The world-class competition at the BNP Paribas Open runs day and night from March 7 to 20, but sometimes you want to be more of a participant than a spectator. So, how about pairing a great golf round with your court time? These 10 Coachella Valley golf courses all lie within 10 miles of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and offer a range of ways to test your skills.
The Golf Club at Terra Lago
Northeast of Indian Wells about 9 miles are two super sister courses at The Golf Club at Terra Lago, both longer than 7,000 yards from the back tees. As host to the former Skins Game from 1999-2002, the Schmidt-Curley–designed property presents a pleasant bucolic desert experience with eye-catching, resort-style water holes. Low-handicap golfers who can hit long with control will appreciate the test of the South, and all players will enjoy the rustic surrounds and easy elevation of the more scorable North.
Photo Courtesy of Indian Wells Golf REsort
Indian Wells Golf Resort
Indian Wells Golf Resort
About 3 miles west of the Tennis Garden on Highway 111, you’ll find the dual courses of the Indian Wells Golf Resort, an ideal doubles match of tennis and golf. You get flowers and water features at the Clive Clark–designed Celebrity Course, and a bunker-laden layout at John Fought’s bold Players Course for a taut test of distance and forced carry.
Photo Courtesy of LaQuinta Resort and Club
LaQuinta Resort and Club
La Quinta Resort & Club
Drive a couple of miles south of the tennis venue on Washington Street to serve up a pair of excellent Pete Dye designs here. The courses complement each other; you may choose the lofted iron and wedge demands presented by Dye’s Dunes Course, or the handsome views of the Santa Rosas from his Mountain Course.
PGA WEST
To the southeast, a somewhat longer drive (and don’t all golfers want that?) rewards you with a trio of sister courses. Two of these courses are where the pros plied their trade at the CareeerBuilder Challenge tournament in January: the TPC Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament courses. If they present more of a challenge than a joy, opt for the more tranquil Greg Norman Course.
Courtesy of Marriott's Shadow Ridge Golf Club
Marriott's Shadow Ridge Golf Club
Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Golf Club
About 10 miles northwest of the Tennis Garden in Palm Desert, Marriott’s Shadow Ridge offers the debut domestic design from six-time major champion Nick Faldo. Defined by its Australian sandbelt-inspired bunkering, the undulating fairways require precise second-shot placement before you reach the sizable, if slick and swaled, greens.
If You Go
Indian Wells Golf Resort
44500 Indian Wells Lane
Indian Wells, 760-346-4653
www.indianwellsgolfresort.com
La Quinta Resort & Club
49499 Eisenhower Drive,
La Quinta, 760-564-4111
www.laquintaresort.com
PGA West
56150 PGA Blvd.
La Quinta, 760-564-7101
www.pgawest.com
Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Golf Club
9003 Shadow Ridge Road
Palm Desert, 760-674-2700
www.golfshadowridge.com
The Golf Club at Terra Lago
84000 Terra Lago Parkway
Indio, 760-775-2000
www.golfclub-terralago.com