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PGA WEST Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course
Rating Snapshot
About
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."
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 72 | 7204 yards | 75.3 | 143 |
| Black (W) | 72 | 7204 yards | 81.9 | 151 |
| Blue | 72 | 6522 yards | 72.2 | 134 |
| Blue (W) | 72 | 6522 yards | 78.2 | 142 |
| Blue/White | 72 | 6224 yards | 70.8 | 130 |
| Blue/White (W) | 72 | 6224 yards | 76.4 | 138 |
| White | 72 | 6061 yards | 70.0 | 128 |
| White (W) | 72 | 6061 yards | 75.4 | 136 |
| Gold | 72 | 5627 yards | 68.1 | 122 |
| Gold (W) | 72 | 5627 yards | 73.1 | 131 |
| Gold/Red | 72 | 5325 yards | 66.5 | 117 |
| Gold/Red (W) | 72 | 5325 yards | 71.5 | 123 |
| Red (W) | 72 | 5023 yards | 70.1 | 120 |
| Red | 72 | 5023 yards | 64.9 | 113 |
| Silver | 72 | 4014 yards | 60.5 | 101 |
| Silver (W) | 72 | 4014 yards | 63.8 | 111 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 75.3/143 W: 81.9/151 | 412 | 444 | 192 | 549 | 364 | 462 | 527 | 172 | 461 | 3583 | 370 | 528 | 188 | 419 | 442 | 572 | 440 | 209 | 453 | 3621 | 7204 |
| Black/Blue M: 73.8/139 W: 80.0/146 | 412 | 398 | 163 | 549 | 364 | 420 | 527 | 143 | 431 | 3407 | 370 | 528 | 164 | 378 | 442 | 516 | 423 | 209 | 431 | 3461 | 6868 |
| Blue M: 72.2/134 W: 78.2/142 | 378 | 398 | 163 | 505 | 320 | 420 | 471 | 143 | 431 | 3229 | 330 | 490 | 164 | 378 | 381 | 516 | 423 | 180 | 431 | 3293 | 6522 |
| Blue/White M: 70.8/130 W: 76.4/138 | 349 | 398 | 163 | 505 | 320 | 386 | 471 | 132 | 383 | 3107 | 330 | 490 | 155 | 338 | 381 | 472 | 368 | 180 | 403 | 3117 | 6224 |
| White M: 70.0/128 W: 75.4/136 | 349 | 387 | 155 | 482 | 299 | 386 | 450 | 132 | 383 | 3023 | 318 | 480 | 155 | 338 | 339 | 472 | 368 | 165 | 403 | 3038 | 6061 |
| White/Gold M: 69.1/125 W: 74.3/134 | 349 | 387 | 155 | 482 | 288 | 373 | 450 | 125 | 340 | 2949 | 318 | 480 | 116 | 323 | 339 | 462 | 348 | 165 | 388 | 2939 | 5888 |
| Gold M: 68.1/122 W: 73.1/131 | 311 | 354 | 133 | 447 | 288 | 373 | 426 | 125 | 340 | 2797 | 283 | 449 | 116 | 323 | 330 | 462 | 348 | 131 | 388 | 2830 | 5627 |
| Gold/Red M: 66.5/117 W: 71.5/123 | 311 | 322 | 133 | 414 | 288 | 342 | 426 | 125 | 335 | 2696 | 283 | 400 | 116 | 323 | 330 | 417 | 304 | 97 | 359 | 2629 | 5325 |
| Red M: 64.9/113 W: 70.1/120 | 273 | 322 | 120 | 414 | 225 | 342 | 391 | 92 | 335 | 2514 | 232 | 400 | 104 | 295 | 301 | 417 | 304 | 97 | 359 | 2509 | 5023 |
| Red/Silver M: 62.4/106 W: 66.7/115 | 218 | 249 | 119 | 414 | 225 | 281 | 391 | 92 | 268 | 2257 | 232 | 400 | 104 | 241 | 237 | 417 | 234 | 97 | 267 | 2229 | 4486 |
| Silver M: 60.5/101 W: 63.8/111 | 218 | 249 | 119 | 322 | 173 | 281 | 328 | 74 | 268 | 2032 | 195 | 318 | 102 | 241 | 237 | 303 | 234 | 85 | 267 | 1982 | 4014 |
| Handicap | 5 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 4 | |||
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Handicap (W) | 9 | 13 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 4 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
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Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by chrispsd on 02/12/2026
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First view Photo submitted by Richter6103254 on 12/22/2025
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Photo submitted by setch on 12/19/2025
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Photo submitted by u000002367479 on 09/19/2025
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Photo submitted by u000002367479 on 09/19/2025
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Photo submitted by u000002367479 on 09/19/2025
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Photo submitted by u000002367479 on 09/19/2025
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Photo submitted by Mincer24 on 04/16/2025
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Photo submitted by AroundtheHorn on 07/04/2024
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Photo submitted by AroundtheHorn on 07/04/2024
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Photo submitted by AroundtheHorn on 07/04/2024
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Photo submitted by AroundtheHorn on 07/04/2024
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Photo submitted by daddyzzang on 09/25/2023
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Photo submitted by Magoo6047 on 05/17/2023
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Photo submitted by u7326787 on 05/13/2023
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Photo submitted by u379613247 on 02/03/2023
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Photo submitted by mcry on 01/17/2023
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Gorgeous Photo submitted by igolowuc on 12/27/2022
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Photo submitted by Goegl01 on 12/06/2022
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Photo submitted by u2138341 on 10/04/2022
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Photo submitted by u2138341 on 10/04/2022
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Photo submitted by Golfmd50 on 02/24/2022
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Photo submitted by u355891953 on 11/16/2021
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Photo submitted by u355891953 on 11/16/2021
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Photo submitted by captainlandius on 09/26/2021
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Photo submitted by captainlandius on 09/26/2021
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Par’d it…i can go home now lol! Photo submitted by u000001295218 on 09/22/2021
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Photo submitted by u000001295218 on 09/15/2021
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History!!!!!!!!! Photo submitted by U04596 on 07/06/2021
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Number 8. Photo submitted by u378708142 on 05/16/2021
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Pretty sketchy Photo submitted by jbsocal on 09/13/2020
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Photo submitted by u314159354135 on 01/02/2020
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Photo submitted by u314159354135 on 01/02/2020
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Photo submitted by u314159354135 on 01/02/2020
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18th green Photo submitted by Dave1883044 on 11/10/2019
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Photo submitted by James2537435 on 11/07/2019
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Photo submitted by u841910878 on 05/20/2019
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Photo submitted by u841910878 on 05/20/2019
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Photo submitted by hacksalot03 on 12/31/2016
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Photo submitted by u664859348 on 01/28/2015
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Photo submitted by gjcheney60 on 02/25/2014
This is golf!
