Palm Springs Area Membership

[MaxBuck]

Here's (surprise!) a new Palm Springs area post. My question is, as someone considering moving to the desert, which approach I should take relative to membership. I am a walking golfer, so reliance on public and resort courses for all of my routine rounds is not really an option, plus I like being a club member with all that entails - been one for almost 20 years, at a non-elite club. And I'm relying on walking the course to stay in some kind of shape. Prestige matters little to me, but playing an interesting course (usually means slope >130) means a lot.

 

My options:

1. Join a multi-course club such as PGA West, Mission Hills, Citrus or Rancho La Quinta. Monthly dues $1200-$1500 but offering golf variety without having to leave the site. Housing higher in price at these clubs (and I'd like to live onsite).
   
2. Join a mid-level club like The Lakes, The Springs, Desert Island or The Palms, and use the savings to play some of the public and resort courses for variety, plus reciprocal play occasionally. Generally less expensive housing at these clubs. No affordable housing at The Palms, unfortunately, so I'd have to live elsewhere.
   
3. I'm open to other options if anyone has suggestions.
   

Help would be welcomed! Also if anyone has opinions on the "mid-level" courses I mentioned, or about Rancho LQ. I've got experience at Mission Hills.

 

Final question - what is your thinking on member-owned (The Springs, The Palms) vs. corporate ownership?

[Schley]

I'm in a somewhat similar situation, although I wont' retire for 10 years or so. However, I was looking to join a club as a member and try it out for the month or so I will be there. Stone Eagle is no initiation and I think like 18k a year. Great course, with tremendous views. I have looked at The Quarry at La Quinta which is extremely well conditioned a Top 100 course and fairly reasonable IMO at 60k initiation although the dues are high at 24k a year.

 

You have obscene costs like Bighorn at 350k and Madison at 350k. Vintage is 250K I believe and all three are 2500-3000 a month in dues on top.

 

IMO for the money PGA West gives you the biggest variety with 6 courses for 45k I think and about 1000 a month.

[PorkChopExpress]

If you want variety and cost, schley said it, PGA West. 6 different courses, think 3 are private. 3 are sub private/public, something like that

[Schley]

So have you made a decision or gotten close?

[mmckee02]

Considered Thunderbird?

[MaxBuck]

So have you made a decision or gotten close?

 

Thinking PGA West. We like the amenities other than golf, and some attractive housing values are available. And it's a beautiful place.

[Schley]

update us on what you have found out in your research. Have you visited any clubs yet? What kind of deals are out there?

[MaxBuck]

update us on what you have found out in your research. Have you visited any clubs yet? What kind of deals are out there?

 

We found out several things.

1. The vibe in La Quinta seems much less artificial than in Rancho Mirage - women don't walk around with as much plastic surgery, less gold bling, less pretension, more normal stuff like people just walking their dogs on the street.
   
2. The clubhouse environment at PGA West is much more casual than that at Mission Hills. I'll say that the environment at The Quarry is similarly casual and friendly, though there's no way I could afford to either live or play there. From what I've been able to gather, Stone Eagle is a lot the same. On the other hand, the S Club (Rancho Mirage) is snooty out of proportion to its exclusivity or excellence, as is the Club at Morningside (also RM). S Club is going to go public very soon, which is good from the sense that its Desmond Muirhead layout (I love the Dinah Shore course) will become available for public play.
   
3. In La Quinta, you're much farther removed from shopping, fine dining and culture, which are all centered in either Palm Desert or Palm Springs. So we need to be prepared to drive awhile to get there. Not a big deal for us, as we're not big shoppers, and it's no problem to drive a ways to get to galleries and performances.
   
4. Courses at PGA West aren't overall the caliber of those at Mission Hills. Nothing at PGA compares IMO to the Dinah Shore course, which is one of the best I've played.
   
5. No deals at PGA West. There may be at Mission Hills. None of the other clubs want to admit to negotiation, but I think quite a few may be open to it.
   
6. In addition to the 3 private courses at PGA West, they rotate reserving times at the resort courses for club members, so that on any given day a member might be able to reserve member-only tee times at 5 courses in the mornings. So it's a better deal than it even appears at first blush. Having variety of golf experience is a good deal from my perspective.
   

[MaxBuck]

Considered Thunderbird?

I did not. Housing stock availability there in our price range is very limited, and the course doesn't look interesting enough to do a lot more research. If I were interested in that part of town I might look closer at The Springs.

[Schley]

update us on what you have found out in your research. Have you visited any clubs yet? What kind of deals are out there?

 

We found out several things.

1. The vibe in La Quinta seems much less artificial than in Rancho Mirage - women don't walk around with as much plastic surgery, less gold bling, less pretension, more normal stuff like people just walking their dogs on the street.
   
2. The clubhouse environment at PGA West is much more casual than that at Mission Hills. I'll say that the environment at The Quarry is similarly casual and friendly, though there's no way I could afford to either live or play there. From what I've been able to gather, Stone Eagle is a lot the same. On the other hand, the S Club (Rancho Mirage) is snooty out of proportion to its exclusivity or excellence, as is the Club at Morningside (also RM). S Club is going to go public very soon, which is good from the sense that its Desmond Muirhead layout (I love the Dinah Shore course) will become available for public play.
   
