Courses, Travel & Tee Times

Sunny side up: Seven days of desert golf in Palm Springs

Home to nearly 125 golf courses, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley offer no shortage of options for players seeking variety in setting and challenge. If you have the legs for seven consecutive days of golf, Judd Spicer has the perfect golf vacation itinerary for you.

Playable Palm Springs: Four great golf courses for the Snowbird with a rusty swing

When returning to the game in the winter -- whether for a week's vacation or a seasonal getaway -- the key to building renewed confidence is easing back into the golf swing. Travelers bound for the desert take note: Here are four of the most playable golf course in the Palm Springs region.

Fertile sands: Five must-play golf courses in Palm Springs

There are nearly 125 public and private golf courses that encompass the region of Palm Springs, California, making it and the entire Coachella Valley one of the country's most alluring golf destinations. Judd Spicer offers up five golf courses that visitors should put on their must-play list.

Four golf courses in the Palm Springs area that you might have missed

The Palm Springs region and entire Coachella Valley offers one of the country's best pockets of prime golf courses. But by digging beneath the topsoil, one will uncover a host of fun and engaging desert challenges that are certain to elude most travel guides. Judd Spicer has more on four of them: the Norman Course at PGA West, Heritage Palms G.C., Rancho Las Palmas and Woodhaven Country Club.

Three courses, 18 holes: Best on-course restaurants in Palm Springs

The modern player has expectations and appetites that go beyond a tee-to-green experience. A stellar meal, a sound deal and the feel of personalized service are just as important to most golfers (especially vacationers) as the condition of a club's greens. To experience the full flavors of a Palm Springs-area golf day (or eve), here are four on-course dining establishments that are highly recommended pairings with your round.

Must-play, must-stay: Four great Palm Springs golf resorts

For desert guests: Prepping for a Coachella Valley golf getaway is akin to an American historian taking a trip to Philadelphia, a foodie traveling to New York or a gambler rolling into Las Vegas. Palm Springs is the proverbial kid in a confectionery for golfers, and the options for diverse play are limitless. As are the choices for accommodation to complement your rounds. From Indian Wells to La Quinta Resort, here are four top options for area resorts with exceptional "play and stay" facilities that are certain to ensure your travel meets high expectations.

Palm Springs golf courses for architecture junkies

Few regions on the planet offer such a collective celebrity designer gauntlet as Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley region. Judd Spicer highlights four of the best.

Escena Golf Club: Classic ideals meet modern day pleasures

Despite being new to the Palm Springs' golf scene, Escena Golf Club is among the locales that genuinely paint the mirthful ideology upon which this California playground was framed -- namely drink, dine and golf.

Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Palm Springs endures and endears

The 27 holes designed by Ted Robinson at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa near Palm Springs, Calif. continue to flourish in the shade. The grounds maintain their relevance with an unapologetic wealth of shot-making opportunities, resort-style conviviality and scoring aplomb. This is the essence of a confidence-builder and a reminder that golf is meant to be an enjoyable activity.

The Faldo Golf Institute at Shadow Ridge in Palm Desert is a great place to sharpen your game

The Faldo Golf Institute in Palm Desert offers programs aimed to match each type of player, from experts to women to kids. David R. Holland recently spent two days at the Faldo Golf Institute working on certain parts of his game. Find out what he learned about his game and about the Faldo Golf Institute.