Palm Springs Golf Course Reviews
Desert Willow Golf Resort,
|
Review by GolfTop18
Rating: 3 out of 5 Year Last Reviewed: 2015 More Info on Rating Criteria |
Desert Willow Golf Firecliff Scorecard as of the date of last review
Other Golf Course Reviews:
Desert Springs Golf Course | The Reserve Golf Review | Woodhaven Country Club Review
The Other Desert Willow Golf Course | La Quinta Mountain | Silverrock Resort | Desert Dunes Golf
Desert Springs Golf Course | The Reserve Golf Review | Woodhaven Country Club Review
The Other Desert Willow Golf Course | La Quinta Mountain | Silverrock Resort | Desert Dunes Golf
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Overview: This is the more difficult by far of the two Desert Willow courses. With tight drives and trouble lurking on both sides of most fairways, the golfer must hit straight shots. There are also a half-dozen water hazards in play. However, the true challenge of this course are the tiny greens, which are some of the smallest in the Palm Desert suite of courses. The best golf holes are reviewed
below:
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 3: This par three appears tighter from the tee box than it actually is. Although the golfer will be left with a tough chip from left of the green, there is actually room over there, whereas from the tee, any shot left appears dead. The green is very small and short-siding oneself in any of the three sand traps will make for a very difficult up and down.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 3: This par three appears tighter from the tee box than it actually is. Although the golfer will be left with a tough chip from left of the green, there is actually room over there, whereas from the tee, any shot left appears dead. The green is very small and short-siding oneself in any of the three sand traps will make for a very difficult up and down.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 5: The Firecliff course is fairly flat, and has many difficult par fours like this one with sand and desert on one or both sides of the fairway and distance of at least 400 yards from the middle tee box to a very small and usually well-guarded green
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 6: The only short par four on the front has water running down the right of the fairway and a series of bunkers left, but the second shot is the tricky one as the green is surrounded on three sides by water. Left pin placements are much easier than anything center or right.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 8: This short par three really doesn't have a good place to miss, although left and long are decidedly the worst options. The green is, as usual, very small.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 9: The front closes with this long and nasty par four. The drive is fairly open but must be smashed to leave a reasonable approach to the small green sandwiched between a huge bunker and hill to the right and lake all the way down the left and behind.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 12: Another tough par four, this one has a huge bunker down the left and pin placements left of center are decidedly more challenging. However, the bunker to the right doesn't make pin placements to the right any bargain either.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 14: This par three plays into a little bowl and has a small green even for this course. Going anywhere but on the putting surface (except maybe just short) will make for a very difficult up and down from sand or downhill chips.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 15: The "breather" hole on the back nine is this short par four with a fairly wide fairway. The only real trouble is the large bunker short and left of the green.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 17: This par three is on the other side of the lake from #8. It is longer and more difficult with water to the right and sand otherwise encircling the putting surface.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Hole 18: The final hole is a risk / reward par five with a straight drive. From there, the golfer has to avoid the water right and a myriad of bunkers down the left. The green is set behind the water except for the left third, which is the best opportunity to score on this hole.
