Desert Willow Golf Resort is a high end public facility that is far more than its two spectacular Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry designed championship golf courses, Firecliff and Mountain View. It is located just minutes from the Palm Springs airport in the city of Palm Desert.
In addition to the two marvelous golf courses Desert Willow's stylish clubhouse, well stocked pro shop and meeting/event areas are what you might expect at a private club. And then there is my favorite...the expansive multi-tiered outdoor patio that overlooks Firecliff’s 9th and 18th holes. It is one of the best outdoor spots for food and drinks of any course I have seen. This beautiful outdoor venue is where they hold the popular Music and Dining Under the Stars events.
Beautiful Par 3 17th hole Desert Willows Firecliff course
Golf
The two courses at Desert Willow are as good a duo as any 36 hole public venue I have played. It all starts with a beautiful driving range and practice putting green that in winter look out at the incredible snow capped peaks looming just to the west of town. These spectacular mountain vistas are a constant backdrop to your round of golf on either course. I must say there are few places I have been where palm trees and snow capped peaks can be mentioned in the same breath. Amazing!! This also might be one of the most natural looking and beautifully landscaped golf venues I have played.
The Firecliff Course – Without doubt his is one of the prettiest and most interesting courses I have played in all of greater Palm Springs. There is a wonderful mix of short and long holes along with numerous bunkers and water features to keep your attention. Stretching from 5,000 yards all the way out to 7,000 yards and a slope of 138 this is a true test of golf. Played from the correct tees for your ability it is both fair off the tee yet challenging. Strategically placed traps, water hazards and sloping greens will keep you on your toes and demand the use of every club in your bag and all your imagination.
Firecliff #6 from behind the green. Short, tough and beautiful
While there are truly a dozen or more really great holes, here are three of my favorites. The 6th hole is a short dogleg right Par 4. The entire right side is guarded by water and the putting surface is but a peninsula of green angling out into the lake surrounded on three sides by liquid danger. A truly great short hole.
While all the Par 3’s here are challenging and beautiful the 17th might be my favorite. This mid length tester has a desert waste area and water running nearly from tee to green on the right side. A sand trap guards the left side leaving little room to bail out. Behind the green is a stand of tall shaggy palms that that have to be seen to be believed. This is simply a gorgeous hole.
A Great finishing hole Firecliff Par 5 18th
Firecliff’s 18th hole has to be one of the best, most challenging and prettiest finishing holes you could ever hope to play. My friends and I have dubbed this Par 5 “Gilligan’s Island”. From the tee there seems to be nothing but tall shaggy palms as far as you can see. It is a visually intimidating tee shot going slightly downhill to what actually is a decent width fairway. Your second shot must navigate a small stream that crosses the fairway from left to right where it empties into a lake that guards the right side of this green. This hole demands three exacting shots if you want to make par. Did I forget to mention the extra pressure of finishing directly below the multi tiered patio? It is often filled with fellow golfers watching to see how you do. This is simply an amazing end to eighteen outstanding holes of golf.
The Mountain View Course - While I have not yet played the Mountain View track those who have say it is a gem in its own right. While designed to be a bit more forgiving than Firecliff it none the less can stretch to 6913 yards from the tips with a slope of 130. From the tee you should find it more forgiving but then again there is also more water.
What it does share with Firecliff is the same amazing conditions, excellent design features and jaw dropping scenery. The only way to fully appreciate all that Desert Willow has to offer in the way of golf is to play both courses and judge for yourself. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Desert Willow truly has earned all the accolades and rave reviews you might have read or heard about. This is without question one of my favorite places to golf in the entire valley.
Summary
Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert is one of the top public golf and event venues in the valley. Their two championship quality golf courses are beautiful, challenging and exhilarating. The stylish clubhouse has a large and well stocked pro shop. In addition, there are indoor and outdoor dining facilities highlighted by one of the best outdoor patios anywhere. It is used for their popular dining and music under the stars events, which I have attended and highly recommend. Finally, there are event spaces perfect for corporate outings and private parties of all sizes. All in all this is a Do Not Miss location if you are in Palm Springs!
Toscana Country Club – Luxurious lifestyle in a desert oasis
When my travels take me to wonderful golf destinations like Palm Springs I am reminded how fortunate I am to visit some of our country’s finest golf courses and resorts. Visiting one of the finest private clubs an area has to offer is always a special treat. Such was the case when I was able to experience Toscana Country Club in all its amazing glory.
The Community
Toscana is one of a small handful of luxury private country clubs in the Palm Springs area. Centrally located in the town of Indian Wells, Toscana is comprised of a Tuscan inspired “village” center surrounded by two Championship Jack Nicklaus courses, over 800 estate homes and homesites and a full slate of first class amenities. My host and tour guide was Crista Collins, Director of Membership. She had a wealth of knowledge about Toscana, seemed to know every member by name and made a strong first impression regarding the level of customer service Toscana members expect and enjoy.
Club Villa area and Il Forno
Toscana is a very active and health oriented club and offers its members everything they would want, or need, when choosing to belong to a club of this stature. From the moment you enter the impressive gates your senses are soothed by the beauty of the landscaping, the impeccable service and welcoming atmosphere. A true oasis. A place to escape. A land where arid desert is the last thing you think of and serenity the first.
The core of Toscana Country Club is its Club Villa or central village. The beautiful brick buildings (surrounding the large main courtyard/carport) house all the community common areas and amenities. They are separated by very short walks along covered walkways, landscaped paths and through classically designed gardens.
