PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament
A view of a green with water coming into play at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.
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4.6
1130 Reviews (1130)
5 Stars
690
4 Stars
303
3 Stars
90
2 Stars
30
1 Stars
17
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.3
Layout
4.8
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.6
91.7%
Recommend this course
1016 out of 1130 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
30 Reviews (30)
5 Stars
24
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
2
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.5
Layout
4.9
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.8
StaffFriendliness
4.6
90.0%
Recommend this course
27 out of 30 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
102 Reviews (102)
5 Stars
76
4 Stars
19
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
3
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.4
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.7
90.2%
Recommend this course
92 out of 102 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 72
Length 7204 yards
Slope 143
Rating 75.3

The Golden Bear tests you with tabletop fairways at PGA WEST - Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course in La Quinta.

If your shot's too wild, it's rolling up, often down into the desert. That's just one bit of the showmanship at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament course. This was designed to hold a PGA event, but it's spent its days delivering damage and fun to regular hackers.

Nicklaus particularly tests your short game with his bunkering around the greens. Confidence in your wedge shots is crucial here. Still, it's not as tough and unforgiving as Pete Dye's Stadium Course or even Greg Norman's course.

It's possible to get lost in the scenery at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course and there's plenty of scenery to go around with the desert brush and the mountains looming in the distance.

No. 15 is probably the most well known - and notorious - hole. Nicknamed "Long Island," it's pretty much that: a daunting 572 yard par five with an island green. The fairway's split, giving you a chance to pick your path. Either way you go, getting onto the green in two is oh but a dream.

"Nicklaus also abundantly uses non-traditional design features throughout the course to give the track its own unique flavor," TravelGolf.com's Jeffrey Rendall said. "In many ways, I don't think I've seen another course quite like it."

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Course Details

Year Built 1987
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Jack Nicklaus (1987) Rick Jacobson Thomas Pearson (1987)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
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, MC, AMEX, Discover
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code No denim, collared shirt and bermuda shorts required.

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Available Sports

Fitness, Tennis

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in California (2019 #30) (2014 #24)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Off-course amenities in the U.S. (2019 #15)
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Reviews

4.6
1130 Reviews (1130)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

4mfs

Great experience as usual greens a little long , totally understandable in preparation for PGA event.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

Thanks so much for the great review, fSfXbGGsByXw8yAThbjq. We look forward to welcoming you back to our course soon. Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Played On
Reviews 19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser

Greens had many unrepaired ball marks

Tha courselayout was good, the fairways decent, but get to the green and Holy Cow what a mess!

I don’t know why people using this course and paying premium green fees would not take care in repairing ball marks. I think some of these marks were days old and not repaired by morning groundskeepers. Pete Dye dunes course is a much better bang for your buck

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/22/2023

Hello, uFWMB2757FW. 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 PGA WEST Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Played On
Reviews 49
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

Recommend this course for intermediate and above skill levels

Course in excellent shape except greens which had brown (burned out) and black (mold?) sections. Back nine worst than front. Pros won't like for AMEX/FedExp tournament in January '23. Fairways, tee boxes and bunkers in exceptional shape. New carts with GPS and blue tooth speakers were a pleasant surprise. Course staff very friendly and helpful. Pace of play about 30 minutes behind per GPS.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

Hello, pcollare. Thank you for visiting us at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Wonderful Track

This is a great track. As noted fairways are generous and green complexes are difficult but fair. Staff was great in all aspects. Only downside was the course is being prepared for a tour event so the greens were pretty slow and the fairways were being seeded and prepared so they are perfect in a few weeks. Not pristine today but entirely understandable. Overall a very enjoyable experience and I would be honored to come back.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review us, u314159915488. Your feedback is valuable, and we appreciate your business. PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course thanks you!

Played On
Reviews 9
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

Hi, humbugjrs. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your time at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. We look forward to seeing you on the course soon for another 5-star experience!

Played On
Reviews 23
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

Hi, Bearsbestvegas. 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 PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!

Played On
Reviews 13
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share your favorite part of your experience and what we can do to earn that last star! Thanks for golfing at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!

