Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California, USA | GolfPass
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Rating Index Rating
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4.6
745 Reviews 745 Reviews
5 Stars
539
4 Stars
154
3 Stars
30
2 Stars
12
1 Stars
10
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.2
Layout
4.9
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.5
96.0%
Recommend this course
703 out of 745 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
19 Reviews 19 Reviews
5 Stars
13
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.0
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.6
100.0%
Recommend this course
19 out of 19 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
34 Reviews 34 Reviews
5 Stars
22
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.0
Layout
4.9
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.7
97.1%
Recommend this course
33 out of 34 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Par 72
Length 7056 yards
Slope 141
Rating 74.1

A lot of courses say they're all about nature. Desert Willow Firecliff Resort in Cathedral City actually lives it. Natural desert plants are the star of the show here. So much so that the course was featured on the front cover of Smithsonian magazine.

Bobcats, coyotes and desert rabbits have free run of the place, adding another dimension to any round. When you see a bobcat out in the distance of the desert brush, you're not chasing after that golf ball. No matter how much cash you plunked down for the latest in long-distance technology.

Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry designed Desert Willow and it offers a good example of how you become a rising name in the golf architect game. The sand sculpting demands attention from the first hole.

The course looks intimidating to play. With a 138 slope rating, it plays that way too.

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Desert Willow Golf Resort - Firecliff
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Course Details

Year Built 1997
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Dr. Michael Hurdzan (1997) John Cook Dana Fry (1997)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
GPS Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Meeting Facilities, Banquet Facilities
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Accolades

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Reviews

4.6
745 Reviews (745)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 11
Patio Dining 8
19th Hole Scenic Views 7
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 16
Water Hazards 13
Undulating Greens 10
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 12
A Weekend Splurge 11
Advanced Golfers 11
This Course's Location is:
At a Resort 11
Worth the Drive 11
Convenient to the City 10

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Stunning golf course

First time playing Firecliff. The condition of the course was amazing with beautiful views. Cannot wait to play again

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

A Desert Oasis-Perfection

Wonderful course and wonderful practice area. Very similar to Shadow Ridge with undulating fairways and challenging greens. A lot of Sand that demands careful shot planning. Today the course won, but I’ll be back…….

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Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Painfully Slow

5.5 hours is too long for a round of golf. Keep the pace moving!!

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 23
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course…parking situation and “host” fall short

Main parking lot full. Park in lot 1/4 mile away.
Not the end of the world but annoying when you are paying what they ask. Low brow.

Check in was fine but they tell you must see the “host”. The host in this case was no host at all but rather a wrangler for the golfers that crowd this place. This created job adds one more ego card playing d bag ya gotta deal with on your way to the 1st tee. A useless and unnecessary position that doesn’t exist at any other course I’ve been to in the valley - I’ve played most of em private and public. The actual starter was great and very pleasant. The host can kick rocks.

**the course - it was great wide open, scenic views, finished at sundown. Beware of weekend golfers here as they can be unruly, lack courtesy and respect for the game. I broke my own rule of no public golf on the weekend to come check this place out. So that’s on me. The course is great tho. A 4 ball on a weekday with friends would be perfect. Greens are new and don’t roll true yet and are hard so no bite. Play it short and let it run up. Tough pins for a Saturday.

Wouldn’t pay more than the twilight rate ever. Find a hot deal or locals discount. The management needs to figure out a more seamless quality experience from parking lot to 1st tee.

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Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Poor
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fast greens

Very pretty and playable course. Only complaint was that the greens are rock hard trampolines. I understand they replaced them and they’ll remain hard for another year or so until they can punch them.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 17
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Toooo slow

Started as a beautiful round that went severely down hill after the 10th hole. A foursome in front of two foursomes ahead of ours were so slow they held everyone up from the 11th hole onward. Unfortunately, being NY Eve the staff marshaling the course were gone so no way to pick up the pace - quit after 16 as it was getting dark- when we came upon the foursome as they finished 18 they stood around and chatted not giving a care about the foursome trying to hit their approach shots on to the green. Some people have no consideration for others - sad.

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Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Expensive

We played in the PM for a better rate. Nice course but not worth all that cash. Other courses are better value.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Stunning course, need better updates on website for conditions

Super stunning course with some of the purest greens I’ve ever played on

My only “beef” is that the front 9 they had constant maintenance occurring and running across the fairways/greens/bunkers and we had a mid day tee time. the driving range was also closed even though website showed it was open and normally green fees include free range balls and they had a gorgeous range that you can see.

We paid full green fees so that’s only crappy part. Otherwise definitely an immaculate course I’d want to play again!

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Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 5
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great layout

We enjoyed our round even though it was hot out!!!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Criminal it wasn’t discounted

Love the course and it’s always been in great shape but with the pending course changes, they have let the grass die. It’s absolutely criminal that they didn’t discount the green fees. About 1/3 of the grass on the greens was dead.

You have to do better, Desert Willow.

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Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

One of best in Palm Springs area

FireCliff course is one of the best conditioned courses in the Palm Springs area!!
It was a great day and course, had a great time!
Would definitely play again !

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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