3. In La Quinta, you're much farther removed from shopping, fine dining and culture, which are all centered in either Palm Desert or Palm Springs. So we need to be prepared to drive awhile to get there. Not a big deal for us, as we're not big shoppers, and it's no problem to drive a ways to get to galleries and performances.
   
4. Courses at PGA West aren't overall the caliber of those at Mission Hills. Nothing at PGA compares IMO to the Dinah Shore course, which is one of the best I've played.
   
5. No deals at PGA West. There may be at Mission Hills. None of the other clubs want to admit to negotiation, but I think quite a few may be open to it.
   
6. In addition to the 3 private courses at PGA West, they rotate reserving times at the resort courses for club members, so that on any given day a member might be able to reserve member-only tee times at 5 courses in the mornings. So it's a better deal than it even appears at first blush. Having variety of golf experience is a good deal from my perspective.
   

 

I have never even heard of the S Club and I think I know the desert pretty well. Wow new to me.

 

PGA West will have more afforable housing and you can ride in your golf cart to the course. The Quarry they only have a handful of exclusive homes and not many full timers I don't think. It is for the golf. Dues at PGA West are half of The Quarry although initiation is similar I think 45k PGA and 60 at The Quarry.

 

For PGA West there footprint and variety are great, the Dinah Shore course is probably the top between them, but the collection of 6 PGA West courses would be great to have as a decision each day.

 

I totally eliminate Madison Club, Vintage, Bighorn, Tradition, Hideaway for they are overpriced certainly.

 

Stone Eagle, PGA West, and The Quarry would be my list and looking forward to hearing how it turns out.

[MaxBuck]

update us on what you have found out in your research. Have you visited any clubs yet? What kind of deals are out there?

 

We found out several things.

1. The vibe in La Quinta seems much less artificial than in Rancho Mirage - women don't walk around with as much plastic surgery, less gold bling, less pretension, more normal stuff like people just walking their dogs on the street.
   
2. The clubhouse environment at PGA West is much more casual than that at Mission Hills. I'll say that the environment at The Quarry is similarly casual and friendly, though there's no way I could afford to either live or play there. From what I've been able to gather, Stone Eagle is a lot the same. On the other hand, the S Club (Rancho Mirage) is snooty out of proportion to its exclusivity or excellence, as is the Club at Morningside (also RM). S Club is going to go public very soon, which is good from the sense that its Desmond Muirhead layout (I love the Dinah Shore course) will become available for public play.
   
3. In La Quinta, you're much farther removed from shopping, fine dining and culture, which are all centered in either Palm Desert or Palm Springs. So we need to be prepared to drive awhile to get there. Not a big deal for us, as we're not big shoppers, and it's no problem to drive a ways to get to galleries and performances.
   
4. Courses at PGA West aren't overall the caliber of those at Mission Hills. Nothing at PGA compares IMO to the Dinah Shore course, which is one of the best I've played.
   
5. No deals at PGA West. There may be at Mission Hills. None of the other clubs want to admit to negotiation, but I think quite a few may be open to it.
   
6. In addition to the 3 private courses at PGA West, they rotate reserving times at the resort courses for club members, so that on any given day a member might be able to reserve member-only tee times at 5 courses in the mornings. So it's a better deal than it even appears at first blush. Having variety of golf experience is a good deal from my perspective.
   

 

I have never even heard of the S Club and I think I know the desert pretty well. Wow new to me.

 

PGA West will have more afforable housing and you can ride in your golf cart to the course. The Quarry they only have a handful of exclusive homes and not many full timers I don't think. It is for the golf. Dues at PGA West are half of The Quarry although initiation is similar I think 45k PGA and 60 at The Quarry.

 

For PGA West there footprint and variety are great, the Dinah Shore course is probably the top between them, but the collection of 6 PGA West courses would be great to have as a decision each day.

 

I totally eliminate Madison Club, Vintage, Bighorn, Tradition, Hideaway for they are overpriced certainly.

 

Stone Eagle, PGA West, and The Quarry would be my list and looking forward to hearing how it turns out.

S Club is what used to be Desert Island (which is still the name of the condos on the same property).

[Schley]

Curious where this ended up for you???? Love to hear the details.

[MaxBuck]

Curious where this ended up for you???? Love to hear the details.

Bought a great place at PGA West. Wife moving out there in a week, but I need to keep working a while longer.

[Schley]

Curious where this ended up for you???? Love to hear the details.

Bought a great place at PGA West. Wife moving out there in a week, but I need to keep working a while longer.

 

Congrats! Did you have t pay full asking or were you able to negotiate? Which course did you buy your place on?

 

What is the membership currently? 45k initiation? Dues?

[MaxBuck]

Curious where this ended up for you???? Love to hear the details.

Bought a great place at PGA West. Wife moving out there in a week, but I need to keep working a while longer.