Played On
Reviews 6
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

u928109839, thank you for the awesome rating! We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another great experience, and thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Golf Mecca

I had a fantastic experience! I was a bit intimidated as an 11 handicap as my playing partners had all played the course before.

When I told them my goal was to break 90 they said " good luck" however I was able to keep my ball in play and except for hitting my second shot on nine to the fairway on 1 I was able to get through the treed to the front of the green and nearly saved par!

The only problem my group had was the greens were a bit sticky and we had trouble hitting our puts hard enough. Many putts were left inches short of the hole. Practice green was a bit quicker.

The warm up range was awesome thanks to trackman, I had never seen that before.

If I hadn't got caught by the "bear trap" on 18 I would have broke 80.

Keep it straight and in play and this course is get able. I am 67 so I played from the white tees which was a good decision.

All in all one of the best days I have had golfing in 57 years of playing.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

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 PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once 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 01/03/2023

We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, mk8q16ophx6831140. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Unprofessional staff

Staff more interested in their phones … poor bunkers and greens . Not one person avaible at end of round to clean clubs or assist with bags back to car …

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

Hi, u000001210850. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are sorry to hear your customer service experience was not up to par. Please reach out to our management team at (760) 564-7111, and thanks for visiting PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Great day

Found tee times on golfnow for reduced rate. Like the stadium course the day before, the greens were four star at best.. Layer of sand and a bit hairy. Running at about 8-8.5. Little bumpy in places.. Preparing for the tournament. I guess. In its best shape probably easy five stars.

They had a members tournament and our tee off was delayed due to 4 of the last players that started on 10 and had to clear the first tee. Slowest group I’ve ever seen. 2.5 hours to play first nine holes and thankfully then they were done.

Almost dark and cold when finished due to delay.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

Hello, eldstrom. Thanks so much for your review. We're so glad you enjoyed your round at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. That's what we like to hear! We hope to see you again soon!

Played On
Reviews 23
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

Hi, Bearsbestvegas. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your time at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. We look forward to seeing you on the course soon for another 5-star experience!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Better than expected

After playing the stadium last time in PS I decided to give the Nicklaus tourney course a go this time around. The fairways were the best we had seen all week and the greens were true and fast. Some very cool holes and challenging but fair all the same. This is now my favourite course in the area and I cannot wait to get back there. Stadium gets all the hype but don’t forego the Nicklaus you will not be disappointed, especially if you play the ball left to right ;)

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

Hello, u2636144. Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review. We're so glad that you enjoyed your round at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. Please visit us again soon!

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Left out

I had made a tee time 4 weeks prior to our golf date. It was gathering of friends.one drove 8 hours, another flew in and I drove 2 hours for our reunion. When we showed up to the Nicholas course we were advised that the course had shut down 2 days prior for maintenance of the course. I was never sent an email or text that the course was close. The security guard told us that other golfers had been turned away. That ruined what was supposed to be an enjoyable reunion. So unprofessional of the people at PGA West Norman course.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2023

Hello, 11Bulldogs. Thank you for reviewing the course. We would like to apologize for your recent experience.

We're sorry to hear you were less than satisfied during your round. We pride ourselves on our providing great service and the high-quality standards we maintain.

We would like to make things right. Please reach out to our management team at the pro shop.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Staff member saved the day

I had mixed up the dates for our foursome's tee time at this course. It wasn't until the following week! However, the pro shop agent went out of his way to accommodate us later that morning. A big thank you. The course is challenging but fair. Nice wide fairways, although the undulations and drop offs can complicate things. Overall a good test for average golfers looking to experience a championship course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/03/2023

Your feedback is important to us, steelem88. Thank you for sharing your 5-star experience. We look forward to seeing you again at the course soon! Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Played On
Reviews 36
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/16/2022

Hi, Doolsdad. 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 PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Played On
Reviews 6
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/16/2022

We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, Thamrong. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!

Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Absolutely love this course

Great course! Weather wasn’t great that day. Rainy cold and windy unfortunately. Would love to play it again on a nice day.

Thank you for having us.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/16/2022

Thanks so much for your wonderful review, u314163601423. We are thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed your time with us. Please visit again soon. Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!

Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/16/2022

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

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