Located in the golf mecca of Palm Springs, CA lies Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. Ted Robinson designed this desert links-style golf course to offer beautiful mountain views while mixing in challenging green concepts. While not overly long at 6,705 yards from the tips, Tahquitz Creek challenges you with several long par 5’s and water trouble. If you are looking for a gorgeous public course but not too challenging, Tahquitz Creek offers a blend of both. The only way to find out is to see for yourself!
Check In
As we arrived at the course and checked in, we took a look around the golf shop to see what kind of apparel they were working with. The shop itself is not very large, but the content inside was top notch! Of course, I always have to ask what the greens were rolling at, and a modest 10 was the answer. I typically like when greens are a bit on the faster side, but this just meant we could be more aggressive with certain putts.
The Range
When it came time to warm up, we were informed that we must buy range balls in the golf shop. It is much more convenient to have this built into the round cost and just walk up to the range to hit. Although I do understand why they do this as they want to prevent community members from showing up just to hit and leave. The range was wide and had several stations for golfers to warm up. The practice green was a bit on the smaller side but did the job!
Best Deal in Town
One of the coolest things about this course and a HUGE selling point is that with your round INCLUDES breakfast, lunch, and two drinks. Chances are most golfers will buy lunch and two drinks anyway, so this is an excellent value in the Palm Springs area where golf can easily stretch to $150+ just for the round.
Front 9
The first few holes get you started nice and easy with a few short par 4’s and a manageable par 3. The distance starts coming in on hole 4 with a 551-yard par-5 turning left followed by a 531-yard par 5 two holes later. I don’t mind long distances on Par-5’s as you will most likely need three shots to get to the green anyway.
I usually like to pick a favorite hole on each nine and feature that hole, but it is going to be a tie between the par-4 7th and the par-3 8th holes. The par-4 7th hole plays 384 yards onto a sort of “island” fairway and runs out of room into the water at about 280 yards. We played our 230-yard clubs off the tee to leave us with a comfortable pitching wedge into a slightly elevated green. This hole did not play tough but errant shots are incredibly costly with water all around.
Our next favorite hole and the signature hole of the course was the par-3 8th hole. Playing at 196 yards from the tips, the tee shot requires the player to carry almost the entire distance over water. A miss here, and you are surely looking at a drop. The greenery and landscaping make this hole a sight to behold! The mountain in the background isn’t too shabby either.
For those scared of the water, you’re in luck as the back nine features only one water hole, the par-3 17th, which played at only 130 yards. This was our favorite hole on the back nine due to the challenge and beauty of the hole design. The tee shot played a bit downhill and required every bit of 130 to carry over water. Make sure to aim center of the green here as it is one of the smallest greens on the course.
Back 9
Similar to the front 9, the back nine as a whole featured several holes with narrow landing areas and long par 5’s. A couple, in particular, was the par-5 14th hole, which played at 562 yards from the tips and the par-5 18th, which played at 577 yards from the tips. The finishing hole was beautiful, with well-manicured foliage and landscaping up both sides of the fairway and behind the green.
Course Rating 4.25 out of 5
Overall, Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort was a pleasant surprise. I say pleasant because it does not get the attention that some of the more prominent courses get but also holds its own both in aesthetics and challenge. The score-ability of this course makes it fun for the average golfer to get the best of Palm Springs. The breakfast, lunch, and two drinks being included with the round is an absolute game-changer for any golfer! I know there are several options when visiting the Palm Springs area, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Tahquitz Creek!