 

Congrats! Did you have t pay full asking or were you able to negotiate? Which course did you buy your place on?

 

What is the membership currently? 45k initiation? Dues?

 

My wife is the money manager, so I can't be a lot of help on the $$. We're on the Stadium. Beautiful place.

[ButterCutter2]

i didn't even realize the pga west tracks were walkable. too bad i missed this thread, i wouldve suggested indian ridge (36 holes) or tamarisk. tamarisk is super walkable.

[PorkChopExpress]

Having played Mission Hills CC, would definitely recommend. Three courses that are all different

Tamarisk is quite pure, but just a single course. Varying teeboxes and hole positions just doesn’t quite compare to having 3 different courses like Mission Hills

[whysguy]

A little late on this as MaxBuck seems as set on PGA,(which is great, IMO). Father in law is member at Mission Hills and Tamarisk. about to drop Mission Hills. Tamarisk is a very walkable and pretty easy course. Mostly set up the a more "aged" membership. Vastly Jewish, as is my Father in Law. They are remaining there as the social portion is more important then the golf. The course as ALWAYS in immaculate condition. But not where I would want to play daily. And the food there is fantastic.

I would have a hard time deciding between Mission Hills and PGA. I love the Dinah Shore course, but not so much the Palmer. Player and Dye quite nice too.

I believe I would end up choosing PGA.

I did play Andulsia last week and it was fantastic. They were recently purchased by Sunrise Corp and I think more aggressively looking for members. It's a wonderful layout. Tee to green. And very friendly staff and the members I played with. I might look into that one a bit further.

[Pepperturbo]

Here's (surprise!) a new Palm Springs area post. My question is, as someone considering moving to the desert, which approach I should take relative to membership. I am a walking golfer, so reliance on public and resort courses for all of my routine rounds is not really an option, plus I like being a club member with all that entails - been one for almost 20 years, at a non-elite club. And I'm relying on walking the course to stay in some shape. Prestige matters little to me, but playing an interesting course (usually means slope >130) means a lot.

 

My options:

1. Join a multi-course club such as PGA West, Mission Hills, Citrus or Rancho La Quinta. Monthly dues $1200-$1500 but offering golf variety without having to leave the site. Housing higher in price at these clubs (and I'd like to live onsite).
   
2. Join a mid-level club like The Lakes, The Springs, Desert Island or The Palms, and use the savings to play some of the public and resort courses for variety, plus reciprocal play occasionally. Generally less expensive housing at these clubs. No affordable housing at The Palms, unfortunately, so I'd have to live elsewhere.
   
3. I'm open to other options if anyone has suggestions.
   

Help would be welcomed! Also if anyone has opinions on the "mid-level" courses I mentioned, or about Rancho LQ. I've got experience at Mission Hills.

 

Final question - what is your thinking on member-owned (The Springs, The Palms) vs. corporate ownership?

 

I am in the desert regularly and played nearly all the public and private courses. Expect to live there someday too. Though I can afford to join PGA West and love the tracks and facilities, I like playing all sorts of courses. I am leaning towards Mission Hills and not interested in a member owned club. I have experienced what can happen at equity clubs and its not pretty. Benevolent Dictator held or Corp is the better trade-off, and I do mean compromise. :beach:

[TravelingGolfSticks]

What's mission hills initiation fee?

[MaxBuck]

What's mission hills initiation fee?

 

These guys say it's $45k.

 

They seem to have a pretty good finger on the pulse.

[Liquid]

Can someone fill me in on being a resident? I heard that if you reside in Palm Desert you get a rate at Desert Willow around $49? Does this apply to other areas like La Quinta?

[mikedejong]

My friend has a house on Indian Wells so gets the residents rate at IW Club. He pays something ridiculous like 20 bucks and the rest of us in his group usually pay between 60 and 80. This is when the rack rate is really high like 225 or something. Pretty sweet deal.

[Pepperturbo]

Can someone fill me in on being a resident? I heard that if you reside in Palm Desert you get a rate at Desert Willow around $49? Does this apply to other areas like La Quinta?

 

That's true regarding DW, only I am not sure that's the current rate. Depends on the course and city where you reside.

[Liquid]

Thanks guys.

[dasams]

Palm Desert residents can play DW for $52 but we can only book a tee time 3 days out.  During the high season, you can get out as a single but you can forget booking a foursome at that rate (unless you luck into a recent cancellation).

[Schley]

maxbuck how do you like PGA West after the move?

[MaxBuck]

> @schley said:

> maxbuck how do you like PGA West after the move?

 

I like it very much. Nicklaus , Palmer and Weiskopf private courses are all quite different from one another, so I like the variety. And the Stadium course is great.

 

The non-golf aspects of the club are terrific, too.

[heatherz]

I have a monthly vacation rental in PGA West if anyone wants to give it a try! 
www.haciendadelsolvacationvilla.com

[JohnnyBGoode92]

On 3/20/2018 at 4:11 AM, mmckee02 said:

Considered Thunderbird?

Isn't that one of the most difficult to join in the area and quite expensive?