Your stay-and-play reality: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and Eagle Falls G.C. in the SoCal desert near Palm Springs

INDIO, Calif. -- With a haughty seven options for gaming across the 40-mile spread of SoCal desert running from Cabazon to Coachella, the avid casino dweller is flush with choices for a Palm Springs-area getaway.

And while three of said properties offer golf to couple with cards, there is but one locale with a course on site. Welcome to the one-stop, stay-and-play (and play) grounds of Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Located a mere shuttle ride from the resort and casino, the Coachella Valley's newest golf course opened in 2007 and has fast become a popular, affordable play for locals and visitors alike. Eagle Falls has further served as home to myriad events and tournaments, including its role as host to the annual Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational.

For a "resort course," the well manicured Clive Clark design will often play as a greater test than most first-timers may assume. Matching a links-style layout with sizeable greens, unique desert rusticism and manageable distance (tipping-out at 6,715 yards), the ground's aggressive bunkering, subtle elevation changes and impaired views of pins combine to author an astute test.

Moreover: Playing from a namely generous spread of bowled fairways, Eagle Falls proves getable for mid-handicappers (when even lies allow). But play askew? You're dead. The gnarly routing of beatific but burly tall grasses and native plantings simply don't afford for much wiggle room. Plainly stated, Eagle Falls is one of those plays where one unsuccessfully hunts for his own lost ball -- but finds four others in the process.

"The fairways were pretty open for the most part, but if you don't find them, it was pretty tough to find your ball," local high-handicaper Jason Calder said. "But I really like it here. Most courses around here have houses or hotels or something all around the course, but here is nice and open."

The back nine at Eagle Falls rolls out six consecutive par 4s before rounding home with a par 3-4-5 finish.

Prior to the 18-handicap, 301-yard, par-4 15th, the exceptional 269-yard, par-4 No. 11 stands out among the most engaging holes in the entire region. Seducing even medium-length players into rolling an ensuing eagle putt, the 11th sports lake water and dune bunkering along the left-hand side, with said hazards culminating in a sizeable stone wall guarding the green. Flicking a mid-iron to the right side is the play for the prudent, which can still result in a short birdie try for solid wedge players.

The 478-yard, par-5 finisher offers an opportunity to conclude with aplomb. Water guards the left of the deep fairway and massive putting surface, suggesting that par (or better) is in play for those favoring the far right with a studied and patient approach; working the ball even a shade left-of-center will find most dropping four.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

The resort's 250-room hotel is surrounded by a host of on-site amenities and is coupled with the 10,000-square-foot gaming floor (and the valley's only Off Track Betting facility for rail birds).

Fantasy matches marquee national acts at the Special Events Center with ongoing, free concerts at the outdoor Rock Yard. For family trips, the on-site, 24-lane bowling alley proves a fine way to entertain the young ones before mom and dad enjoy the casino floor and nightlife.

For dining options, a host of flavors are offered throughout the resort, though the carnivorous will be well-sated with a visit to The Bistro. Seafood entrees and sushi options are in play, but valley visitors should know these are some of the region's best steaks.

For a full tour, start with the Lobster and Scallop Rockefeller before graduating to a dry-aged Filet paired with an Oscar topping. The wine list has an impressive selection of California varietals.

Judd Spicer is an award-winning, veteran freelance writer hailing from St. Paul, Minn. After 12 years of covering MLB, NBA, NCAA and the active golf landscape of the Twin Cities, he relocated to the Palm Spring, Calif. region to further pursue his golf work and Champions Tour dream. Sporting measured distance off the tee, Spicer refers to his pitching wedge as his "magic wand." Follow Judd on Twitter at @juddspicer.
0 Comments

Related Links

Home to nearly 125 golf courses, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley offer no shortage of options for players seeking variety in setting and challenge. If you have the legs for seven consecutive days of golf, Judd Spicer has the perfect golf-vacation itinerary for you.
3 Min Read
Casinos have been on a golf boom for the past 20 years, and the quality is usually well above the national average and often better priced. In California, casino golf is especially prolific. Larry Olmsted offers up some of the best bets in the Golden State.
5 Min Read
More from the author
5 Min Read
March 3, 2017
It's not as well known as Riviera Maya or Cabo Del Sol, but Mazatlan has a trio of great value resort golf courses and a laid back ocean vibe.
3 Min Read
March 2, 2017
Located 30 minutes from the heart of Mazatlan's tourist activity Estrella Del Mar Golf & Beach Resort is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. course that makes for the destination's top tee time.
4 Min Read
May 24, 2016
For some variation in your Palm Springs itinerary, blow on over 10 miles to Desert Dunes Golf Club, a re-polished gem that's finding new life in recent years.
4 Min Read
April 1, 2016
A match of classic, SoCal cool and contemporary resort amenities make for a choice stay-and-play at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego.
4 Min Read
February 10, 2016
Set amid southern California's placid Temecula Valley wine country, the 27 holes at the Temecula Creek Inn offer a vintage diversity to all golfers. And it's just a three-minute wooded walk from your bed to the first tee.
2 Min Read
November 6, 2015
The prettier of Primm Valley Golf Club's dual Tom Fazio designs, the Lakes Course proves an engaging round that will test the irons throughout, and it proves a worthy stop for all comers. It's also a bargain. "If you took this course and put it right in Vegas ... they could charge five times as much for the greens fees," one local golfer said.
Popular
6 Min Read
November 6, 2023
We make golf gift shopping easier with this handy guide.
2 Min Read
November 20, 2023
Golf is a game of control and composure. Don't lose yours by tossing a club.
1 Min Read
October 31, 2023
If you want to hole more putts, you should take the advice of the world's greatest golfers.
8 Min Read
November 12, 2023
The rise of artists launching their own companies has changed the way golfers use wall art that impresses their co-workers on Zoom.
Now Reading
Your stay-and-play reality: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and Eagle Falls G.C. in the SoCal desert near Palm Springs