One Legendary Location.
Two Unforgettable Courses.
Located in Palm Desert, California, just minutes away from Palm Springs, offering two of the Coachella Valley’s best plays, Firecliff and Mountain View.
Desert Willow Golf Resort located in Palm Desert, California, just minutes away from Palm Springs, offers two of the Coachella Valley’s best plays. Test your skills against the natural hazards and myriad water features of the challenging Firecliff course or play a smoother, more relaxing round on the magnificent Mountain View course.
Desert Willow Golf Resort is unlike any other Southern California golf vacation. You will see it in our staff, our two championship golf courses, our spectacular Clubhouse, Palm Desert Golf Academy, Weddings, Meetings and Events, scenic outdoor dining at The Terrace, and of course our incredible views of the surrounding Santa Rosa Mountains.
Our Story
Golf courses have a secure place in the history of public parks and recreation facilities, but it took the City of Palm Desert to truly bring public golf to a place of prominence.
Desert Willow Golf Resort began with a plan that embraced the desert landscape and respected the fragility of natural resources necessary to maintain the course. When the City hired the design team of Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and then desert resident and PGA Tour Professional, John Cook, it was solidified that Desert Willow was going to be special. With Eric Johnson, a local landscape architect, they thoughtfully developed a plant palette that would make Desert Willow environmentally sensitive, unique, and picturesque, while integrating this with an exceptional golf course design.
The Firecliff golf course opened in 1997 and was named for the supper club owned by early Palm Desert residents, Leonard Firestone and Clifford Henderson. It opened with great fanfare when residents were treated to a grand opening tournament with President Gerald Ford.
Mountain View golf course opened in October 1998 and was immediately a favorite for many. Designed to be a little more user friendly from the teeing area and including more water features.
The entire golf resort experience begins with the mile-long approach that sets the stage for what is about to unfold. Entering the clubhouse, one can appreciate the design, flow and function, whether golfing or attending a private function. The attention to detail and consideration for the guest is the single element that completes the experience, whether it is a round of golf, tournament play, a lesson, lunch or a special event.
Over twenty years ago, the first round of golf was played at Desert Willow Golf Resort and the dream was accomplished. Palm Desert residents have a world-renown home course and thousands of golfers visiting the California desert seek out Desert Willow as the place to play.
Firecliff.
Escape the Ordinary. Discover the Extraordinary.
Firecliff, measuring 7,056 yards, is a true test of skill where golfers must negotiate their way around extensive natural areas, over 100 bunkers, and numerous water features. Golf Digest named the Firecliff course one of the “Places To Play.” This tournament tested layout is one of only three courses in California and one of the best 50 in the United States to receive this distinction in terms of conditioning.
Mountain View.
Natural Beauty in a Relaxed Setting
One of the more resort-style Southern California golf courses is Mountain View with wider fairways and limited desert waste areas. But don’t be deceived; Mountain View, measuring 6,913 yards, is rated just slightly less difficult than Firecliff. With more forgiving fairways, 98 well-placed bunkers, sloping greens and seven water features, Mountain View still requires the best from golfers of all levels.
Meet Our Designers
Michael Hurdzan, ASGCA
Dr. Michael Hurdzan has been selected the winner of the 2002 Donald A. Rossi Award by the Golf Course Builders Association of America; he was Golf World Magazine’s 1997 “Architect of the Year;” and The Board Room Magazine’s 2001 and 1999 selection for the same honor. “Environmental Impacts of Golf Courses” for the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is a Golf Digest panelist for their environmental awards program, a selected delegate for the “Golf and Environment” conferences, and serves on the education review committee for GCSAA.
Dana Fry, Principal
Dana Fry’s career in golf began as a talented junior golfer who later went on to play for the University of Arizona. During that period Dana became interested in golf course design and went to work as a shaper for Tom Fazio for five years and on sixteen golf courses before he joined Mike in 1988. It didn’t take long to recognize Dana’s genius for golf course design and in January 1997 Mike made Dana a partner in the firm. Combined with Michael Hurdzan’s technical expertise, Dana offers the eyes of an artist, and the passion of an avid golfer.
KemperSports Management
Desert Willow Golf Resort, a high-end daily fee golf club, is managed by KemperSports on behalf of the City of Palm Desert. KemperSports is a privately held sports, entertainment, and hospitality company that delivers operational excellence in property and experience management. Headquartered in Chicago with regional offices throughout the U.S., KemperSports manages more than 130 golf courses, private clubs, sports venues, and destination resorts nationwide. It has more golf properties named among the top 100 U.S. public access and resort courses as rated by Golfweek than any other management company. For more information about KemperSports, visit www.kempersports.com.