Coachella Valley Golf - California

The area known as the Coachella Valley comprises Palm Springs, forming the northwestern boundary, and Coachella on the southeast. There are now several other rapidly growing communities in between: Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Indian Wells and Indio.

Discovered in the early '20s by Hollywood's elite, it is no longer a group of sleepy little villages. While the area has changed over the years, the one thing that has not is the magnificent clear blue sky and the mild climate. It's a great feeling to be soaking your body in a warm outdoor pool or playing a round of golf on a manicured course while the rest of the country is slipping and sliding behind a snow plow.

The chambers of commerce advise you to bring warmer apparel for evening, stating that "Summer months - June through mid-September - are warmer." This is one of the most masterful understatements of all time. I have seen the temperature climb well over 125°. I don't care how low the humidity is. When it gets that hot this is no place for a human being, much less a golfer.

Within this area there are over 70 golf courses, 20 or more world-class destination golf resorts, plus a few others a bit farther south in the Borrego Springs region. While not as large, the Coachella Valley is rapidly becoming the West Coast version of Myrtle Beach's golf scene.