PGA West Stadium Course: #17
PGA West Stadium Course #17: Welcome to “Alcatraz.” Home to Lee Trevino’s “Hole in One” – one of the most famous shots in golf history – which gave him the “Skins Game” victory over Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Raymond Floyd.
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Rating Index Rating
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4.5
1192 Reviews (1192)
5 Stars
756
4 Stars
273
3 Stars
96
2 Stars
41
1 Stars
26
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.2
Layout
4.8
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.1
Amenities
4.6
91.0%
Recommend this course
1053 out of 1192 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.7
37 Reviews (37)
5 Stars
29
4 Stars
6
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.2
Layout
4.9
Pace
4.1
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.9
94.6%
Recommend this course
35 out of 37 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
94 Reviews (94)
5 Stars
62
4 Stars
22
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.2
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.1
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.7
90.4%
Recommend this course
85 out of 94 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This iconic stadium course delivers a bucket-list layout with stunning mountain views, challenging water hazards, and conditions that consistently impress recent golfers. Welcoming staff from bag drop to pro shop make every visitor feel genuinely excited to play.

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 72
Length 7300 yards
Slope 148
Rating 75.8

This is the monster of all monsters, the one that carries so many folktales of golfer terror with it that it should qualify as its own myth. The developers asked Pete Dye to make this "the toughest golf course in the world" and many argue he succeeded. Too well.

The Stadium Course at PGA WEST in La Quinta is one of those tracks that any self-respecting golf nut has to play once. Just to experience it. Just to say you did. Just to have stories of golf cruelty to tell at the office water cooler. There's a 19-foot deep bunker on the 16th hole. That's right. A 19-foot deep bunker. Your ball won't get out. Heck, you might not get out. From the back tees it measures 7,300 yards with an incredible 148-slope rating.

Every hole is a story waiting to be told. Either in success to be bragged about or failure to be even more bragged about. The PGA players moaned about this course so loud that it's no longer a regular stop on tour. Yet for average hackers, it's often a joy of punishment. Go in with the right attitude and it's liable to be one of your most unforgettable days of golf.

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PGA WEST - Pete Dye Stadium Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1987
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Pete Dye (1987) Alice Dye (1986)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
GPS No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "PGA WEST Golf Academy"
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes
Practice Hole Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code No denim, collared shirt and bermuda shorts required

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Available Sports

Fitness, Tennis

Accolades

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10 rounds of waived fees
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$120 in tee time credits
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Reviews

4.5
1192 Reviews (1192)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 42
Patio Dining 28
19th Hole Scenic Views 26
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 70
Water Hazards 67
Forced Carries 49
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 61
A Bucket list/Top 100 Pick 52
A Weekend Splurge 31
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 42
At a Resort 34
Convenient to the City 18

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

The scenery is amazing - each hole offers different perspectives of the mountains. The views stand up to most any of the ocean courses. The course is in great condition which helps in making it playable for an amateur. While it certainly deserves its high slope rating, it is very enjoyable if you can keep the ball in play. Practice facilities are excellent and Ernie's was great after the round.

Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/31/2022

Hi, u985683405. Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/22/2022

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating, gawypoo! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good Course

I had.a fun time playing the course. Lots of nice views with mountains in the background. Course was easier than I thought it would be. Nice course and was in good condition.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/28/2022

Hello, RG2C106F424ACA520C58. Thank you for visiting us at The Stadium Course at PGA West. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Stadium Course-Pete Dye

Very nice course however for such a high price several of the greens had rough bare patches in places. This was a surprise. Not sure what up with that. Tricky challenge. A few nasty bunkers hidden away where you would not expect them. Still enjoyable but frustrating at times. Approach shots to greens better be spot on or nothing but trouble awaits.

Conditions Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/28/2022

Hi, u314160464924. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/25/2022

Hi, u314162471540. We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share with us your favorite part of your experience. Thanks for golfing at The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Gotta play it!

Played Dye Stadium and it fully met expectations as a great venue to have very interesting and enjoyable round.

Holes get tougher as the round progresses and the back 9 really ratchets it up a few notches. Probably have to play it a few times to really appreciate the creativity of design and the creativity needed to score well. It is tough but has possibilities. You do have to know where not to be. Great fun.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/23/2022

Thank you for taking the time to review us, BrucePope. Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to delivering you excellent service again soon. The Stadium Course at PGA West thanks you!

Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/21/2022

Hello, u314162486108. We appreciate the review. You rated us 3-stars which means there is room to improve on your recent experience at The Stadium Course at PGA West. Let us know, in the comments, how and where you would like to see changes from the course. Thanks for the feedback!

Played On
Reviews 47
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Too tough

For regular golfers, that course is way too tough, you got to be a less than 5 handicap to enjoy that course.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/21/2022

Hello, robert208. Thank you for visiting us at The Stadium Course at PGA West. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/21/2022

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating, mikefields6369! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Hot weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/21/2022

Hi, u000004182899. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 2
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/18/2022

Hello, u000005407086. Thank you for leaving us a review. We are sorry to hear your experience was anything short of 5 stars, but we hope you will give us another try in the future. Thank you for choosing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Day

Fabulous practice facilities and golf course. Too bad the starter was not friendly or helpful.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/18/2022

Hi, bikemaker58. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 36
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/16/2022

Hi, Mike3318410. We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share with us your favorite part of your experience. Thanks for golfing at The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2022

Hi, u000005295220. We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share with us your favorite part of your experience. Thanks for golfing at The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2022

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating, Wardeye! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 17
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser

Pete

Typical dye but tricked up more than others dye has done that I’ve played.,. Greens not that good and dormant Bermuda areas too wet. Also very little sand in bottom of some bunkers. Overall I was disappointed.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2022

Hi, u314159760142! Thank you so much for leaving us with your feedback. We value our customer experience, so your review is important to us. We will make note and we hope to see you back at The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/15/2022

Hi, Jaime0588. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 7
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/14/2022

We're glad you enjoyed your 5-star experience with us, michaeljwhite. Please comment or reach out to our team in the golf shop to let us know more about your round at The Stadium Course at PGA West!

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Excellent experience

Course layout was outstanding. The fairways and greens were superb. Staff were great and very friendly. Conditions when off the fairways and first cut of rough could be iffy. Condition of the sand in the bunkers was disappointing with a minimum layer of sand in what are very deep bunkers. It made playing out of them difficult. Overall experience was great.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/14/2022

Hi, junglejymm. Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing The Stadium Course at PGA West.

Played On
Reviews 7
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/14/2022

Hi, captmagnus. We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share with us your favorite part of your experience. Thanks for golfing at The Stadium Course at PGA West!

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