Destination guide
A 3-night, 3-round Palm Springs golf trip costs $800–$1,800 per person as of 2026 — squarely between Myrtle Beach and Scottsdale on price. The Coachella Valley has over 100 golf courses spread across Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and La Quinta, making it the most accessible winter golf destination for West Coast groups. The challenge is the same as any market with deep course inventory: without budget and preference data from the group, the shortlist never narrows.
By Neil Barris, founder of Outing.golfLast updated: June 2026
November through April is the main season. Reliable sunshine, low humidity, and mild temperatures make it one of the most consistently playable destinations in the US during the winter months.
Desert mountain layouts, classic resort courses, and public daily-fee options give groups a mix of styles and price points. PGA WEST and La Quinta are well-known anchors; plenty of strong mid-tier courses fill the schedule.
Palm Springs has full resort infrastructure — hotels, rental houses, pool villas, and restaurant options — that works for groups ranging from 4 players to 16. Non-golf amenities are available if not everyone is playing every day.
Think of Palm Springs as the middle option: roughly 25–30% cheaper than a comparable Scottsdale itinerary, and a step up in price from Myrtle Beach. The figures below assume 3 nights, 3 rounds, in-season, as of 2026.
Palm Springs trip cost — per person, 3 nights, 3 rounds (as of 2026)
Budget
$800–$1,100
Profile
Budget
Courses
Public daily-fee and value resort courses (Desert Willow, Indian Wells)
Lodging
Shared pool-house rental, 2 per room
Budget
$1,100–$1,450
Profile
Mid-range
Courses
Mix of resort courses — Westin Mission Hills, La Quinta, one PGA WEST round
Lodging
Larger villa rental or mid-tier resort hotel
Budget
$1,450–$1,800+
Profile
Premium
Courses
PGA WEST Stadium, La Quinta, peak-season rates
Lodging
Resort on-property at La Quinta or comparable
For the same numbers across every major destination, see the golf trip cost per person guide.
January through March is peak season — the best weather and the highest demand of the year, which means course availability tightens and both greens fees and lodging run at their annual high. November and early December are the organizer's window: nearly identical conditions, lower rates, and far less competition for tee times. April is warm and works well early in the month, before spring break and festival-season crowds (Coachella weekends spike lodging prices across the entire valley) push rates back up.
Summer is the deal season — with a caveat. From June through September, temperatures regularly exceed 110°F, and greens fees drop 50% or more, as of 2026. Groups that genuinely commit to 6–7am tee times can play premium courses at budget prices and spend afternoons at the pool. If your group will not get up at dawn, do not book a Palm Springs summer trip — there is no playable afternoon.
Palm Springs International (PSP) is the close option — 15–30 minutes from most of the valley — but its route map is limited and winter fares run high. Many flying groups land at Ontario (ONT), about 75 minutes away, or LAX, about 2 hours without traffic, and drive in. For Southern California groups the math is simpler: it is a 2-hour drive from LA, which is exactly why the valley fills up with weekend golf groups all winter.
You need cars regardless. The valley's courses stretch 30+ miles from Palm Springs proper to La Quinta, and a PGA WEST tee time is 35–40 minutes from a downtown Palm Springs rental. Plan on one vehicle per foursome. On lodging math: a 4–5 bedroom pool house in the Palm Desert corridor typically splits to $70–$130 per person per night for groups of 8 as of 2026 — usually well below two-to-a-room resort pricing in season — and the pool is a real amenity in the desert. On-property resort lodging at La Quinta or Westin Mission Hills eliminates the morning shuttle problem entirely; the premium is meaningful, so it works best when the group's budget range supports it.
Palm Springs is the wrong call for East Coast groups — by the time you connect into PSP or drive in from LAX, Myrtle Beach or Pinehurst gets you more golf for less travel. It is also a non-starter as a summer destination for any group that will not commit to dawn tee times.
And groups chasing maximum public-access trophy golf may find Scottsdale a better fit — a larger share of the Coachella Valley's 100+ courses are private or members-first, so the bookable inventory is thinner than the raw course count suggests. Palm Springs rewards groups that want a relaxed pool-house trip with very good golf attached, more than groups building an itinerary of nothing but marquee rounds.
FAQ
As of 2026, plan on $800–$1,800 per person for a 3-night, 3-round Palm Springs trip — cheaper than Scottsdale, pricier than Myrtle Beach. The low end is a shared pool-house rental and value courses like Desert Willow; the high end is winter peak season with marquee rounds at PGA WEST and resort lodging at La Quinta or Indian Wells.
January through March is peak — the best weather and the highest rates of the year. November and early December offer nearly identical conditions at noticeably lower prices, which makes them the smart organizer's window. Summer (June–September) regularly tops 110°F, but greens fees drop 50% or more for groups willing to play at dawn.
The Coachella Valley has over 100 courses spread across Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, and La Quinta. A meaningful share are private, but the public and resort-access inventory is still deep enough that most groups need a budget filter before the shortlist narrows.
Pool-house rentals in the Palm Springs–Palm Desert corridor are the default for groups of 6–12: lower per-person cost than hotel rooms, one shared hangout space, and a real pool. Groups that want zero logistics stay on-property at resorts like La Quinta or Westin Mission Hills, where lodging and courses share an address — at a meaningful premium.
No, and often you shouldn't. PSP is 15–30 minutes from most of the valley but has limited direct routes and higher fares. Many groups fly into Ontario (ONT, about 75 minutes away) or LAX (about 2 hours without traffic) and drive. Southern California groups skip flights entirely — it's a 2-hour drive from LA. Either way, plan on one rental vehicle per foursome.
Related
How Palm Springs compares to Scottsdale, Myrtle Beach, and other top destinations.
The other desert option — more public trophy courses at a higher price point.
The value play: 80+ courses and the lowest per-person cost of the major destinations.
Realistic cost ranges by destination tier so you can set a real budget window.
Palm Springs golf trip planner
Outing.golf collects budgets, dates, and course preferences from your group so you can narrow 100+ Coachella Valley courses to the right shortlist and get everyone aligned before you book anything.