ARNOLD PALMER CLASSIC COURSE, SilverRock Resort, La Quinta


courtesy silverrock resort

Even those who don’t know golf know Arnold Palmer. He’s part of our collective cultural DNA to the point that his name alone stands for a certain brand of quality — an aspect that didn’t escape the City of La Quinta when it was looking at bids from course designers charged with turning the former Ahmanson Ranch into a premier golf destination.

“Certainly that played a role,” says Debbie Powell, La Quinta’s management analyst. But so did Palmer’s reputation as one of the finest designers working. “He was here quite a bit working with [lead architect] Erik Larsen,” Powell says. The result is a public course that, barring machinations from the PGA, will soon be a part of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic rotation. Despite its championship aspirations, the Palmer Classic Course must still play for the locals — its primary audience.

So it’s no surprise that Golf Magazine named it one of the top 10 new courses the public can play.
SilverRock stretches 7,578 yards along the jagged outcroppings of the Santa Rosas, but it’s on the par 5s where Palmer makes you dig deep: Stretching over 600 yards on average, these will eat up your score or prove your worth — which is why you’re playing SilverRock in the first place.
Tee times: 777-8884