A view of a hole from Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort. Desert Willow Golf Resort

A view of the clubhouse at Desert Willow Golf Resort. Desert Willow Golf Resort

Desert Willow Golf Resort: Driving range

A view of the driving range at Firecliff Course from Desert Willow Golf Resort

Desert Willow Golf Resort - Firecliff: #17

A view of the 17th green at Firecliff Course from Desert Willow Golf Resort

A view of the clubhouse at Firecliff Course from Desert Willow Golf Resort

About

A lot of courses say they're all about nature. Desert Willow Firecliff Resort in Cathedral City actually lives it. Natural desert plants are the star of the show here. So much so that the course was featured on the front cover of Smithsonian magazine.

Bobcats, coyotes and desert rabbits have free run of the place, adding another dimension to any round. When you see a bobcat out in the distance of the desert brush, you're not chasing after that golf ball. No matter how much cash you plunked down for the latest in long-distance technology.

Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry designed Desert Willow and it offers a good example of how you become a rising name in the golf architect game. The sand sculpting demands attention from the first hole.

The course looks intimidating to play. With a 138 slope rating, it plays that way too.

Holes 18

Par 72

Length 7056 yds

Rating 74.1

Slope 141

Type Resort

Course Layout

Tees

Tee	Par	Length	Rating	Slope
Black	72	7056 yards	74.1	141
Purple	72	6676 yards	72.1	136
White	72	6173 yards	69.9	128
White (W)	72	6173 yards	75.7	140
Tan	72	5642 yards	67.5	120
Tan (W)	72	5642 yards	72.5	133
Green (W)	72	5079 yards	69.4	127
Green	72	5079 yards	65.0	112

Track Rounds

Scorecard

Firecliff Scorecard

Hole-by-hole yardage, par, handicap, course rating and slope by tee.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Tot
Handicap	11	9	15	1	5	13	7	17	3		2	6	8	12	16	18	10	4	14
Handicap (W)	3	11	15	9	7	13	1	17	5		10	8	12	2	16	14	4	18	6
Par	5	4	3	4	4	4	5	3	4	36	4	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	5	36	72
Black	535	410	194	446	429	331	569	155	455	3524	435	452	427	550	176	332	420	204	536	3532	7056
Purple	516	394	168	424	400	310	548	138	437	3335	421	427	395	523	163	302	405	192	513	3341	6676
Purple/White	516	364	168	387	380	310	520	138	408	3191	393	396	371	523	163	302	405	170	513	3236	6427
White	489	364	139	387	380	279	520	119	408	3085	393	396	371	502	141	279	368	170	468	3088	6173
White/Tan	489	338	139	352	341	279	510	119	373	2940	357	362	338	502	141	279	368	152	468	2967	5907
Tan	447	338	127	352	341	264	510	107	373	2859	357	362	338	454	119	258	332	152	411	2783	5642
Tan/Green	417	338	127	313	304	264	465	107	323	2658	357	329	338	425	119	258	297	152	385	2660	5318
Green	417	312	107	313	304	233	465	82	323	2556	323	329	311	425	97	227	297	129	385	2523	5079

Course scorecard and layout

Course Details

Rentals & Services

Golf Carts Yes - included in green fees

GPS

Golf Clubs

Practice & Instruction

Driving Range

Golf School Academy Yes - "Palm Desert Golf Academy"

Teaching Pro

Pitching & Chipping Area

Putting Green

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed

Metal Spikes

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Meeting Facilities

Banquet Facilities

Year Built 1997

Fairways Bermuda Grass

Greens Bermuda Grass

Golf Season Year round

Architect(s) Dr. Michael Hurdzan (1997) John Cook Dana Fry (1997)

Awards & Recognition

Golfers' Choice

(2025 #44) (2021 #24) (2017 #39)
Top Courses in California

(2024 #16) (2023 #19) (2022 #17) (2021 #2) (2020 #25) (2019 #28) (2017 #7)
Top 25 Courses for Layout in the U.S.

(2024 #2) (2021 #13)
Top 25 Off-course amenities in the U.S.

(2021 #22) (2016 #4)
Top 25 Most Improved U.S. Golf Courses

(2017 #23)

Annual

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+ Annual

$119/year. Terms apply.

Exclusive member pricing on select tee times

Waived booking fees (on 12 bookings)

Tee Time Protection (flexible cancellation)

$120 in monthly tee time promo codes

Redeem GolfPass Points

Peacock Premium streaming (up to 12 months)

...and much more!

$119 USD/year. Terms apply.

Rating Index

4.8

96.8%

Recommend

822

Reviews

5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars

4.8

822 Reviews

5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars

96.8%

Recommend this course

777 out of 822 reviews

Conditions

4.8
Value

4.6
Layout

4.9
Friendliness

4.8
Pace

4.3
Amenities

4.7

5.0

100.0%

Recommend

Reviews

5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars

5.0

23 Reviews

5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars

100.0%

Recommend this course

23 out of 23 reviews

Conditions

5.0
Value

4.8
Layout

4.9
Friendliness

4.9
Pace

4.8
Amenities

4.8

4.9

97.5%

Recommend

Reviews

5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars

4.9

40 Reviews

5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars

97.5%

Recommend this course

39 out of 40 reviews

Conditions

4.9
Value

4.7
Layout

4.9
Friendliness

4.8
Pace

4.4
Amenities

4.8

AI summaries based on real golfer reviews

Course Highlights

Firecliff's layout earns top marks, with true-rolling greens, well-kept fairways, and a design that opens and closes on memorable par 5s. Staff consistently go above and beyond, delivering a professionally run experience from bag drop through the final hole.

FAQ

What is the address of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort?

Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort is located at 38-995 Desert Willow Dr, Palm Desert, California 92260, Riverside County.

Is Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort open to the public?

Yes, Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort is open to the public.

What year did Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort open?

Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort was built in 1997.

Who designed Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort?

Dr. Michael Hurdzan (1997), John Cook and Dana Fry (1997) are the architects of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort.

What type of grass does Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort have?

Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort has Bermuda Grass greens and Bermuda Grass fairways.

What is the par of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort

The par of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort is 72.

What is the length of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort

The length of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort is 7056 yards.

What is the rating of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort

The rating of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort is 74.1.

What is the slope of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort

The slope of Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort is 141.

What are the course conditions at Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort?

Based on reviews, other golfers are saying that the course conditions at Firecliff at Desert Willow Golf Resort are excellent.

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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.