Great Golf Deal?
An Insider’s Guide To Getting the “Best Golf Deal” in Coachella Valley
By Tony Schieffer, PGA
It’s the season for everything golf in the Coachella Valley and the roads and golf courses are seeing the highest traffic that they will see over the next couple of months for the rest of the year. Everyone is looking for that great golf deal at a decent golf course. If you are visiting the desert area and are looking for some ideas on where to play golf, here are some useful pointers.
Twilight golf rates look very attractive and are sometimes too good to be true. It gets dark in the desert at about 5:15 for the beginning of February, so if you want to get in 18 holes, depending on which course you are playing and the difficulty, you better tee off by 1:30 to have any chance of getting finished with a complete 18-hole round.
Most twilight rates start at 1:00 p.m. and are very busy with individuals looking for a lower rate and many times these specials draw less experienced players. This means that the round will be slower. Golf courses offer reduced rates all the way until sometimes 3 or 4 o’clock. If you take one of these times just be prepared to only get in maybe 6 to 9 holes of golf.
Most public golf facilities are busy between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. and then after 1:00 p.m. for twilight golf rates. Many times golf courses have shoulder times that they offer smaller discounts and don’t always advertise them that well. Check times between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. These times that are right before peak playing times and twilight rates can offer some of the best golf experiences. If you aren’t afraid to get up early, playing before 8:00 at many golf courses means a nice relaxed, smooth round.
Check with the golf course to see how often they send groups out. If the course sends out groups every 8 minutes, the round will go smoother and you will tee off on time. If the course tees off groups every 6 minutes, that is too fast and you will tee off late and be bottled up throughout your round. For the most part, the earlier that you tee off, the less chance of slow play or starting delays. If it is cold outside and there is the possibility of a FROST DELAY, call the golf course and see if they are on time so that you don’t get an unwanted surprise when you arrive. Frost delays happen in the Coachella Valley between mid-December and mid-February, and just because it says 40 degrees on your thermometer, doesn’t mean it didn’t freeze when the sun came up.
Follow DesertCADDIE . . .
Facebook - Become A Fan!!
Twitter - Follow us!
Desert Sun Blog
