Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon (951) 845-0014
"Home of the Southern California PGA"- Champions Course
Palm Springs Golf Course Review
The photos in this review are of the Champions Course at the former East Valley Golf Club
General Information
Located just 30 minutes from Palm Springs and 45 minutes from the Orange County International Airport, the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon (formerly known as East Valley Golf Club) is a 36-hole championship facility that offers locals and visitors great convenience, quality and value. Certified as an Audubon Sanctuary, and host to the PGA Tour Qualifying School and Western Regional Club Professional Championship, the property features a rolling terrain with wonderful surrounding vistas.
Uniquely, both layouts provide "a course within a course", as further than forward tee boxes are set up for children and beginners, helping to create a non-intimidating learning environment. The state of the art practice center includes a double ended 400 yard targeted grass range plus a short game area that provides opportunities to experience nearly practice shot imaginable. There also are two putting greens.
The expansive clubhouse features a well stocked pro shop and the PGA Grill - open daily for lunch and dinner, plus for full breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, with a continental fare available during the week. Men and women can also enjoy the locker room (with showers) facilities. Both courses have yardage plates posted on the fairways at 100, 150 and 200 yards, with sprinkler heads about every 25 yards measured to the center of the green. Pin placement sheets are mounted on the golf carts, which also provide ball and club washers.
Champions Course
The Champions, like the Legends, is a Curley/Schmidt design, and features a gently rolling, open terrain with rugged links style bunkering. The Champions Course was rated as the #1 course in Southern California in the 2003 Zagat Golf Survey! Players will need to bring their "A" game, as the undulating, sloping fairways along the rolling topography that presents many uphill and downhill approaches, plus strategically placed bunkering create significant challenges. The traps are genuine hazards (especially along the fairways), as many are built into the mounds that line the landing zones both off the tee and greenside.
In total 100 sand bunkers are situated about the course, and water hazards also come into play on 5 holes. Number 13 is the most memorable golf hole - a par four that doglegs right and demands an intimidating approach over a considerable ravine. The green complexes present challenge throughout, with the undulating putting surfaces that are often tiered or ridged, creating the need for accurate approaches. Five sets of tee areas play to distances and slopes measuring 7377 yards/139 slope, 6804 yards/134 slope, 6348 yards/130 slope, 5948 yards/127 slope for men and 137 for women, and 5274 yards with a slope of 128 for ladies hitting from the forward tees. There are several forced carries especially from the back tees, but the main challenge here is to avoid the significant bunkering - especially off the tee.
Two interesting courses, nice clubhouse and amenities, friendly service, great practice facilities - priced in the $64 range including cart prime season! The property is located just off the I-10 near Beaumont (about 35 minutes from Palm Springs). Temperatures are several degrees cooler than those in Palm Springs, making this property especially attractive during the warm season. For more info, visit our page for the Champions, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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