The PGA West Stadium Course

Play The PGA West Stadium Course

Pete Dye is one of the most respected golf course designers anywhere, and The Stadium Course at PGA West  La Quinta is a course that is always highly ranked in the golf digest top 100. California and, in particular, Palm Springs have a great choice of Championship golf, and the Stadium course is probably the best.

The first hole is a great starting point, requiring two good shots here. Play down the left side to avoid the bunker on the right with your tee shot. There’s more room on the left than appears. Be careful with your club here. Choose the best one to place you left of the green to allow for the slope left to right.

The course has been previously used for the Bob Hope Desert Classic. Renowned for being a challenging course with many water hazards and tight landing areas for tee shots. The PGA West Stadium is an outstanding match play course and has been used for many years for the PGA Skins competition. Those older enough to remember will perhaps remember the incredible ace made by Lee Trevino in 1987 on the Par 3 17th hole (‘Alcatraz’ ), claiming $175,000.

The 18th is a great finishing hole with water down the left, so aim your drive centre f the fairway. Perfect positioning here is critical for a mid-iron in, be aware the water is still the last hard today to avoid. Drive down the right centre of the fairway leaves you a mid-iron to a green guarded on the left by the previous water hazard on the course. You can easily bail out right here with local knowledge of the awaiting bunkers.

The Stadium course may be the toughest of the PGA West complex but one of the most desired and sought after golf courses in the country. However, we would say this course is built for the more adept golfer and one that doesn’t mind losing a few golf balls on the way.