Scott's Top 5 Lodging Options for 2015

Below you will find my list of the 5 best accommodations in Palm Springs, which I composed with what I believe to be important factors when choosing a hotel.

• Friendly/accommodating staff
• Cleanliness
• Location
• Room quality
• Bang for the buck

1. Renaissance Esmeralda Resort - This hotel is my favorite in the area, it is the most updated with spacious rooms and a very friendly staff. It doesn't hurt that there are two outstanding golf courses within walking distance that are affiliated with the hotel. The hotel has even has a sandy beach on site!

2. La Quinta Resort - It goes without saying that La Quinta Resort is one of the best places to stay because of the golf located within alone, but the lodging is just as nice. The resort features everything you can ask for and more. Every time you turn a corner at the resort you run io a pool of some sort. They have a large selection of rooms from Resort Rooms to a Starlight King Upstairs room and everything in between. This is a great choice if you are looking to only stay at one resort and play golf due to the 5 golf courses affiliated with La Quinta.

3. Marriott Desert Springs Resort - How could I not have a hotel that features a boat that takes you around the property!! That is just one of the many things you will love about this Resort. When not playing on one of the two championship courses, take in the 18 hole miniature golf course!(First mini golf course I have played where I lost a ProV1!!) This hotel is a popular destination in the off-season as well with great rates and a great place to just relax.

4. Marriott Residence Inn Palm Desert - This is one of my favorite hotels for a group of guys on a budget. The hotel is in a great location, minutes from awesome golf and restaurants. It is one of, if not the best Residence Inn's that I have ever seen. The rooms are so big, and the staff is awesome. If you are looking for a great hotel at a slightly lower price point consider the Residence Inn Palm Desert.

5. Courtyard by Marriott - Another great option for the budget minded. Very nice, spacious rooms and it sits right next door to the Marriott Residence Inn, so it is in a great location.

That's my top five for 2015, call me today to plan your next golf trip and reserve a room or two at one of these awesome Resorts/Hotels. 

Scott Curry 888-985-9170

Desert Springs Resort, Palm Springs California

Palm Springs, California Is A Perfect 

Golf Vacation Destination!!

Palm Springs is a short drive away from Los Angeles making this perfect desert paradise a favorite go to escape plan for many of Hollywood's golf enthusiasts. Hollywood's famous names bring their superstar clubs and high profile selves when visiting the greens of Palm Springs. The celebrities choice for golf vacations are the Palm Course and the Valley Course located at the Desert Springs Golf Resort. 

Desert Springs Golf Resort is a 36-hole facility and has epitomes of high class treatment. The scenery and playable area on the courses will fulfill any golfer's dream vacation. The Palm Course and the Valley Course were designed by acclaimed architect Ted Robinson, "King of Waters-capes" and have made Desert Springs  the premier California golf resort that it is today.

On both 18-hole courses: Golfer's can take a high tech drive in one of our new golf carts with state-of-the-art navigational and computing systems. Right from your cart, you can use your onboard computer to view graphic layouts of each hole, compute exact yardage to the pin, monitor pace-of-play, and solicit tips from the course's pro on playing a particular hole. The result is faster playtime, lower scores, and a more enjoyable game. In addition, your lunch or snack can be ordered as you tee off from the 18th hole and be waiting for you at Sand Trap & Wedge for the perfect end to a great round.

The Greens at Desert Springs Putting Course: Created to provide golfers of all ages and abilities an enjoyable golf adventure, The Greens at Desert Springs - our 18-hole championship putting course - is the perfect solution. The nation's first, all-natural turf putting course combines all aspects of a full length course: sand bunkers, water hazards, strategically placed trees, and rolling "fairways" all played with just a putter. The par 54, 1,435-foot course is truly "golf in miniature," but big-time fun for individuals, families, or group events.

The Palm Course and the Valley Course are park of the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, California. It provides visitors with stylish surroundings and views any well seasoned traveler desires. The emerald fairways for their Palm Desert Golf Courses and mountains that seem to touch the ski wins over any golf lovers heart. 

Please Contact Our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist To Book A Golf Vacation 

To Palm Springs, California TODAY!!

