Golf in the Desert - Take 2

I've just finished playing two more beautiful desert courses - Silver Rock and Desert Willow. Silver Rock will be the site of next year's Bob Hope. It's a brand new course, built in the middle of desert rock and sand next to the base of the mountains. Within a couple of years the place will be surrounded by new million dollar plus homes and a sister course. Apparently this whole area will double or triple its population in a matter of only a few years.

The course itself is quite spectacular, as most of the high end plays are out in this neck of the woods. The back tees are all but unplayable if you're not a card carrying PGA professional. There are plenty of tough traps, filled with something that's a close cousin of kitty litter - but very playable. There's little in the way of rough that's grass, most fairways being surrounded by the desert - more aptly labeled giant waste bunkers. To make matters worse, these bunkers are filled with small plants that act as ball magnets. Bottom line; hitting a ball into these areas is a double penalty. First take an unplayable lie and then try to hit a 200 yard shot out of the sand to a green that has water on at least one side.

The good news at Silver Rock is we saw some beautiful bighorn sheep. They come down to the course to 'graze' in hot weather. Watching them climb near vertical rock with ease was the real treat of the day. Back to golf - the course was in great shape, but the greens were not as good as at The Classic.

Desert Willow is owned by the town of Palm Desert. It may be the most beautifully planted course in this whole area. It looks much like the other courses, but because of the landscaping you never really feel like you're playing in the middle of a desert. The course personnel are all very friendly. For some reason, the speed of play was much better. At Silver Rock we had to wait on almost every shot. I suspect this is because the course is more difficult than most players are capable of handling.

The bottom line after playing 5 courses, they are all too similar. After awhile you can't keep them straight in your mind. It's as if the course architects are all working off one master plan. Maybe you can only do so much in the middle of the desert.

If you've read any of my blogs before, then you know I don't like carts. Out here they are mandatory. I've never seen one person carry or pull a cart yet. I'm not sure what hitting a golf ball while driving a cart is called, but it sure isn't golf. Give me my old pull cart and the simple plebeian courses back home and I'm a happy camper!