wind kept pros from shooting 68 every round, they complained (especially one Phil Mickelson), and the event moved away in 2009. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a playable and very beautiful course now. Truth be told, it’s better than ever. Director of Golf Gregory Rubino says every hole is special, which was the plan from the start. “The Bergers (H.N. and Frances C.
Berger Foundation) didn’t know a lot about golf when they got into it, so they asked about it, about what makes a golf course special,” Rubino said. “And what they heard back was ‘signature holes.’ So they said, ‘well, build us 18 signature holes.’ And that’s what we’ve got here.” (NOTE: The sharpest Insider knows
to arrive packing a Troon Golf Card, which provides deeper discounts at Troon Golf facilities like PGA West, Indian Wells, and Classic Club. That’s how you get those green fees down from three to two figures, BTW.) You probably don’t want to pack
up your golf bag before you take on La Quinta’s SilverRock Resort, and the 36 holes at Palm Desert’s Desert Willow Golf Club. SilverRock, another Palmer design, also spent time as a member of the Tour’s CareerBuilder Challenge course rotation on the PGA Tour. And Desert Willow, like Indian Wells,
masquerades as a “municipal” golf course for residents of Palm Desert. But Desert Willow’s Firecliff and Mountain View courses are among the finest in the desert regardless of membership privileges, and are can’t-miss plays during any golf vacation. You will like the price point, too. “Firecliff is the more challenging
course; it’s more of a championship course, and Mountain View is more of a resort course,” said Bruce Nation, director of sales and marketing for Desert Willow. “Firecliff has more carries off the tee, and more desert waste areas, which could be challenging to the higher handicappers. (On Mountain View),
The opulent clubhouse at the Classic Club (right) serves as the headquarters for those who play the luxurious golf course (below). The Classic Club is a former site of the Greater Palm Springs area’s PGA Tour stop.
the only forced carries are much more manageable. And that’s what we wanted, one course to be more challenging, and one to be more playable.” Need a little more golf to hold you
over? May we suggest the well-groomed courses at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort — the Pete Dye and Gary Player layouts. As you might expect, the Dye is more diabolical, but both are great facilities run by Troon. (Translated: You can use those Troon Cards again for significant savings.) OK, VIP Insider, you’ve gotta eat, too.
That makes your days at Desert Willow and Classic Club two of your easiest;
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ANNUAL 2016 | AZ GOLF Insider | 39
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