Escena Golf Club: rates, the Escena Club card and the layout

Escena Golf Club is a public daily-fee course in north Palm Springs, a 2005 Nicklaus Design layout that anyone can book up to 30 days ahead. It is about 10 minutes from downtown. Pricing is dynamic, with the lowest rates on times booked 0 to 3 days out, and a $399 Escena Club card cuts the price for regulars.

For a golfer staying in Palm Springs itself, Escena Golf Club is the most complete daily-fee round in town. This guide covers the layout and tees, how the dynamic pricing and the card work, the 2026 overseed and where to stay. Details were read on the club site on November 2, 2026, and rates change with demand.

Quick facts

• Access: public, daily-fee; online booking up to 30 days ahead.
• Design: Nicklaus Design, opened 2005 (GolfPass credits Jack Nicklaus); par 72.
• Back tees: Tournament, 7,173 yards, 74.4/133.
• Pricing: dynamic; lowest rates 0 to 3 days out; no rate card published.
• Escena Club card 2026-27: $399, with $100 Golf Cash.
• 2026 overseed: closed about September 27 to October 28-30.
• Golf shop: 760-778-2737, ext. 1.
• From downtown Palm Springs: about 10 minutes, 5.3 miles.

The layout

Escena Golf Club is a wide, modern desert course on flat ground near the airport, with big mountain views and a lot of sand. The fairways are generous, so a wayward driver survives, but from the back it is long, and the bunkering and afternoon wind do the work. The north side of Palm Springs sits near the mouth of the San Gorgonio Pass, where west winds funnel through, so north Palm Springs can be windier than the mid- and east-valley courses. No official wind figure was used for that, but it is worth taking a morning time if your group struggles in the breeze.

With six sets and two combo tees, Escena fits almost any group. Most visitors will enjoy the Middle or Combo I tees; the Tournament tees are for strong players.

How Escena Golf Club pricing works

Escena does not publish a rate card. Prices are dynamic and move with demand. The useful rules from the club site:

• 0 to 3 days out: the lowest dynamic rates. Cancel with at least 24 hours' notice or the prepaid fee is forfeited.
• 4 to 30 days out: regular rates, with 15 to 20 percent off for Escena Club cardholders. Cancel with 72 hours' notice.
• Cart: rates include cart under the club card terms.

The only published dollar band is Greenskeeper's average weekend peak of $50 to $100, which is undated. For a flexible group, the practical approach is to book a few days before you play. For a group that needs a fixed weekend time in February or March, book further out and accept a higher rate. See Palm Springs tee times and Palm Springs golf rates.

The Escena Golf Club card

The card makes sense for a snowbird based in Palm Springs or Cathedral City who will play Escena regularly over a winter, especially with a regular foursome, since three guests ride on the card rate. The $100 Golf Cash offsets a quarter of the price on day one. For a one-week visitor, it is unlikely to pay off. Compare it with other season deals in Palm Springs golf passes.

Overseed and season

Escena is bermuda overseeded with rye. The 2026 closure ran from about September 27 to October 28, per the club's Escena Club page. Arizona Golf Vacations listed September 28 to October 30, and another listing said the season opened Friday October 30. Either way, it is open for November 2026.

November is one of the best months to play at the Palm Springs end, with a normal high of 78.7F at the airport, about 1.3 rain days and rates below the January to April peak. Watch Greater Palm Springs Pride on November 6 to 8, 2026, which fills Palm Springs hotels that weekend, and Modernism Week on February 11 to 21, 2027. See Palm Springs golf overseed.

After the round

The Escena Grill is open 7 am to 5 pm Sunday to Tuesday and 7 am to 9 pm Wednesday to Saturday through January 30, 2027, with live music Wednesday and Thursday. That makes it a good spot for a group to stay on after a round. There is also a golf shop; practice facilities and prices were not published.

A first or last round near the airport

Escena Golf Club sits beside Palm Springs International Airport, which is about 10 minutes from downtown. That makes it a practical arrival-day or departure-day round, with clubs already in the car. Read flights to Palm Springs.

Where to stay

The DoubleTree resort fee is a third-party figure from October 2026. Desert Princess has its own 27-hole course, open to the public on TeeOff and GolfNow, including the El Cielo/Los Lagos pairing.

Escena vs the other Palm Springs public courses

Escena is the longest and most modern of the three. For a snowbird winter, a sensible split is Escena Golf Club on the card for regular rounds, Tahquitz Creek for budget days and Indian Canyons North once a week for a change of scene. Indian Canyons North is the classic, closest to downtown hotels, and Tahquitz Creek is the value round. Read Indian Canyons golf, Tahquitz Creek golf and the best golf courses in Palm Springs. See the Escena course guide and the Indian Canyons North course guide.

Plan it on the map

Open the Palm Springs golf map to see Escena with its tees, the Palm Springs and Cathedral City courses and the stays around the airport. The $30 plan can cover a whole winter stay with a weekly rotation that puts Escena in the days you can book close.