what is the situation of golf course in palm desert california usa

by Krista Bartoletti 9 min read

The city of Palm Desert has vowed to keep a careful eye on the now-empty course to make sure it doesn't become a safety or health hazard -- probably a good thing. The Desert Sun quotes a resident as saying, "It's not being maintained. All the water features on the course are stagnant.

Full Answer

What are the best golf courses in the Palm Desert area?

The two courses each in Palm Desert and Indian Wells and the one course in La Quinta are high-end resort courses built to attract hotels and other retail businesses. The two courses in Palm Springs and the one in Indio are aimed more as amenities to local residents. Some municipal courses are among the best golf courses in the state.

Which Palm Desert golf courses are closed for overseeding this year?

For example, 36-hole Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert alternates which of its two courses is closed for overseeding. This year, the Firecliff Course will reopen Oct. 31 after closing Sept. 24. Desert Willow's Mountain View Course will close Nov. 12 and be ready for play Dec. 25.

What is desert golf like to play?

Most of the year in the Southwest, desert golf is usually played in pretty hot conditions, sometimes well over triple digits as the day heats up. The desert, of course, is very dry.

Could Palm Springs turn its golf courses into a nature preserve?

The City of Palm Springs recently agreed to pay for half of an assessment of the value of its two public golf courses as the Oswit Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land want to potentially buy the courses and turn them into a nature preserve.

How much does it cost to play golf in Palm Desert?

JunePublic RatesPrice18-Hole Rate$52Twilight Rate$35

What happened to the Palm Springs Country Club?

Formerly know as Palm Springs Country Club, this golf course opened in 1954 but fell into disrepair about 10 years ago when the owner passed away, millions of dollars in debt, sending the Whitewater Country Club into foreclosure. Since then, it's been left abandoned and decaying in the harsh desert elements.

Where does Palm Springs get water for golf courses?

The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), which serves 105 of the golf courses, draws from the California Water Project, the Colorado River and the aquifer.

Are they watering golf courses in California?

Pressed by the four-year dry spell and state-mandated water cuts, some of the finest courses in California are taking such steps as tearing out the grass in places where it won't affect the game, planting drought-resistant vegetation, letting the turf turn brown in spots and installing smart watering systems.

How many golf courses are in Palm Springs?

With over 100 renowned golf courses and more than 300 days of sunshine each year, Greater Palm Springs earns its reputation as a top destination for golf.

Is Palm Springs known for golf?

With near year-round sunshine, incredible mountain backdrops and plenty of courses placed by famous designers, it's easy to see why Palm Springs is a top destination for golf. Here is a selection of the best golf courses in Palm Springs that we highly recommend.

Does Palm Springs have a water problem?

"It's hot, and it's been hot," agreed Metzger. She said the agency's own data show it has reduced water use by 12.4% since January 2021, and is still 20% lower than 2013, before the state's last major drought.

Does Palm desert have enough water?

A steady water level decline of approximately 0.5 to 1.5 feet per year has been observed since 1952. The City of Palm Desert in underlain by the Whitewater River subbasin, which encompasses approximately 400 square miles and underlies much of the Coachella Valley.

Does Palm desert have hard water?

Most of the water we serve is high mineral content – some people refer to it as hard water. This is typical for systems that rely on groundwater. Many of the minerals in the water are things you would find in vitamins. The white buildup you see is likely calcium and/or magnesium.

How does Palm Desert get water?

Since 1973, DWA and Coachella Valley Water District have replenished the Whitewater River (Indio) basin with more than a trillion gallons of imported Colorado River water. About 30 million people use the Colorado River as their source of drinking water.

How much water do desert golf courses use?

An average 18-hole golf facility in the Southwest region uses an average of 4 acre-feet of water per irrigated acre per year.

How much water does a golf course use in Palm Springs?

about 1 million gallons a dayThe water district says that on average, each course uses about 1 million gallons a day.

What is the California golf course bill?

California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia is proposing legislation that would change the status of many municipal golf courses in the state, opening the land for residential housing. Garcia's bill , AB 672, targets municipal golf courses in high-density and park-poor areas and says municipal golf courses could be rezoned into housing developments ...

Is AB 672 a municipal golf course?

AB 672 is not one of them. It ignores locals control, threatens important programs and opened the door for future tax increases," Mayes said in a statement. Kessler said of the more than 1,100 golf courses in California, approximately 70% are public and 22% are municipal, meaning they are owned by either a city or a county.

One course re-opening this week

Desert Horizons Country Club, a private 18-hole course Indian Wells, and Terra Lago Golf Resort, a 36-hole public facility in Indio, both said play would resume on their courses Wednesday after being closed for a week or more. However, later in the day Wednesday, Terra Lago was closed again.

Too many inconsistent rules

Kessler knows first-hand the issues of the last few weeks, having been part of conference calls and press conferences on a state, county and local level. He knows that in Orange County, which has an order similar to Riverside County, authorities are going to clubs in violation and shutting them down.

Why do golf courses have a desert rule?

This is the home of the "desert rule," because many courses don't want you hunting down golf balls out there (more on that later), so you simply play wayward shots as lateral hazards.

Where to play desert golf in the Southwest?

But if you're looking for a bargain desert golf destination that might be under the radar, consider one that I haven't mentioned earlier: the El Paso, Texas-Southern New Mexico region , which sits around 4,500 feet of elevation. El Paso has a couple of outstanding public courses – 27-hole Painted Dunes and Butterfield Trail. Painted Dunes was designed by Ken Dye and Jeffrey Brauer. Well-maintained, the rack rates for daily play is between $25 and $35.

What is the rule in desert golf?

Still, the no. 1 rule in desert golf is to stay on the grass, whether it's fairway or rough, although many desert courses don't have much in the way of desert golf. Courses can play longer than their posted yardage because you may not want to hit as many drivers on some of the more narrow holes.

Where is summer golf in the Northwest?

Summertime golf in the northwest's "high desert". This may come as a surprise, but there's desert golf in western Colorado, the Pacific Northwest and even Canada. Yep, that's right; there's desert golf in British Columbia, Canada (Okanagan-Thompson Plateau).

Where to play golf in Tucson Arizona?

Tucson, Arizona: Just 90 minutes south of Scottsdale, Tucson certainly has a different feel. While there are certainly high end facilities like Marana's The Golf Club at Dove Mountain, overall it's less expensive to play in Tucson. The area has several resort courses such the Notah Begay-designed Sewailo Golf Club at Casino Del Sol. Opened in 2013, Sewailo is another course with lots of turf and water, so you really have to be offline to hit it in the desert. Other top quality resort courses include Ventana Canyon, Westin La Paloma, Starr Pass, Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa and Arizona National Golf Club, the home course for the University of Arizona Golf Club. The city also has a solid municipal system of courses, and the area is also home to Tubac Resort, where much of the movie "Tin Cup" was filmed.

Is desert golf hot?

Most of the year in the Southwest, desert golf is usually played in pretty hot conditions, sometimes well over triple digits as the day heats up. The desert, of course, is very dry. Temperatures in the 90s might not feel that hot because of the lack of humidity, but the danger here is on several levels.

Is it cold in the desert?

And speaking of cold, it can be very cold in the desert , especially in the winter during early morning and evening. Frost delays in the winter and early spring in Las Vegas and Arizona are certainly not uncommon.

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