 PGA WEST NORMAN COURSE 800.742.9378
Palm Springs Golf Course Review
General info on PGA West
PGA West "The Western Home of Golf In America" features 9 golf courses (5 public and 4 private) created by 5 of golf's premier designers - Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf and Greg Norman. Numerous PGA Tour, Senior PGA, LPGA and NCAA events have enjoyed the hospitality of PGA West. The Number one ranked golf school in the world also calls the PGA West home - The Jim McLean Golf School.
The Greg Norman Course
The Norman Course is the newest layout at PGA West. The facilities here include a beautiful targeted grass range - complimentary for guests, a short game area and large practice green. The clubhouse features a fully stocked pro shop, a restaurant/lounge that offers a full breakfast menu Friday through Sunday and lunch seven days a week. A wonderful outdoor patio includes comfortable seating situated around a large fireplace, with ceiling heaters available for the cooler winter months. The views of the course and surrounding desert mountains are spectacular.
The Norman design is considered to be one of the most challenges layouts at PGA West, with rolling, narrow fairways bordered by desert areas that include wild flowers and thick, unforgiving desert brush. On many fairways the initial cut of desert provides a bowl effect, guiding slightly offline shots back to the short grass. Stray a bit too far however, and trouble awaits. The five sets of tees are layered and sculpted from the desert, and often lead to fairways that are situated past washes and natural desert area. Forced carries off the tee are prominent from the back two tees, but are reasonable in nature from the 3 front sets. These tee areas play to distances and slopes measuring 7156 yards/139 slope, 6671 yards/133 slope, 6227 yards/126 slope, 5737 yards/123 slope and 5297 yards with a slope of 119.
The course is well marked with 100, 150 and 200 yard markers centered in the finely manicured fairways and abundant sprinkler heads that are measured to the center of the green. Hole locations are rotated to front, middle and back, with the pin placement info provided on sheets posted in each cart. Water coolers are also provided.
Water comes into play on 8 holes, and especially challenges the tee shot on the beautiful par three 7th, 13th and 17th holes. Each of these green complexes, as well as that on number 16 which is also fronted by a pond, features ample bail out areas. This is not always the case on this layout, as many of the large, undulating putting surfaces are protected by penal bunkers and desert areas replete with high grasses and shrubbery that golfers will not want to deal with. On the back nine alone, there are 79 sand bunkers, many of them deep with high lips. Land in these hazards along the fairways, and odds on recovering for par are pretty slim.
The fairways are often snaking, with prior course knowledge a big plus in helping golfers to plan tee shots to the most advantageous landing zones. Almost invariably, the playing surfaces shrink as one approaches the green - creating some demandingly tight iron play. The contrast of the landscape, with the gorgeous mountains framing tee shots and green complexes is worth the price of admission. This a beautiful golf experience in every sense of the word - and one that will demand your attention on every hole.
With five championship courses open for public play, PGA West has a lot to offer. For more info on the PGA West Norman Course, visit our page for them with direct link to the PGA West website by clicking here.
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