Desert Falls Country Club

About
Can bunkers qualify as their own continent? Desert Falls Country Club in Palm Desert seems determined to find out.
This Ron Frehm design boasts bunkers so huge that they look like the inventor of the Big Gulp came up with them. And escape is anything but guaranteed. Sometimes getting out of one bunker, just means landing in another at Desert Falls.
That is just part of the reason this course totes a 145 slope rating - putting it among the five highest slope ratings in the entire Palms Springs area. Remember, this is the golf mecca with Pete Dye's Stadium Course, which was only designed to be "the toughest golf course in the world." Desert Falls is on that list.
There are five sets of tees to take away some of the bite. But the greens are still an obstacle of their own. These are undulating greens that are large enough to offer several varieties of challenges.
Just getting on the green is not enough at Desert Falls. It's important to land on the right part of the green. This is also a course with more hills than you expect to see in the desert.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7093 yards | 74.1 | 133 |
Blue | 72 | 6702 yards | 72.3 | 129 |
White | 72 | 6252 yards | 70.3 | 124 |
White (W) | 72 | 6230 yards | 76.7 | 137 |
Gold | 72 | 5811 yards | 68.6 | 118 |
Gold (W) | 72 | 5811 yards | 74.2 | 132 |
Gold/Red (W) | 72 | 5495 yards | 72.6 | 127 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5250 yards | 71.3 | 124 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 74.0/131 | 380 | 422 | 189 | 511 | 387 | 217 | 330 | 444 | 531 | 3411 | 462 | 532 | 146 | 418 | 232 | 558 | 408 | 455 | 458 | 3669 | 7080 |
Blue M: 72.2/127 | 358 | 392 | 159 | 508 | 380 | 194 | 324 | 416 | 527 | 3258 | 409 | 526 | 134 | 395 | 203 | 525 | 384 | 426 | 427 | 3429 | 6687 |
White M: 70.1/122 W: 76.8/138 | 336 | 380 | 153 | 486 | 341 | 183 | 295 | 400 | 468 | 3042 | 375 | 501 | 110 | 380 | 159 | 500 | 360 | 406 | 397 | 3188 | 6230 |
White/Gold M: 69.2/119 | 321 | 346 | 153 | 441 | 341 | 183 | 295 | 385 | 436 | 2901 | 375 | 454 | 105 | 380 | 159 | 500 | 310 | 406 | 397 | 3086 | 5987 |
Gold M: 68.2/116 W: 74.3/134 | 321 | 346 | 125 | 441 | 316 | 176 | 267 | 385 | 436 | 2813 | 350 | 454 | 105 | 367 | 153 | 479 | 310 | 385 | 377 | 2980 | 5793 |
Gold/Silver M: 66.8/112 W: 72.1/128 | 277 | 318 | 125 | 441 | 316 | 176 | 267 | 348 | 412 | 2680 | 331 | 454 | 105 | 367 | 122 | 420 | 310 | 355 | 323 | 2787 | 5467 |
Silver M: 65.7/109 W: 71.5/125 | 277 | 318 | 101 | 417 | 294 | 117 | 233 | 348 | 412 | 2517 | 331 | 424 | 101 | 343 | 122 | 420 | 288 | 355 | 323 | 2707 | 5224 |
Handicap | 3 | 9 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 6 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 1 | 11 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
Bar, GrillAvailable Facilities
ClubhouseReviews
Reviewer Photos
-
Photo submitted by tbrac420 on 03/30/2025
-
Photo submitted by edlugo47 on 04/17/2024
-
Photo submitted by edlugo47 on 04/17/2024
-
Photo submitted by Jwarnyca on 03/22/2024
-
Photo submitted by utinreg on 03/09/2024
-
Photo submitted by utinreg on 03/09/2024
-
Photo submitted by utinreg on 03/09/2024
-
Photo submitted by utinreg on 03/09/2024
-
Photo submitted by utinreg on 03/09/2024
-
Photo submitted by pkapalko1 on 12/23/2023
-
Photo submitted by pkapalko1 on 12/23/2023
-
Photo submitted by pkapalko1 on 12/23/2023
-
Photo submitted by pkapalko1 on 12/23/2023
-
Beautiful par 3 Photo submitted by Corey4652891 on 12/19/2023
-
Note the green size and shape Photo submitted by Corey4652891 on 12/19/2023
-
Photo submitted by Smitty71234 on 03/30/2023
-
Photo submitted by coltonwalter on 03/26/2023
-
Photo submitted by markvlewis317 on 11/28/2022
-
Photo submitted by markvlewis317 on 11/28/2022
-
Photo submitted by u964555270 on 04/09/2022
-
Photo submitted by u314160894003 on 01/31/2021
-
Photo submitted by GREGCGOLFER on 09/26/2018
-
Photo submitted by GREGCGOLFER on 09/26/2018
-
Photo submitted by GREGCGOLFER on 09/26/2018
-
