In our annual Best of the Best competition, Indian Wells Golf Resort was named public golf course by our readers. We spoke with director golf Joe Williams to learn more about golf resort.
What makes Indian Wells Golf Resort such a great destination for golfers?
Indian Wells is the jewel of the desert, in my opinion. It’s very secluded, up against the mountains. You get some wonderful views. Our service helps to set us apart from some of the competition in the valley. With two wonderful courses to play golf, a beautiful restaurant and clubhouse, and four hotels right on the corner of the property, it’s an ideal location for couples, guys, golf trips, and any folks that want to truly enjoy the outdoors.
How do the Players and Celebrity courses differ?
The golf courses are very diverse. They’re both championship-caliber. The Players course is a bit longer and wider, and it probably plays one shot more difficult. The green complexes are very large, with a lot of subtle breaks and a lot of runoff areas. The Celebrity course is more like a country club course. It’s one of the most beautiful golf courses that isn’t on a body of water. You’ve got some amazing mountain vistas, a lot of flowers, different color splashes. And the last six holes all have a water feature of some sort.
Any advice for a first-timer?
On the Players course, avoid the fairway bunkers at all costs. They are very penal and will make it very challenging for you to make pars. On the Celebrity course, it’s all about ball control. Keep it in the fairway and keep it underneath the hole on the greens because, as I said, it plays more like a private country club, and if you’re crooked or above the greens, pars will become challenging.
The Players course is scheduled to undergo a redesign. What do you hope to achieve with the updated course?
That’ll start in March, and it’ll be closed with a reopening in late 2025, either November or December. The course is 17 years old, so it’s a chance to freshen it up and add some new holes. It was kind of a disjointed golf course, with two holes on the south side of the wash, and now we’re going to be able to play all 18 holes on the north side of the wash with returning nines.
