles. Recommended = Yes.