Private golf clubs in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley: who can play

Private golf clubs in Palm Springs and the rest of the Coachella Valley make up more than half the courses on our map: 51 of 100. Most are members-and-guests only, and a visitor needs a member to host them. A few have a published route, through reciprocal programs, trial memberships or a rental in the community.

This guide lists the private golf clubs in Palm Springs and down the valley by area, says exactly which guest routes are published, and points you to the public and resort courses you can book instead. Where a club's guest policy is not confirmed, we say so.

Quick facts

• Private on the map: 51 of 100 courses. Two more are off the map (Ladera in Thermal, Sun Lakes in Banning).
• Open to visitors: 27 public, 11 resort and 10 semi-private courses, plus one guests-only course in a motorcoach resort.
• Most private clubs by town: La Quinta 14, Palm Desert 13, Rancho Mirage 11, Indian Wells 8.
• Named guest routes: Mission Hills CC (Invited reciprocal), Bermuda Dunes (trial and seasonal memberships), Seven Lakes (resident guests and renters).
• Default rule: private means you play with a member, or not at all.

Private golf clubs in Palm Springs and Cathedral City

O'Donnell is the historic 1925 nine-hole club below the mountain in downtown Palm Springs. Seven Lakes is a condo-community course. A 2024-25 green-fee sheet showed resident-guest rates of about $49 for 18 in season, so a Seven Lakes rental is the one realistic way in for a visitor at this end of the valley.

Rancho Mirage private clubs

Mission Hills Country Club is the old LPGA major venue with the pond at the 18th of the Dinah Shore course. It has been owned by ClubCorp/Invited since 1993, which is why Invited reciprocal programs are the named route in. Thunderbird was the valley's first 18-hole club and hosted the 1955 Ryder Cup. Tamarisk dates from 1952.

Palm Desert private clubs

Of all the private golf clubs in Palm Springs' mid-valley, Avondale and Palm Desert Greens are the two to phone. Both are private, but listings suggest some outside play.

Indian Wells private clubs

Toscana North and South are a private two-course Jack Nicklaus club, members and guests only. The Vintage Club Mountain and Desert courses are a private membership club. Indian Wells Country Club, Eldorado, The Reserve Club and Desert Horizons are listed as private, but their guest, reciprocal and rental-guest policies are not confirmed.

La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes and Indio private clubs

Bermuda Dunes is the clearest case. It is a private 27-hole Billy Bell Jr. club and a former Bob Hope Classic course. Club documents list guest fees of $125 to $130 from November 1 to May 31, family guest fees of $66 to $70 and a cap of 14 guest rounds a season. It also sells trial and seasonal memberships, including for community residents.

Tri Palm in Thousand Palms is a community course whose visitor access was not verified.

Off the map

• Ladera, Thermal: a Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner course opened in 2023, Golf Digest's Best New Private Course that year and number 87 on GOLF's 2024-25 Top 100 in the US. No public play and no published membership.
• Sun Lakes, Banning: a gated 55+ community with a championship course and an executive course. Expect resident or resident-guest play only; call (951) 845-2135 to ask about guest play.

Clubs with status unclear

Several other private courses could not be confirmed and are not on the map: Canyon Country Club, Hidden Springs, Desert Crest, Caliente Springs and Canyon Estates in the Palm Springs area, and Ironwood South (an undated report says it is being renovated) and Santa Rosa Country Club in Palm Desert. Status unclear, call first. See closed golf courses in Palm Springs for the ones that are gone.

How to play private golf clubs in Palm Springs

For visitors and snowbirds, there are five routes, and only the first works everywhere.

1. Be a member's guest. The default at every private club. Ask a friend who belongs and expect to play with them.
2. Reciprocal play. Mission Hills Country Club names Invited reciprocal and member programs. If your home club is in the Invited network, ask your pro.
3. Trial or seasonal membership. Bermuda Dunes offers both, which suits a snowbird staying a full winter.
4. Rent in the community. Seven Lakes renters may get resident-guest access through the owner. At PGA West, rentals do not include golf, and one listing says guests may not use the course without a tee time arranged with PGA West. Read Palm Springs golf vacation rentals before signing.
5. Stay at a guests-only resort. Motorcoach Country Club has nine par-3 holes, played twice from alternate tees, free for lot owners and registered guests. The club does not say the public can play.

Public alternatives to the private clubs

The Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament are two of the three American Express host courses, with La Quinta Country Club, which is private. That makes them the closest a visitor gets to the tour experience. Mission Hills - Gary Player is the easy mix-up: it is public and independent, not part of Mission Hills Country Club.

Course guides: PGA West Stadium course guide, Indian Wells Players course guide and Gary Player course guide. For more, read Palm Springs golf courses, the best golf courses in Palm Springs, our PGA West golf guide, Rancho Mirage golf and Palm Springs golf passes. If you are weighing an Arizona winter instead, see private golf clubs in Tucson.

Plan it on the map

Open the Palm Springs golf map to see every private golf club in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley marked apart from the courses you can book. The $30 plan builds your trip, or a whole winter's weekly rotation, from the public and resort courses only.