What makes a golf course good for match play?

Courses with risk-reward holes, playable fairways, and enough scoring chances to keep matches alive tend to work best for match play.

Are Palm Springs golf courses good for side bets?

Yes. Many Palm Springs public courses offer the right mix of forgiving landing areas, birdie opportunities, and pressure-filled finishing holes for side games.

Which Palm Springs course is best for skins games?

Eagle Falls is one of the best options for skins because it creates enough volatility and late-round drama without becoming unfair.

Should mixed-handicap groups play match play in Palm Springs?

Yes. Match play is often the best format for mixed groups because a bad hole hurts less than it does in stroke play and more players stay competitive.

Palm Springs

Best Palm Springs Courses for Match Play and Side Bets

The best Palm Springs golf courses for match play and side bets with fun risk-reward holes and group-friendly pressure.

The best buddies-trip rounds usually do not come down to scorecards alone. They come down to presses on the back nine, a nervy up-and-down to save a skin, or one guy standing on a reachable par 5 trying to win the whole day with a reckless cut over water.

Palm Springs is quietly excellent for that kind of golf. The desert gives you plenty of room off the tee on some courses, but the strongest match-play layouts still know how to create pressure, especially late.

For match play and side bets, you are not necessarily looking for the hardest course in town. You want volatility.

You want holes that can swing fast, options that reward aggression, and enough forgiveness that one bad hole does not ruin the rest of the match. The courses below do that best.

Quick Answer: Best Palm Springs Courses for Match Play and Side Bets

The best Palm Springs golf courses for match play and side bets are Indian Wells Celebrity, Desert Willow Mountain View, Eagle Falls, Escena, and Indian Canyons South. These layouts combine wide enough landing areas for mixed groups with just enough risk-reward architecture, drivable or birdieable stretches, and pressure-filled closing holes to keep matches alive.

Indian Wells Golf Resort notes that its two courses are ranked among Golfweek’s Top 25 Best Municipal Courses in the United States, while local 2026 public-course lists continue to rate Desert Willow, Indian Wells, Eagle Falls, and Escena among the area’s strongest public options.

Indian Wells Golf Resort: Celebrity Course

Celebrity is one of the best all-around betting courses in the valley because it keeps everybody in the game without feeling soft.

Clive Clark’s design gives you generous landing areas, but the angles into greens and well-placed water still create decision points where matches can flip quickly. The course is part of a resort property that says both tracks are ranked among Golfweek’s Top 25 Best Municipal Courses in the United States, which helps explain why it feels polished without becoming overly punishing.
The routing has enough scorable holes that birdies actually show up in group play, which matters for skins and Nassau games. A match-play course cannot be all defense. It needs some holes where someone can steal one with a wedge or a hot putter.
The late-round visuals also help. Water features, desert framing, and resort conditioning make the last four or five holes feel bigger than they are, which is exactly what side-bet golf needs.

Best if your group wants a resort-caliber match-play course that keeps both low and mid handicaps engaged.

Pros: generous off the tee, polished conditions, strong closing pressure
Cons: premium pricing, less wild than a true stadium-style test

Desert Willow Golf Resort: Mountain View Course

Mountain View is the smarter gambling course at Desert Willow for most groups because it is playable enough to keep the bets moving.

Desert Willow positions Mountain View as the more player-friendly complement to Firecliff, with wide landing areas and multiple tee options, and that is exactly why it works for group games. A match-play round dies when half the foursome is out of holes by the turn.
The course gives you chances to be aggressive without demanding hero shots on every tee. That balance matters for wolf, two-man best ball, and presses, where a round gets more fun when players feel like they have choices rather than just survival.
It is also one of the better picks for mixed groups because a player can lose a hole with one loose swing and still feel fully alive in the next one. That reset quality is underrated in betting golf.

Best if your group wants steady action and a layout that encourages smart aggression rather than blowups.

Pros: friendly routing, strong pace, ideal for mixed handicaps
Cons: less visually intimidating than Firecliff, fewer truly dramatic gamble holes

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Eagle Falls Golf Club

Eagle Falls is one of the best side-bet courses in the desert because Clive Clark gave it personality without turning it into chaos.

Fantasy Springs describes Eagle Falls as a public 18-hole, par-72 course at 6,715 yards with elevated tees, rolling fairways, lakes, and waterfalls, and that combination is perfect for match play. It gives a round texture. It gives players spots to attack. It also gives the match enough visual drama that the money holes actually feel important.
The course is long enough to feel substantial but fair enough that average players still produce birdie looks and halve holes with pars. That is a sweet spot for buddy trips.
Eagle Falls also gets a lift from the setting. If your group wants the round to roll into drinks, dinner, or casino time, the transition is effortless, which makes it a strong anchor for a full golf-day itinerary.

