Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon: Champions, Legends and Oak Valley west of Palm Springs

Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon is a public 36-hole facility in Beaumont, about 42 minutes west of Palm Springs on I-10, with two long Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt courses, Champions and Legends. The club's rate table runs from $55 after 2 pm on weekdays to $110 on weekend mornings, cart included, well under valley winter prices.

Next door, Oak Valley is the best-reviewed public course in the Pass. This guide compares the three courses, what they cost, the 2026 bunker work, and when a trip west through the San Gorgonio Pass makes sense. Rates were read on November 2, 2026 and change.

Quick facts

• Courses: Tukwet Canyon Champions and Legends (18 each, public), Oak Valley (18, public), Sun Lakes (private, Banning).
• Owner: Morongo Casino Resort & Spa owns Tukwet Canyon.
• Drive from downtown Palm Springs: Tukwet Canyon 42 min (33.3 mi), Oak Valley 44 min (32.1 mi).
• Tukwet Canyon fees: $55 to $110 with a shared cart, by time of day.
• Oak Valley fees seen: $32.99 to $64.99 with cart (GolfNow, September-October 2026).
• Elevation: about 2,600 feet at Tukwet Canyon, cooler and windier than the valley.
• Phone: Tukwet Canyon (951) 845-0014; Oak Valley (951) 769-7200.

Morongo Golf Club Tukwet Canyon rates

At Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, one table covers both courses, with a shared cart included and an extra cart at $25. The page was read November 2, 2026 and carries a 2026 copyright but no season dates. A GreenFeeTracker check in April 2026 showed lower figures, $70 weekday and $85 weekend for prime times, and a senior 55+ rate before 1 pm of $60 weekdays and $75 weekends that does not appear on the club page.

The value play is the afternoon: rates drop by $25 to $50 from morning prime, and 2 pm to close is $55 on a weekday. Compare that with the valley, where Desert Willow estimates $125 to $210 prime from January to mid-April. See cheap golf in Palm Springs for the valley's value end.

Champions vs Legends

Tukwet Canyon Champions is a big-scale championship course in the foothills of the Pass and the former home of the Southern California PGA. Its 76.1 rating from the Gold tees is higher than the PGA West Stadium Course's 75.8 from the back, though the Stadium slopes steeper at 148.

Tukwet Canyon Legends opened in 2000 and is the more open, links-like course. Water comes into play on one hole only, the 464-yard par-4 18th. An older Greenskeeper note said holes 6 to 9 were closed and the course was playing 16 holes, and a March 2025 reviewer said it would reopen as a full 18 soon. The club has not confirmed that all 18 are in play, so ask when you book.

Both courses share a 420-yard driving range, two chipping greens and two putting greens. Buckets are $5 for 20 balls, $8 for 40 and $12 for 75, and the range closes at noon on Wednesdays. A March 2026 review said the Legends range was closed. The restaurant opens Friday to Sunday, 6 am to 3 pm.

Conditions and the 2026 bunker work

This is the main caveat at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. Reviews from June to October 2026 repeatedly complained about hard, wet or poor bunkers and slow pace, with one report of five hours for 12 holes. Bunker renovation was in progress in fall 2026, and an October 29, 2026 reviewer mentioned a coming shutdown for bunker work and overseeding. No 2026 closure dates were published.

The best tip: ask the pro shop which course is in better shape that week, because bunker rehab and overseed were rotating between the two. Go for the layout and the value rather than polish. Google reviewers rate the facility 4.3 from 1,078 reviews.

Oak Valley Golf Club

Oak Valley is a 1992 Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley design, with Greg Letsche per GolfPass, a rolling foothill course among oaks with undulating greens, thick rough and well-placed bunkers. It is 44 minutes and 32.1 miles from downtown Palm Springs.

GolfPass reviewers rate it 4.2 from 1,058 reviews, 92% of whom recommend it. Rack rates are not published, but GolfNow hot deals ran $32.99 on a Monday afternoon in September 2026 and $64.99 on a Sunday afternoon in October, cart included. Groups under four get paired.

Its 2026 fall closure was in September: greens aeration and tee overseed from September 14 to 27, reopening September 28. That makes Oak Valley open in October and November, when much of the valley is closed for overseed, on settled greens. A Loyalty Club at $240 a year gives green-fee and range discounts and a 10-day booking window.

Sun Lakes and Calimesa

• Sun Lakes Country Club, Banning: a gated 55+ community 37 minutes from downtown with a championship course and an executive course. Golf is included in the HOA amenities, and outsiders should expect resident or resident-guest play only. Call (951) 845-2135 to ask about guest play.
• Calimesa Country Club: GolfPass says it closed for business in October 2017, though some directories still list it. Status unclear, call first, or simply play Oak Valley.

When to play the Pass

• October and November: the best case. Many valley courses are closed or on temporary greens for overseed, and Oak Valley's own closure was finished by September 28, 2026. See Palm Springs golf overseed and Palm Springs golf in October and November.
• On the way in or out: Ontario airport is 84 minutes from downtown Palm Springs via I-10 through the Pass, so a round here fits the drive from Los Angeles or Ontario. Read flights to Palm Springs.
• January to April: a value day when valley rates peak, but expect cooler, windier weather at 2,600 feet.
• Snowbird season: a Tukwet Canyon Limited Membership was $450 a month, or $800 for couples, on a 2026 application, aimed at golfers based in the Pass.

Tukwet Canyon and Oak Valley vs Palm Springs value courses

The Pass courses are longer and steeper-sloped than the closest Palm Springs value rounds, and often cheaper in the afternoon, but cost you 80-plus minutes of driving round trip. Off the course, the Desert Hills Premium Outlets and Morongo Casino sit side by side at Cabazon, about 30 minutes west of Palm Springs, on the same stretch of I-10. See things to do in Palm Springs.

Course guides: Tukwet Canyon Champions course guide, Tukwet Canyon Legends course guide and Oak Valley course guide. For the valley's full list, read Coachella Valley golf.

Plan it on the map

Open the Palm Springs golf map to see Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon and Oak Valley off the west edge, with drive times from every stay in the valley. The $30 plan can put a Pass round on the right day of a trip, such as an overseed week or your arrival from Ontario.