PGA West is truly magnificent! I played 3 of the courses this past week and each round was memorable. All aspects of the round were first class all the way. Check in was easy, the included practice/warmup area is expansive and in good shape, starters are friendly and knowledgeable, Marshall are not intrusive, courses are green and lush, course difficulty varies with chosen tee, course layouts are magnificent, greens are large and run fast and true, the carts look and operate as though they were new the bar/restaurant is really good. I have not played any better complex.
Thank you for your review, davidjohl. We will pass along your positive experience to our team at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Hi, robsimps99. 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!
harryaxe, 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.
Hi, u314162076099. 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!
Nicklaus Stadium
Great track, greens are flawless. Bunkers could have used a little more sand, that’s the only possible complaint. Overall, highly recommend.
Your feedback is important to us, captainlandius. 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.
Fine course plays longer then distance ,must carry
Lots of shots .greens were the best !it look like a brake play it straight you ll make more puts ..what I didn t like the golf assistant at the end of the round not take you to your car !
We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, qRXUmir2Ey2v6ZcSfVSo. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!
Hi, Dagoverto9436664. 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!
One of the Best
Absolutely one of the best courses I’ve played…can’t wai to come back
Thanks so much for the great review, u000001295218. We look forward to welcoming you back to our course soon. Thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.
Great summer shape
It was in great summer shape and the greens were perfect firm and quick.
Hi, u000006535868. 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.
All strategy
You need great short game for this course. Not a bombers course. Fastest greens I’ve ever played. Long iron or metal wood off the tee. Really hard to get up and down. I hit 71% fairways but 37 putts. 9 and 18 are classic. Definitely need to play again. BTW you’re 10 to 50 feet below sea level.
Thank you for taking the time to review us, Mike72davis. Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to delivering you excellent service again soon. PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course thanks you!
I’ll be back!!!
From the drive up…to the drink at the 19th….just an amazing experience!!! Can’t wait to go back!!!
Hello, u000001295218. 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!
Epic, Immaculate, and Playable
I really enjoyed this course; it had all the cartoonish elements of the Stadium Course while being much more fun to play. Fairways and greens were in exceptional shape, especially for late summer, rough varied from deep and penal to crispy and hot. It was around 110 degrees when I played and the marshal checked on me twice to make sure the heat wasn’t getting to me, which I really appreciated; when the course is empty it doesn’t make sense for them to run a drink cart and I like how they were sensitive to that. All around, an absolute A+ experience all around!
We're glad you enjoyed your 5-star experience with us, sqdg83. Please comment or reach out to our team in the golf shop to let us know more about your round at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!
Nicklaus Tournament
Rode the Blues (6522/72.2/134) in slightly over 3.5 twilight on a GN Hot Deal. Played with Steve, hilarious guy to be matched up with. 112 and humid made the conditions uncomfortable. We were behind a 4some that had no intention of letting us play through. So Steve stopped, got drinks and we sat in the shade and talked until they were well ahead so we could play w/o waiting on every shot. The course was not busy.
Bermuda tees had decent coverage and were good to play from.
Bermuda fairways were semi lush and nice to play from.
Bermuda primary rough was mowed low but still thick with good coverage.
Plentiful sand traps had decent sand but were too thin.
Bermuda greens were very firm and consistent from green to green. I expected them to be so/so late in the summer. Wrong! These were some of the smoothest Bermuda greens I have ever putted on and medium fast. Very nice!
Nicklaus Tournament features mounds along the sides of fairways, large/deep bunkers, several split fairways and expansive sand waste bunkers. Raised greens where irons barely off line or short can be in collection areas where the green is well above the golfer. Very good customer service from everyone. Plenty of water stations on the course and bottled water provided. Good GPS on the carts. The cart gal was out making the rounds numerous times. Nice all grass range and a new putting green since I last played here close to Nicklaus Tournament #1 tee. Recommended.
Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating, redhard21! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!
Hello jayk0915,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave an excellent rating! We really appreciate your business. Please let us know what we can do for you in the future to earn that last star!
Hi, jayk0915. We would love to hear more about your 4-star experience on our course. Please tell us what we can do to earn that last star, and thanks for golfing at PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!
Great course slow pace
Great course with challenging holes. However, need a stronger Marshall presence as pace of play mirrored that of a muni!!
Hello. Thank you for reviewing the course. We apologize for the delay of play during your round. This is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We work hard to accommodate everyone who visits our course and to best control pace allowing everyone to finish in a reasonable amount of time. We will continue to look for ways to improve, and we are glad to see you rated the course conditions to be great during your game. Thank you for playing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. We hope to see you again soon.
Hi, MannyRosas. 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!
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Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating, u314162243412! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course!