DESERT SPRINGS JW MARRIOTT RESORT & SPA (760-341-2211)
PALM COURSE
Palm Springs Golf Course Review
The Palm Course is one of two championship layouts at the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Desert. Both the Valley and Palm courses were designed by Ted Robinson, and are conveniently located on property and serviced by one clubhouse, which provides a pro shop and restaurant/lounge plus changing facilities with showers for men and women. A grass range and several practice greens are also adjacent. The resort is set in an incredibly beautiful environment, surrounding by mountains and decorated with palms plus native and tropical foliage. Voted as one of America's top 50 golf resorts, the property has also been acclaimed as a Silver Medalist resort by Golf Magazine and is on the Gold List of Conde Nast Traveler.
AAA has awarded the resort 4 Diamonds, successful Meetings Magazine has given the property its Ace Award, and Golf for Women Magazine has listed the courses in the Top 50 Women Friendly category. The 884 room hotel provides activities and services that includes 5 swimming pools and numerous Jacuzzis, 8 restaurants/lounges plus Starbucks, a Lawn & Tennis Club, a full service luxury spa, 20 shops with distinctive merchandise, executive business center, children's activity center, convention/meeting facilities, bike rentals and boat rides plus more! For more info on the resort, visit our page for the Desert Springs JW Marriott, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
Palm Course Review
Both golf courses feature the Leading Edge Technologies GPS on all carts, providing accurate yardages from tee to the pin. In addition, 100, 150 and 200 yard blocks are visible on the fairways of all par fours and fives. The Palm Course provides four sets of tees that play to yardages and slopes measuring 6761 yards/130 slope, 6381 yards/ 126 slope, 6143 yards/ 123 slope for men and 136 for women, and 5492 yards with a slope of 125 from the forward tees.
Like the Valley Course, the Palm is lined with mature palms, pines and indigenous trees, and features an extremely undulating terrain with frequent elevation changes from tee to green. The green complexes are often raised, with bunkers, grass depressions and slopes protecting putting surfaces that are sloped from back to front or ridged with swales and tiers. Also similar are the short par fours with water hazards that create great risk/reward opportunities. The landscaped ponds on the second and sixth holes can be reached by long hitters attempting to push their luck. Number three is one of the course's prettiest golf holes - a par three with a carry over a pond that feeds into a cascading stream.
The back side is one of the most aesthetically pleasing nines we have encountered in the Palm Springs area. Like the 2nd and 6th, the par four 13th features a pond that can be reached off the tee - this one situated about 60 yards away from the green. Number 10 is a dry hole, but presents a spectacular mountain view on the downhill approach to a green surrounded on three sides by tall palm trees. The par four 16th is also outstanding, as it plays over a lushly landscaped water hazard, with a pond also in play about 115 yards out. More cascading water on the par three 17th prepares golfers for a wonderful finish. The 18th is set up for a tee shot played along the left side, just right of the lake. From there, golfers will have to place an approach over the edge of the hazard, while avoiding the bunkers in front and palms that rest closely on the right.
Open for public play, the Palm Course is a spectacular design with outstanding conditioning and challenging shot values. It is a great compliment to the Valley Course, helping to provide one of the best one-two punches in the area. We highly recommend a round here - bring your camera! For more info, visit our page for the course, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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