Valley at Marriott's Desert Springs Resort

This course is part of the famous JW Marriott and you would expect a better condition course for the money. The greens were terribly inconsistent and bumpy. We only saw the beverage cart one time in our 4 hours and the snack shack was closed at the turn.

Course was very challenging to play. Greens were very fast. The water holes were not easy. Be careful where you lay up. The Starter and golf cart fellas we're very friendly. However proshop guy could have been friendlier.

Although course conditions were very good, many holes had fairways with arbitrary and large mounds reminiscent of mogul fields, leading often to uneven lies, blind shots, and difficulty in following and locating the ball. The last few holes were more scenic and challenging because of the many water areas. The GPS often beeped and stopped the cart even when outside the cart direction signs, requiring backing up. The pace of play was slow, resulting in a 4 1/2 round.

Palm Springs at 6:50 in April means you will be playing alone and as fast as you want. Inly saw two other golfers the whole morning but I was back at the clubhouse in 2 and a half hours.

The course staff were very good and the practice facilities were first class.

There was enough variation in the layout that it did stand out against all the other courses in the area with similar topography.