The Coachella Valley -- a desert oasis framed by the Santa Rosa Mountains two hours east of Los Angeles -- becomes a hotbed of activity in winter thanks to more than 100 golf courses. Top clubs compete by catering to a customer's every need, including complimentary valet parking. When the mercury rises in summer, the green fees drop and the crowds disappear.
The Country Club at Soboba Springs may be one of the best southern California "Inland Empire" affordable golf courses you've never of. Designed by Desmond Muirhead and renovated in 2004 by Cary Bickler, this is a hidden gem with lots of potential, David R. Holland writes.
The Golf Club at Rancho California opened in the early 1970s and has been regularly played by local legend at PGA Tour golfer Rickie Fowler. While the club has changed ownership more than Fowler alters color preferences, the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course appears ready to return to its heyday as a one-time host of many high-profile events, Judd Spicer writes from Murrieta, Calif.
The 200-foot drop from 18th tee to the fairway at Glen Ivy Golf Club in Corona, Calif. is the biggest on any course in the U.S. You'll watch in awe as your ball soars for up to 10 seconds before falling back to earth. That moment is magic, but it's hardly the only highlight on this Ted Robinson Sr. design.