Please Call: 800-929-7300

Book A Golf Vacation In Palm Springs TODAY!

Without a doubt, Palm Springs, California is one of the most popular golf vacation destinations in the country. The almost year-round sunny weather – having only an average of 15 to 20 days of rain every year – makes it ideal for the sport thus has long been serving as the home of some of the best golf courses in the United States.

Apart from the idyllic weather, it is surrounded by some of the most stunning mountain views that make for the perfect backdrop. The dramatic desert setting also makes for some of the most interesting course terrains that mesh perfectly with golf layouts making the courses in Palm Springs both beautiful and challenging. Its being situated a mere 120 miles east of urban Los Angeles also makes it accessible for golfers who would want to stay close to Hollywood Country. Needless to say, Palm Springs is the go to place for epic golf vacations, with a whole array of signature courses to make the golfing experience extremely special.

A good number of the courses here bear the names of the industry's biggest and most renowned names as designers. Palm Springs is also the home of the famed PGA West courses: Stadium Course, Greg Norman Course, and the Jack Nicklaus Course.

PGA West – TPC Stadium Course
This course might just as well be called Home of the Tournaments, having served as the regular host of such momentous and most awaited golf competitions as The Skins game, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Its design is too unique, too interesting, and too intriguing that even champions find it challenging. Shouldn't be surprising, the course was designed by Pete Dye, with his signature bunkering that at times border on being outrageous. 9 holes of the course play directly over water hazards, all the more making it extra challenging. And rightfully so, the course has been hailed as among the Top 100 Greatest Courses in the US by Golf Magazine.


PGA West – Greg Norman Course
Lying 40 feet below sea level and surrounded by huge terra cotta mountains, the PGA West Greg Norman Course could only be best described as majestic. The multi-colored wildflowers and the grasses of different shades of green all stand in perfect contrast with the reddish-gold glow of the surrounding desert. The course is a palette of colors – it is a treat to the senses to golfers who need to tackle one challenging hole after another.

PGA West – Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course
Golfers playing this Jack Nicklaus signature should arm themselves with versatility as it is more important here than any shotmaking skills they have. Each hole requires a unique strategy that the existing mindset on the first hole would prove obsolete right at the second hole and soon thereafter. It is one course that has a lot of drama, beauty, and challenge combined, and it is not for the faint of heart. Nicklaus closes the rounds at the double green 9th and 18th holes with a water crossing shot that could make or break a golfer's heart; good or bad scorecard regardless, it is sure to make any visit to Palm Springs unforgettable.

Contact our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist and book a vacation to 

 Golf Courses in Palm Springs, California Today!! 

Please Call: 800-929-7300!!

Golf in Palm Springs

A desert city that lies within the Coachella Valley of California, Palm Springs is home to the vast land areas that provide endless outdoor adventure opportunities. With the perfect blend of modern architecture and nature’s finest beauty, both the local and foreign guests flock this golf vacation destination for a casual relaxation. Aside from its breathtaking sceneries of canyons and mountains, Palm Springs is also home to amazing golf courses that were designed by famous golf course architects and designers. Some of the pristine greens that have been attracting all sorts of golfers include the North Course of Indian Canyons Golf Resort, the Golf Club at La Quinta, the Cathedral Canyon Golf Club, the Palm Course of Desert Springs, and the Valley Course of Desert Springs.

Indian Canyons Golf Resort – North Course

The North Course of the Indians Canyons Golf Resort is a 36-hole layout designed by the renowned golf course architect William P. Bell. This classical 6,943-yard par-72 layout also features the 6 challenging water hazards, the historic Walt Disney fountain, thousands of native trees, and the majestic mountain views that greets every golfer while on play.

Golf Club at La Quinta

In the beautiful natural California desert landscape lies the Golf Club at La Quinta, an 18-hole championship golf course. Being home to various PGA Tours including the LG SKINS GAME in 2006, this well-designed layout has been tested by golf champions over time. The sand perils and dramatic water features that complement the layout’s fairways all the way to the rolling greens are among the noticeable features that makes this course different from the rest.

