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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4.6
1227 Reviews (1227)
5 Stars
784
4 Stars
278
3 Stars
97
2 Stars
41
1 Stars
27
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.2
Layout
4.8
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.6
92.4%
Recommend this course
1087 out of 1227 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.7
62 Reviews (62)
5 Stars
49
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.3
Layout
4.9
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.7
StaffFriendliness
4.7
96.8%
Recommend this course
60 out of 62 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
90 Reviews (90)
5 Stars
68
4 Stars
16
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
2
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.3
Layout
4.9
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.7
StaffFriendliness
4.6
94.4%
Recommend this course
85 out of 90 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

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+ Annual
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$120 in monthly tee time promo codes
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12 rounds of waived fees
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Tee Time Protection

Reviews

4.6
1227 Reviews (1227)

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 163
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Got to play at least once in your life

This is a unique course. On most holes you need to hit the ball very exactly lots of water, sand and elevation changes. Hole 5, called double trouble, gives you two chances to hit it in the water, one on the left and the other on the right. All the par 3s are interesting, with the iconic 17th, not nearly as hard as the 6th. The bunker left of the 16th should be experienced, as it’s unique, but so is the bunker on 12, which is a moat of sand around the green. Just unique and fun, but expect to make some bad scores on at least a few holes.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Beautiful but tough course

This course is fantastic. However, with many undulating fairways and greens it is very tough. Great track.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Ever challenging Stadium Course

Great day of golf with an enjoyable pairing with other guests. Conditions were ideal with a slight breeze. Looking forward to another chance to play the Stadium course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Great course, great rate

Very pleasant golfing day with buddies. Everything was top notch from playing conditions, to friendly staff, and everything in between. golf rate was phenominal

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 91
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Used cart

Not as tough but still...

Since Pete Dye came out to redesign the course it has been tamed quite a bit. It used to be a monster with every fairway lined with waist high bushes on all of the mounds (and 6.5 hour rounds). With the redesign it is still a beast but you can make some loose shots and still recover now. The fairways were pristine, tees in great shape, and greens a bit on the slower side than normal but still running very smooth. Come on out, you won't regret it. I was a bit disappointed on the first tee when I found out that I paid $175 through GolfNow and the 3some I was with paid $125. Not sure how they got that rate but you should know that it's out there if you can find it.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Tough but great shape.

First time playing this course. Not many flat lies. Greens are gorgeous.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 40
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Fantastic!

Beautiful course, great condition. unbeatable scenic vistas. Loved every minute of it. Very playable if you choose appropriate tee blocks and you're not hitting it all over the yard. Friendly staff. Eat and drink at Ernie's patio afterward to prolong a great day

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Playing like the Pros

It was a great course to get a sense of what the Pros encounter even though not playing from the ‘tips’.

Nice idea to clearly make the entry and exits to the fairways. Areas of the course were quite dry and browned out.

Given this was first time playing the course we found it difficult to navigate around the many ,many bunkers. The GPS was not very helpful in many cases in order to be able to see bunkers behind rolls and hills. Greens were purported to be running at 11 in many instances they were much slower but rolling consistently.

Overall it was a tough test of golf, given it was our first time out for the season, it was probably not the best choice to start on. I would definitely play the course again.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 35
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This was our last round before leaving Palm Springs heading back to Alberta. Good customer service from. When you are met to getting on the course. Course in great shape. Challenging and narrow fairways. You had to think about your next shot.

When walking across the bridge on the 17th hole, Alcatraz, interesting to note that many PGA golfers had walked the same bridge.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Super Stadium

What a track!! I listened to the staff and jumped up to the White tees. What a stellar piece of advice. I was able to really enjoy the course and reach the greens. Unreal condition. Keep up the pace so you can take pics and videos at the 17th.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

High expectations met

We had very high expectations playing this course. And the day was perfect.

Perfect condition, perfect layout. As difficult as we were fearing, but worth every dollar.

Don’t forget to bring your sand wedge, preferably a 62 degrees!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fabulous

Great course great condition very tough but fair. Fabulous setting would definitely play again

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fun course, very good greens. Pace of play was slow.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Well designed challenging course

I heard the course and I watched professionals played the course for the championship. I finally played it myself. It's amazing experience!

The entire PGA West community is a golfer's dream place! So well designed courses and houses filled the area. It's quite a scene!

The club house is nice and the staffs from club house, starter and marshal are all very nice.

As for the course, I'm a 20 plus handicap. So people like me do not care so much about the scores. It's very difficult course filled with enormous bunkers and waters. So have to put your ball at the very precise place or your next shot will be very difficult to play. The green is fast, not professional tournament fast, though.

I enjoyed play there again in near future and other courses in the PGA West. I will check the golfnow often to find the good deals. Or, the regular price is around $ 200/round. It's not cheap.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 37
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Awesome course, but very challenging

On of the best courses I have played. In great shape

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

challenging from all tee boxes

few flat lies. Very Challenging. Tricky Greens.

As far as amenities did not use the restaurant. Cart girl made rounds regularly.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
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Golf Packages

The Palm Mountain Resort & Spa Stay & Play Package

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PALM SPRINGS, CA | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at Palm Mountain Resort & Spa and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Indian Canyons – South Course, Indian Canyons – North Course, The Classic Club, Tahquitz Creek – Resort Course, and Tahquitz Creek – Legend Course.

The Hilton Garden Inn Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage Stay & Play Package

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PALM SPRINGS, CA | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Indian Canyons – South Course, The Classic Club, Tahquitz Creek – Resort Course, and Tahquitz Creek – Legend Course.

The Lodge At Torrey Pines Stay & Play Package

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LA JOLLA, CA | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at The Lodge at Torrey Pines and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Torrey Pines – South Course and Torrey Pines – North Course.

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