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A rerouting of three holes has updated one of the nation's best municipal golf courses just in time for the snowbirds to arrive in the southern California desert.
The new-look Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort recently reopened in the Coachella Valley following a nine-month renovation by architect John Fought. GolfPass reviews are already praising the work by Fought, who redesigned the original course, which dated to 1986, in 2007.
Golfer 'Gordon0529' gave the Players five stars on Nov. 28.
"I had a chance to play the newly redesigned Players course on opening day yesterday and it is great. Roughly (3) new or redesigned holes or more and they look and play great," he wrote. "They fit right into the existing holes really well. I was told all the greens, tees and bunkers were also redone on the entire course. (It will be) cart paths only for a while. (That) maybe slowed pace a little, but I walked, so it was perfect. The new design makes that really easy. They also have electric pushcarts if needed. Greens are smooth but a little slow since it’s early days, but that will improve. Fairways are perfect! Love playing the new track! Enjoy it. Walk it!"
The project created new playing corridors for the ninth, 17th and 18th holes, pushing all three to the north side of the Whitewater Wash that originally separated those holes from rest of the course. Previously, those three holes sat on the clubhouse side of the wash. While the old par-3 17th over the water was nice, the 18th hole always felt too constricted and difficult with the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa so close in proximity.
The new 7,118-yard routing lost roughly 260 yards in length and a stroke to par but is now more walkable and flows better. The par-71 course features a new 223-yard ninth hole that allows easier access to the 53,000-square-foot clubhouse in case golfers need to stock up on food or drinks. The round wraps up with the 243-yard, par-3 17th and the 551-yard, par-5 18th.
Beyond the routing tweaks, the bunkers, tees and greens were all "refreshed". A new critically-acclaimed restaurant, Kestrel, by celebrity chef Richard Blais, opened in late 2024 on the top floor of the clubhouse, providing the perfect hangout before or after golf. Indian Wells remains one of Troon Golf's signature public facilities.
The Players Course was a staple in California's Golfers' Choice rankings from 2014 to 2022, peaking at no. 1 in the state in 2014 and no. 3 in 2020. The Celebrity Course (4.6 stars) has achieved even more success, ranking among the state's top 17 courses every year since being redesigned by Clive Clark in 2006. Maybe these updates will help the Players Course catch up to its older sibling. Between the two, they have hosted the LG Skins Game in 2007-08; the 1993 Gulfstream Aerospace Invitational, a PGA TOUR Champions event; GOLF Channel’s “Big Break” in 2011 and the 2024 and 2025 Epson Tour Championship. Indian Wells Golf Resort ranked fourth among the top U.S. public golf clubs "that dominated a decade of Golfers' Choice" from 2014-2024.
"The Players Course has been among the top golf courses in California ever since we first broke ground here in 2007, and we had the opportunity to not only refresh the entire golf course, but also to complete our original vision of the layout,” Fought said. “It’s been a pleasure to return to one of my favorite golf courses and one that I have many fond memories of, and I’m confident that the renovated Players Course will create new memories for golfers for many years to come.”
I've stayed at the Indian Wells Golf Resort multiple times over the past several years, and it's as good a resort experience as visiting golfers will get in the region (barring a super splurge at the La Quinta Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort or even fancier still, the Sensei Porcupine Creek).
GolfPass offers a package to stay at three different hotels - the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort or the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa - with two rounds included. The sunrises and sunsets over the Santa Rosa mountains are almost mystical.
The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa (a Marriott brand) is a massive 560-room hotel with central gathering spaces indoors (The Place) and out (the sprawling pool complex). The daily resort fee ($45) includes use of bike rentals, pickleball courts and yoga with an instructor. Younger kids will gravitate to the Desert Glow Entertainment Zone's virtual reality, arcade games, an escape room and duckpin (five pin) bowling. A spa and tennis courts are also available. Read more about my 2025 stay during The American Express below.
That trip came off the heels of staying at the Hyatt in January 2023. My room there (out of 530) was plenty spacious thanks to a step-down living area with a couch and desk, plus an outdoor deck. With the Citrus Marketplace and Cafe just off the lobby, Lantana restaurant, Agave Sunset bar and lounge, more drinks and dining poolside, villas for rent and a spa, I could have easily spent a week or more and felt right at home. For more on that experience, read the article below. You might enjoy the photos of the old 17th and 18th holes that no longer exist.
That visit revealed what makes Indian Wells Golf Resort so unique. Between the Shots in the Night and the laser-fueled Putting Experience powered by Nextlinks, golf is always at your disposal, day or night.
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