Best if your group wants a lively, visually memorable match-play round with enough bite to make the back nine matter.

Pros: strong risk-reward feel, fun setting, good blend of challenge and fairness
Cons: farther east than central Palm Springs, can tempt players into dumb swings

Escena Golf Club

Escena is a cleaner, more strategic betting course than people expect.

Escena says its Nicklaus-designed championship course blends scenery, style, location, and accessibility, and that accessibility is exactly what makes it so good for group formats. You are not constantly looking for golf balls, and the modern routing keeps the match moving.
The open look off the tee invites bold swings, but wind and angle still matter. On paper, some holes feel straightforward. In practice, they ask better questions than most resort-friendly layouts do.
Escena is especially good for lower-stakes betting rounds where the group wants competition without a slog. It is also one of the easiest courses to weave into a broader Palm Springs trip because of its location near the city's core.

Best if your group wants side bets, tempo, and a clean modern design without a punishing setup.

Pros: excellent location, modern shot values, fast-flowing round
Cons: less bruising finish than Stadium-style courses, challenge depends on wind more than hazards

Indian Canyons Golf Resort: South Course

The South Course is one of the sneakiest great match-play layouts in the area because it gives players enough scoring holes to stay aggressive.

Indian Canyons highlights the South as a 6,582-yard layout remodeled by Casey O’Callahan with Amy Alcott consulting, and notes that it includes five par 5s. That alone should get the attention of any group that likes presses, birdie holes, and two-man games. Five par 5s means more leverage points.
The setting feels classic Palm Springs rather than ultra-manicured resort golf, which adds personality to the round. Native palms, visual openness, and a little bit of old-school bounce make the match feel less scripted.
Because the course is not relentlessly hard, it works for groups where one or two players are stronger, but the whole group still wants competitive holes. That is a better buddies-trip formula than pure championship grind.

Best if your group wants a classic-feeling layout with enough birdie chances to keep every bet alive.

Pros: five par 5s, strong match-play rhythm, memorable Palm Springs character
Cons: less polished than top-tier resorts, not as dramatic visually as some newer builds

What Makes a Course Good for Match Play

A good match-play course is not always the “best” course in a conventional ranking sense.

It needs recoverability. One bad swing should cost a hole, not the whole afternoon.
It needs volatility. Reachable holes, attackable flags, and swing spots are what create presses and momentum changes.
It needs pace. Side bets get less fun when the round drags past five hours, and everyone is checking watches instead of reading putts.

That is why groups building a bigger trip should also review Best Public Golf Courses in Palm Springs for Groups.

The same traits that make a course good for groups, playable routing, reliable operations, and fair challenge, usually make it better for side games too.

Best Formats for These Courses

Different layouts reward different betting games, and Palm Springs gives you options.

Celebrity and Mountain View are great for Nassau and two-man best ball because they keep enough players relevant deep into the round.
Eagle Falls is perfect for skins because a single bold swing can steal a hole late.
Indian Canyons South is excellent for match play because the five par 5s create multiple pressure points.
Escena works well for wolf or rotating partners because the clean design keeps the game moving and decisions clear.

If your group likes dramatic endings more than constant punishment, it also helps to review Best Palm Springs Golf Courses with Challenging Finishing Holes before locking in the main betting round.

When to Schedule the Money Round

The biggest betting round should usually land on day two.

Arrival-day matches tend to be messy because travel throws off timing and energy.
Final-day matches can get compromised by flights, checkout times, or players mentally checking out.
Day two is the sweet spot. Everyone knows the group rhythm by then, and the bets feel bigger because the trip is fully underway.

That logic is part of why many groups use a broader planning framework like Best Palm Springs Courses for Buddies Golf Trips when building the full weekend.

The best betting course is not just about architecture. It is about where it fits in the trip.

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The best Palm Springs betting rounds are the ones where everybody still has a path on the 15th tee, somebody gets greedy on 17, and the 18th green feels just uncomfortable enough to make the drinks afterward taste better.

Author

Ryan from 18Away Golf trip designer and editor

I help groups plan unforgettable itineraries across the top golf destinations in the U.S., blending real-golfer feedback with first-hand course research.

About the author · [email protected]

About This Palm Springs Guide

Every 18Away guide is independently written and updated by real golfers. We evaluate public access, group-friendly value, and proximity to top courses, referencing thousands of verified reviews, rate data, and on-site experience. Guides are refreshed regularly as conditions & pricing change over time.

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