The Desert
West
With Las Vegas having more than 50, Palm Springs with 100-plus
and the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa area totaling somewhere near
200 golf courses, it’s no wonder millions of golfers each
year flock to these three desert golf boomtowns. It’s
culture shock for many once they get there, as golfers from
all over the world marvel at the union between harsh desert
topography and the soft, caressing ribbons of fairway and greens
that make up each golf oasis. Unlike other destinations, where
golf has a more natural feel, desert golf is a vivid sparring
match between man-made creations and the consuming desert barrenness.
This duel, when choreographed carefully by many of the world’s
greatest course architects, results in a vast array of truly
exciting holes that hopscotch desert canyons, traverse dry washes
and jog around huge granite boulders. Oh, and a series of enormous
and daunting man-made lakes also hold precedence at many golf
courses as well, thus fooling unsuspecting golfers who imagine
there’s only waterless courses in the desert. The sunshine
is predictable (in a good way, of course), so golf course superintendents
are able to fine-tune their course conditioning in ways that
no other place on Earth can rival. Like mentioned, golf in the
desert West isn’t played, it’s experienced. |
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Upon arrival at virtually every golf resort or stand-alone
golf club, one can expect to find among the country’s
most attentive staffs, the most glamorous golf shops, renowned
restaurants (on-site), country-club-for-a-day amenities and
practice centers that are consistently ranked among the best
in the country. A typical desert golf experience begins with
a warm morning round, a generous lunch, relaxation by the
pool and an exquisite dinner followed by some of the world’s
most sought-after evening entertainment.
Like the golf, the guest service you’ll find in the
desert is unlike anywhere else. At most locations it won’t
feel like club staffs are working for you; instead, you’ll
feel as if they’re longtime friends who have invited
you to their playground for fun in the sun and some evening
R&R. When you leave, you’ll do so with a collection
of new friends eager for your return visit.
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By the way, golf isn’t all there is to do
in the desert—shopping, spas, gambling, gourmet cuisine
and other sinful self-indulgences are endlessly available for
the non-golfing or golfing travel companion. Night or day, there’s
always something to see and do, no matter what corner of the
desert you’re in.
—Ryan M. Noll |