Cathedral Canyon Golf Club

Designed by the California golf course specialist David Rainville together with the renowned golfer Billy Casper in the early 1970’s, the Cathedral Canyon Golf Club offers the challenging courses for golfers of all handicaps. The golf course also features the rolling hills with strategically placed bunkers and the tree-lined fairways that meander through the array of lakes. While taking the exciting tee times, guests will also have their fair share of the San Jacinto Mountains’ breathtaking views.

Desert Springs – Palm Course

The Palm Course of the Desert Springs is an 18-hole layout that was designed by the famous golf course architect Ted Robinson. This modernized golf facility features the state-of-the-art computing systems that even from the cart; golfers can already monitor the pace-of-play or compute the exact yardage all the way to the pin. The Wedge and the Sand Trap will serve as the means to end the great round of swings.

Desert Springs – Valley Course

The Valley Course of the Desert Springs is another exceptional Ted Robinson masterpiece. Like the Palm Course, this 18-hole championship layout features the modernized navigational and computing systems. While on board the carts, golfers can use the onboard computer to solicit golf tips from a course professional while playing a particular hole, or view the graphic layouts of the course’s holes. To end the round, golfers are also allowed to order lunch or snacks as they tee off from the final 18th hole.

Golf Zoo - San Diego Union Tribune Golf Package Prize

Golf Zoo has provided a golf package to both its readers of the San Diego Union-Tribune and online visitors to offer a fabulous golf package, courtesy of Desert Willow Golf Resort and Miramonte Resort and Spa. The lucky winner will receive a 2 night, 2 room stay at the luxurious Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, a gorgeous Mediterranean themed hotel and spa with superb dining and warm hospitality. Courtesy of Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, the same lucky foursome will be playing three days of golf at Desert Willow, the '#1 Rated Public Access Course in all of Palm Springs' at their exceptional 36 hole facility feauring the Firecliff and Mountain View courses. Contestants may enter online at http://www.signonsandiego.com/ or at the San Diego Union-Tribune kiosk at the PGA TOUR's Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines this week.

New Indian Wells Course to Play in Palm Springs

I don't envy the staff at the Indian Wells Golf Resort right now. First, they have to help host the Skins Game this weekend, the nationally televised event being played on their Celebrity Course, and then they have to follow that up next week by unveiling the newest course to play on a Palm Springs golf vacation, their John Fought-designed Players Course. Talk about needing a breather.

Technically, Fought, who did the restoration work at Pine Needles prior to this year's U.S. Women's Open, redesigned the course, but the resort makes a point of pointing out that, "the mature tree cover and geographical location are about the only two things that the original East Course (opened in 1986) and the new Players Course have in common. By design, the Players Course is completely different than the original golf course." continued...

by Craig Better, GolfVacationInsider.com

Cathedral Canyon Country Club- Great Value

On my recent visit to Cathedral Canyon Country Club I came away very pleased to be able to offer the facility to our Golf Zoo clientele as part of their Palm Springs golf package. Offering 27 holes, I have to say my favorite 9 was the Arroyo, the latest addition. It's as if you're on a links nine. The other two nines, Mountain and Lake are also very enjoyable and offer a good, fair challenge. This is one of our best golf values in a Palm Springs golf package with great pricing, a friendly, down home atmosphere and a comfy restaurant and bar facility to enjoy after your round. The surrounding mountain views are spectacular and the 27 holes of golf can be enjoyed by any handicap golfer without breaking the bank.

Golf Idol

If you're one of the 29.5 Bazillion viewers of American Idol weekly or The Grammy's annually or hundreds of other TV shows, musicals or concerts, this fine lookin' group below are the ones responsible for the sound/audio you hear on those productions.
Paul Sandweiss, 2nd from left in the rear and his group has been booking their golf trip with me to Palm Springs for a couple of years now and they're great guys to deal with. They haven't actually faxed signed, eraser smudgefree scorecards to me as of yet, despite my requests, but they have dropped thank you notes and have had always had a great time staying for a few days and enjoying the golf and sun in Palm Springs. So next time you watch American Idol, say thanks guys and good golfing!

Back Row L to R: Mikael Stewart, Paul Sandweiss, David Bellamy, Danny Harris and Scott Harmala. Front Row L to R: Andrew 'Fletch' Fletcher, Michael MacDonald and Mike Parker.