Palm Springs golf courses just can’t be avoided when you visit this vacation paradise. They are everywhere and are part of the history of the Coachella Valley and the region’s beginnings as a winter playground for Hollywood glitterati and the rich and famous. Palm Springs golf vacations have provided one of the top things to do here since Bob Hope and his contemporaries began showing up in the 1930s and 1940s. The first golf course (the O’Donnell Golf Club) was built in 1927 and is located about a mile west of the airport at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains.

Today, Palm Springs golf packages are offered by virtually all of the casinos and resorts, and many of the golf courses are themselves integral parts of resorts. It’s hard to keep track of how many there are, but it’s safe to say more than 200. While some are exclusive private facilities and/or open only to resort guests, many more are available to the public. This profusion of Palm Springs golf courses makes the region one of top destinations for this sport in the United States. That it also has some of the most spectacular scenery combined with its sunny winter weather also doesn’t hurt.

Palm Springs Map

Palm Springs golf vacations are available as soon as you land at the airport. You can just about walk from the arrivals terminal to the Desert Princess Resort and Country Club, and if you’ve forgotten any necessary items, you can pick them up in the PGA Tour Shop located in the airport’s Bono Terminal. The Escana Golf Course has fairways and greens that literally run alongside the airport’s runways. This course by Nicklaus Designs is one of the top public golf courses in California. It also has a premier dining spot and is one of the region’s venues for weddings and other special events.

Also pretty much in town is the Westin Mission Hills Resort, which has its own Pete Dye course and is also surrounded by several other courses, though those are not affiliated with the Westin itself. One of the most famous of these Palm Spring golf courses is the Arnold Palmer Golf Course, but there are plenty to choose from. 

Planning your Palm Springs golf vacations is about as easy as throwing a dart at a map of the region. There are bound to be several options wherever the dart lands. Around the Palm Desert area, you can book Palm Springs golf packages at Indian Wells Golf Resort or the Indian Springs Golf Course. In fact, a package is apt to include tee privileges at both of the world-class courses as well as the dozen or others in the immediate area. In Rancho Mirage (in between Cathedral City and Palm Desert) is the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, which offers almost 500 luxurious rooms and suites and boasts one of the many full-service spas in the area. In addition to its hotel, Rancho Las Palmas offers numerous vacation rentals, including condos and private homes.

Palm Springs golf packages are offered throughout the year. If you are on a budget, you will find them much less expensive during the summer months when the temperatures can be extremely hot. You can mitigate some of the hot weather by heading for the fairways as early as possible in the mornings and having plenty of water to drink during your round. During the heat of the afternoon, you can lounge by swimming pools (the Coachella Valley boasts one of the largest concentration of swimming pools in the United States, even cheap hotels have them) or trying your luck in one of the many casinos. You can also get in some shopping at air-conditioned malls.