Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Nicklaus Tournament Golf Course Review


PGA WEST is a golfer's dream. So many courses in such a small area, you never know where to turn to hit the next shot. Luckily the Nicklaus Tournament course (one of the courses part of the PGA Tour event in Palm Springs) takes a lot of the decision making process as you definitely need to play this course.


I'm usually not a fan of bulldozer courses and one surrounded by houses but for this one I will make an exception. The shot off the tee gives you a lot of options with many ways to position yourself for the next shot. The bunkers don't just hang out waiting for you but can snake the length of the fairway making them a constant hazard.

There is a little TOO much bulldozering from time to time:


but for the most part the moguls make for a fun time.

The par 3's have the classic SoCal water features but on steroids and you can see why the pros play here, its a tough test (especially on the back 9).


The only disappointment came to the greens. Usually courses have a baseline of playability and I was very disappointed that while the Nicklaus course far exceeded this baseline in every, it sadly failed in the most crucial one, the greens. I'm not sure if they were letting them die off to re-seed them (which is understandable if that was the case so I am giving PGA WEST some slack) but it made putting a nightmare.


One of my playing partners is a resident of Palm Springs and said that this conditioning is VERY atypical of PGA WEST so I imagine if you play there at any time other than late June the greens will be in great shape but its definitely something to be aware of.

Overall, I liked the Nicklaus course much more than I thought I would. Challenging and engaging and while it rose out of the landscape via the heavy hand of the Golden Bear, it is worthy of your time when in Palm Springs (as long as the greens get back into shape).

For more info on PGA WEST, check it out here: http://www.pgawest.com/club/scripts/library/view_document.asp?NS=PG&APP=80&DN=NICKTOURN


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