Palm Springs

Pete Dye at his most theatrical — bunkers like canyons, the par-3 17th island green (Alcatraz), and a closing stretch that will absolutely ruin a scorecard if you let it. It's the must-play of the valley and priced accordingly. Play from a tee that respects your handicap unless you enjoy looking for balls in railroad-tie hazards.

City of Palm Desert owns it, which is the only reason a course this conditioned is bookable at this price. Hurdzan/Fry design with real desert framing — natural washes, native plantings, no housing crammed against every fairway. The better of the two Desert Willow tracks; Mountain View is fine but Firecliff is the one.

Two solid public tracks — Celebrity (Clive Clark) and Players (John Fought) — attached to the Hyatt and the tennis garden. Celebrity gets the cosmetic love with the waterfalls, but Players is the better golf course: firmer, more strategic, less Vegas. Either one is a legitimate day.

Lawrence Hughes original from 1959, hosted Bob Hope Classic rounds for decades — this is the old Coachella, mature trees, no tricks, just a beautifully kept parkland-in-the-desert layout. Technically private but accessible to guests of the La Quinta Resort, which is the play. Wear a collar and act like you've been there.

The valley's best value, full stop. Two 18s in Indio with mountain backdrops that hold up against any track on this list, and green fees that mean you can play four rounds without a finance meeting. The North is the better of the two — more elevation change, more memorable holes. Not flashy, just good golf at a fair number.

Arnold Palmer design that hosted the Bob Hope on the PGA Tour for a few years — wide-open, water in play on a third of the holes, and conditioning that's usually a notch above the price point. Good supporting round when Stadium and Firecliff are already booked.

If Stadium is fully booked or your group needs a slightly more forgiving day on the same property, this is the move. Nicklaus design, hosted Tour events, and you still get the PGA West clubhouse and locker room. Less punitive than Stadium — which most foursomes will quietly appreciate.

Nicklaus design right next to PSP — you can literally see planes landing from the back nine. Mid-century modern clubhouse, mature palms, and pricing that makes it a smart arrival-day round when you don't want to commit to a marquee track jet-lagged. Not the trip's best round, but always a fair one.

The 1926 Waldorf Astoria property, casitas spread across 45 acres, and the right address if you're playing La Quinta CC or PGA West — they're all under the same Stadium-era umbrella. Old Hollywood bones, surprisingly relaxed for a flagship. Book a casita with a private patio.

Jonathan Adler designed the interiors and it shows — bold, weird, fun, not a corporate Marriott in sight. Norma's for breakfast and Mister Parker's for cocktails are both worth the room rate alone. Better for the group that wants design and dinners than the one obsessed with fairway-side lodging.

Attached to Indian Wells Golf Resort, which means you walk to the first tee. Big, slightly corporate, but rooms are spacious and the location splits the difference between Palm Springs and La Quinta well. The right call if golf efficiency is the priority.

The boutique answer in the Uptown Design District — 32 rooms, a pool that runs late, a bar that's actually worth drinking at, and an aesthetic that doesn't look like every other palm tree postcard. Better for the group that's here for the city than the one looking to walk from bed to the first tee. Smaller than the Parker or the Kimpton, louder than it needs to be, in a good way.

Converted Howard Johnson, kept the bones, fixed everything else. The pool scene is the draw, not the rooms (which are fine, not luxe). Right move for a younger group that wants the Palm Springs vibe more than four rounds of premium golf.

The only true high-rise in town, which means rooftop pool views you can't get anywhere else. Walk to dinner on Palm Canyon, which matters in a destination where almost nothing is walkable. Best for groups based out of downtown Palm Springs proper.

For a group of 6–8, a private mid-mod rental with a heated pool is almost always the better math than separate hotel rooms. Look in the Movie Colony, Vista Las Palmas, or Indian Canyons neighborhoods for the real architecture; in La Quinta or Indio for closer access to PGA West and Shadow Hills.

Concrete-and-leather room on Palm Canyon, James Beard award for design, food that actually backs it up. Order the bone marrow, the pork chop, and don't skip the cocktails. The serious dinner of the trip.

The old Lyons English Grille, reborn — dark, plush, mid-century steakhouse done correctly. Bone-in ribeye, a martini list that takes itself seriously, and a piano player most nights. This is where the group should land on big-dinner night.

Late-night kitchen, supper-club energy, big round bar in the middle of the room. Not the most ambitious cooking in town, but it's reliably good, the Manhattans are cold, and they'll feed you when nothing else is open. Important detail in this town.

Touristy, sure, but the patio on Palm Canyon with frozen margaritas after a hot round is part of the deal. Family-run since the '70s. Get the carnitas, sit outside, accept that you're going to have a good time.

The diner inside the Ace Hotel — counter seating, big breakfast plates, the right speed for a hungover Sunday before a noon tee time. Chilaquiles, biscuits and gravy, bottomless coffee. Don't overthink it.

The breakfast everyone tells you about, and yes, there's usually a line. Bacon flight (five different bacons), seasonal frittatas, and a menu that changes weekly. Worth the wait one morning of the trip; not worth it twice.

Tiny, dark, tiki done seriously — not the kitsch cruise-ship version. The Jet Pilot will end your night faster than you think. Get there before 9 or wait outside.

La Quinta, garden patio with string lights, the kind of dinner where the group quiets down because the room is doing the work. French-California, fair pricing, big wine list. Right play if you're staying out east near PGA West.

New York-style deli that's been in Palm Springs forever. Pastrami sandwich, matzo ball soup, no surprises and no disappointments. Lunch between rounds or a takeout cooler for the back nine.

More polished Mexican on Palm Canyon — modern interiors, serious tequila and mezcal program, tacos and ceviches that punch above the location. Better dinner choice than Las Casuelas if you want the food to be the point.