On one side you will find the Golf Shop, driving range and putting green plus the separate Men’s and Women’s locker rooms and lounges. In the middle is the Il Forno Trattoria complex with its dining room, bar and covered porch. A short stroll across a lovely patio is the large indoor/outdoor Event Center and the soon to be completed pool, casual restaurant and Sports Club Pavilion. A few steps further bring you to the outstanding Sports Club, Spa Bella Vita and Charlie Pasarell Tennis Center.
Golf
Toscana golf members have the choice of to two amazing, and very different, Nicklaus designed golf courses. The South Course, opened in 2004, might remind you of being in Florida with its wall to wall grass, sand, water hazards and soaring palm trees. The North Course, whose back nine holes opened in November 2015, has a completely different feel. It looks “desertish” and features arroyos, native vegetation and playable waste areas. It looks more like the traditional desert layouts so many of you have seen.
South course #9 and #18
This trip I played the South Course with my friend Richard and the aid of a very helpful forecaddy. If I had to sum up the South I’d say think of a land with emerald green carpet as far as the eye can see generously sprinkled with sugar white sand and watery blue depths. From the tees to the fairways and onto the greens one sees nothing but perfectly manicured turf with hardly a divot or ball mark in sight.
Although I love desert golf, too many courses are quite flat with man-made terrain and little visual interest. That is not the case here. The South offers a rolling landscape that belies its desert location. While very playable and with generous landing areas, this is a difficult golf course. It rises and falls, swoops left and fades right sometimes all on the same hole. Sand, water, uneven lies, large undulating greens and Nicklaus’ strategic design will test every aspect of your game.
South course #7
While many courses strive to feature a signature hole or two the South at Toscana has a bevy of beautiful and memorable holes. Two of my favorites were the 6th and 7th holes. The Par 4 sixth may be the prettiest and most treacherous on the course. It is fairly long and disaster lurks. The landing area for your tee shot is guarded on the right by sand and squeezed from the left by water…which continues all the way to the putting surface. From here, the fairway, narrows and curls left along the shore. The large angular green wraps further around and into the lake giving it a peninsula feel. Any far left pin placement leaves little room for error. Simply a beautiful hole.
The Par 3 seventh is quite the opposite… very moderate in length but with a premium on accuracy. The tee shot is all carry across a small lake to a green that looks like a sliver of land that angles nearly 450 from front right to back left. A large trap guards the back of the green while there is safety for those bailing out to the right. The 7th is fun, short, sassy, pretty and intimidating.
North course
Two other holes of note are the finishing holes on each nine. Both are challenging par fours. They wrap around opposite sides of the lake that sits just below the beautiful Il Forno dining room and patio. These are great holes for a heroic finish especially if you are being watched by those enjoying their after golf refreshments.
Spa Bella Vita and the Sports Club
The spa and the sports club share a beautiful facility just a short walk from the dining area, golf pro shop, tennis complex and soon to be opened community pool area and casual dining restaurant. This is another stately stone structure with vaulted beamed ceilings throughout.
The Sports Club occupies the right half of the building with Spa Bella Vita housed on the left and a very nice little pro shop, reception area and cozy sitting room in the center. Sports Club members have the use of a fully equipped gym as well as separate designated spaces for Pilates, stretch and strength training. There is also a comprehensive program of classes including, yoga, spinning and dance. Just behind the Sports Club a stroll through the Tennis Gardens brings you to the Charlie Pasarell Tennis Center. It features a luxurious center court, surrounding hard and clay courts as well as dedicated pickle ball courts. Members enjoy lessons, leagues, clinics and social play. This was one of my favorite areas of Toscana. Secluded, beautiful, vibrant and inviting.
Spa Bella Vita is a 5 star spa experience for Toscana members and guests to enjoy. I was fortunate to have enjoyed a few hours here including a wonderfully relaxing massage. To say that the matching Men’s and Women’s facilities here are nice would be a vast understatement. As with the rest of Toscana, everything is exquisitely designed and executed leaving an air of quiet and welcoming sophistication.
Grand Suite
Men and women each have access to their own steam room, sauna, aromatherapy shower (think scented water) and outdoor whirlpool in a garden setting. You start your journey with a locker complete with robe and slippers. Since I had an hour before my massage the sauna, whirlpool and steam room provided the perfect way to ease into my afternoon. After a nice rinse in the refreshing aromatherapy shower I bundled up in my robe and headed to the “Quiet Room”.
The quiet room is a warm and comforting space to decompress, read or even nap before your treatment. The room has a vaulted beamed ceiling, large fireplace and 5 oversized chaise lounges complete with reading glasses, tea, water, fruit and nuts. I could have stayed there for hours. When my therapist did arrive, we stepped outside and into a small, intimate water filled courtyard which is encircled by the treatment rooms. This is a Zen like space and a perfect setting to further set the mood and slow the heart rate. The treatment rooms are large and cozy and members can pay by the hour to stay and just relax when their treatment is done. You can even have food delivered. Feel like a couples massage? There are two Grand Suites that can’t be beat. Each has a fireplace, two massage tables, a claw foot tub, plenty of relaxing seating and, of course, a private little courtyard and outdoor shower.
Summary
Toscana Country Club is a top notch private club in the heart of the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs area. The overall quality of the common areas, buildings and amenities instill a feeling of comfort, quiet and home while simultaneously transporting you to a far away Tuscan village magically set in the middle of the California desert. With Member’s having access to two championship golf courses, a wonderful spa, excellent dining, tennis center, gym and so much more it is not hard to see why so many are calling Toscana Country Club home. For more information see their website at toscanacc.com
