Finding summer golf courses in the desert
Finding summer golf courses in the desert
The calendar has turned to July, and for many golfers in the Coachella Valley, that signals the end of their playing time in the desert. At least until the temperatures cool down to something closer to 100 degrees than 120 degrees.
But that could be a mistake. Yes, the temperatures are much hotter than they were six months ago, and that should make anyone spending time on a golf courses take certain precautions, including staying off the golf course entirely at times.
But summer golf in the desert has some distinct advantages, if you are smart and know how to take advantage of them. For instance:
Early tee times
The post-pandemic surge in golf has made it difficult at times to get a reasonable tee time at desert courses. You either need to get a tee time more than a week ahead of actually playing or you have to take a late afternoon tee time that makes it impossible to finish 18 holes.
But in the summer, tee times after 9 a.m. are abundant. And with the sun being up before 6 a.m., there’s a chance your local golf course will let golfers on the course about that same time. All of that means it’s possible to play a full round of 18 holes and still have the entire afternoon to get the rest of your life in order. It also means you won’t be on the golf courses in the heat of the day around 3 p.m.
Play fast
One of the complaints against golf is that it takes too long to play. Country clubs and even public clubs like to promote rounds of around four hours, but the reality too often is that 18 holes takes closer to five hours than four.
But in the summer, when there are far fewer people on the course, playing fast is a distinct option. Can you imagine playing 18 holes in three hours? How about two hours, assuming you and the rest of your party can play reasonably well? It is not unheard of in the desert in the summer. That could mean an 8 a.m. tee times gets a golfer off the course by, say 11 a.m. And again, it means there is no reason to be on the course at the hottest times of the day in the mid-t-late afternoon.
Play cheap
Naturally desert golf courses charge some big green fees in the winter and spring, when the demand for their product is the highest during the year and the days are shorter.
But in the summer, when far fewer people are playing, perhaps less than one-third of the number in the winter, and when the daylight stretches on much longer than in January, the laws of supply and demand mean that prices for green fees naturally come down.
Starting in June, many desert courses reduced their prices drastically for a round of golf. Now, sometimes that still means $100 for a round, but that’s perhaps down from $250 or more for an in-season round. But it also means that courses that were charging less than $200 a round or perhaps less than $150 a round in season are now charging closer to $50 or $60 for 18 holes and a cart. For those who find golf too expensive, summer golf is the way to go.
Play a new golf course
We all have our favorite courses in the desert, and it’s great to play those courses when the prices are lower and the play is faster. But quicker rounds for less money is an option at most courses in the desert right now. So the summer might be the chance to play a course you’ve always heard about but never played, or a course that your friends have talked about for years.
Maybe it’s a tougher course than you are used to playing, or perhaps it’s a famous course where the tee times are just too tough to come back in the season. Either way, there is always a chance you might discover a new favorite golf course in the desert this summer.
Get out of town
Desert golf courses would hate to hear this, but sometimes the desert heat is just too intense to play golf. But within 90 minutes of the Coachella Valley there are plenty of terrific golf courses.
Of course, those courses might not offer the same wide-open tee sheets as a desert course in the summer, and the green fees won’t be as discounted as they are in the desert in July.
But it will be generally 10 or even 20 degrees cooler in those locations, maybe even more. Again, you may be finding a new golf course that you’ve never seen before. Combine that with a more comfortable temperature, and you may find a very pleasant day. Maybe find a new restaurant and make a full day of it.
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_bohannan. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Desert Sun.