Photo submitted by GREGCGOLFER on 09/26/2018
-
10th tee Photo submitted by hammer74 on 05/18/2015
-
17th approach Photo submitted by hammer74 on 05/18/2015
-
Photo submitted by davedcp64 on 03/04/2015
Overpriced
100$! Not even close to a 100$ courses. Clubhouse is non existent, it a retirement facility with a small pro shop that young e to walk up hill and around concrete walls and down stairs to get too. The driving range is nice , practice putting ok . Course is not great condition it is average municipal course grass is spotty greens slow and not great . Can’t see any landing areas off a lot of tee boxes it target golf it just a very average course lot of hidden water and creeks . No bathrooms only one and no food options
Course/Clubhouse
Entire property is OLD and not well kept…
Lots of property owners with personal golf carts, going anywhere they desire, even on course as you are attempting to play.
We golfed here two to three years ago and was hoping had been updated, NOT!!
Not worth the time or money!!
Nice course
I would play here again. A few holes were hard to figure out at first but course was in great shape. Very pretty.
Should be called Desert Lakes -lol
Lots of water and interesting holes. Almost all the greens have multiple “lobes”. Each lobe is available for a pin position resulting in a much smaller target area than if the pin were jn the center of the green or if the green was a more “traditional” shape. There can be significant difference in distance to different pin locations so check before picking your club.
A few holes (9 comes to mind) require some local knowledge to play well - so check your gps mapping program or ask someone who has played there.
A fun course with lots of chalkenges
Course, especially greens, in fair condition
Booked this round based on recommendations of a friend who had played the course in a few years. It has gone downhill since then. Most courses provide range balls, this one does not. $11 for 55 balls. Range is mat tees. Greens were the worse part of the course. Bumpy and very slow. Will not go back here until I hear that it has improved.
course is both fun and challenging — down side is no one to meet you or direct you to pro shop
not the best impression when you first get there — you don’t know where to go, and when I did find the pro shop after carrying my clubs a fair distance, they had no carts charged. I had to wait for one and the cart that I got just about ran out of charge on the 18th hole but upside is once I got out on the course it was really nice and I would love another chance to play it — need some good strategy and course management— be sure and read the booklet that gives you a lot of good pointers on each hole.
Open fairways guarded greens
Beautiful course and layout . The fairways are generous and need to place your ball for a safe shot into the green . Water comes into play on a third of the holes . The course was busy cleaning up wind blown debree but did not interfere with our play .
Too bad about ownership
Excellent course design. Much better than people realize.
But the small things that are wrong ruin what could be a great place to play.
Bunkers need work but the owner it seems won't spend the money.
They can't throw in a 20 cent bottle of water in the cooler?
You have to pay for the driving range?
Our cart ran out of battery charge and we got stuck. They came quickly with a new cart, but really, charge the carts guys!
And it's very hot and the only water on the course was empty!
It could be great, but it's overpriced for these fixable reasons.
DFCC
This course has really gone downhill since the new owner took over. Greens are very slow and bunkers are so bad that there is a local rule allowing you to lift, clean and place your ball on a spot that you are allowed to rake and improve your lie.
I don’t know how it could get worse but I’m sure the owner will find a way.
On the up side there is a group of residents who are trying to make the club more attractive. I doubt the owner is of any help in this endeavor.