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A Must-Happen Winter Golf Trip
There are few warm and sunny places come January, this is one...
Noah Miller
August 19, 2025
We headed out to Palm Springs last month and let me tell you, it’s hard to beat. The weather, the mountains, the palm trees, and four absolute must-play tracks all within a quick drive: PGA West Mountain, Indian Wells, Dessert Willow, and the Classic Club.
There aren’t many places where you can knock out four elite public courses and feel like you’re playing something totally different every day. Palm Springs is one of those spots. Here was our itinerary:
PGA West - Mountain
PGA West - Mountain Course
This place feels wild from the jump. Carved right into the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, every hole looks like a postcard. It’s a Pete Dye design, so yeah, it’ll test you. There’s plenty of trouble if you get off line, but it’s so fun to play. The par 3s are unreal and the finishing stretch might be the best in the desert.
Indian Wells - Celebrity Course
Indian Wells - Celebrity Course
This place is pure resort golf in the best way. Wide fairways, perfect greens, and palm trees everywhere you look. It’s super playable but still has some bite if you get lazy. It feels like vacation golf. Smooth, scenic, and it might be the best conditioned course you play on this trip. If I go to Palm Springs, I am NOT skipping out on Indian Wells. It’s a memorable course.
Desert Willow - Firecliff
Firecliff surprised us. Not because we were expecting anything bad, but we haven’t heard that many people talk about it. It was another awesome track. Tons of bunkers, big greens, and a mix of holes that make you hit every club in the bag. I would say it’s the most underrated course in the valley.
The Classic Club
The Classic Club
We ended our trip on a high note at Classic Club, and that course just feels big. It’s got that tour-level look and layout, tons of water, and unreal conditions. Arnold Palmer built it, and you can tell. Everything about it feels dialed. Once we finished up here and knew the trip was over, it was a SAD feeling. Just look how much fun we had…
The best part? Yeah this itinerary for 4 nights and 4 rounds is less than $1,000 per person. That’s an insane value. Our friends over at Tee Times USA have you covered.