Palm Desert, California
Avondale Golf Club delivers a traditional, tree-lined layout in a region famed for eye-popping desert courses. The course rewards precision off the tee, and its dramatic closing hole provides a memorable finish. It's a strong private-club experience with a loyal membership and excellent conditioning, but it doesn't reach national-destination status.
Take in the panoramic desert and mountain views from the unique round clubhouse—the original 'Foreign Legion Fort' perched above the 18th green.
Avondale Golf Club is a classic desert-country-club layout with a distinctly traditional arterial: tight, tree-lined fairways, judicious use of water and sand, and greens that challenge precision more than power. The routing takes full advantage of mature palms and low-lying terrain, giving the course a verdant, oasis-like feel rare in such arid surroundings. Renovation efforts have preserved the original shot values, with targeted greens expansion and scrupulous conditioning delivering a private-club experience focused on accuracy, course management, and subtle challenge rather than bomb-and-gouge theatrics.
Jimmy Hines' original design gave Avondale a Northern-club sensibility in the desert, reinforced by careful renovations that emphasize classic values over modern spectacle.
A stout par 4 demanding both length and pinpoint accuracy, framed by mature trees tight on either side. The approach is often a mid-iron to a subtly contoured green protected by bunkers.
Keep your tee shot to the left side for a better angle into a shallow, angled green; position is crucial for a realistic birdie look.
Miss right and you'll flirt with trees that make recovery par a serious challenge.
Superbly kept fairways and greens, with pride in private-club presentation.
Typically brisk and unhurried, but subject to member play and some gaps between groups.
Traditional, understated, and member-focused—a classic oasis away from the resort crowd.
Traditional private club standards (collared shirts, no denim); confirm specifics with host.
You’ll face multiple par 3s over 200 yards, so prep your hybrids and mid-to-long irons.
Even though tree-lined, it’s still the desert—hydration and hats are essentials year-round.
Many par 4s reward placement over power—practice playing for fairway position not just distance.
Shrunken and re-expanded greens mean you’ll need a deft touch around the greenside bunkers.
Jimmy Hines designs Avondale; club created as Del Safari Country Club
USGA and Neal Meagher consult on greens expansion, restoring lost surface
Clubhouse and golf course reviewed for local landmark designation
When Avondale opened, its iconic round clubhouse—perched atop a 67-foot man-made hill—was the tallest structure in Palm Desert and earned the nickname 'Foreign Legion Fort.' It set the tone for an experience unlike any other in the area.
While much of Palm Desert chased wide-open, sunbaked layouts, Avondale doubled down on tree-lined, grassy corridors that evoke the great Midwestern and Northeastern private clubs—delivering a playing feel rarely found in the California desert.
By 2017, Avondale's greens had shrunk, so the club brought in the USGA and expert Neal Meagher to study old aerials and recapture lost putting surfaces, quietly restoring shot values without major fanfare.
Avondale’s final hole is the region’s repeat headliner for closing drama, with water left and a demanding approach that makes for a nervy finish in even the friendliest member games.
The original round clubhouse was the tallest building in Palm Desert in 1970.
Known locally as the 'Foreign Legion Fort,' the clubhouse was built on a 67-foot manmade hill.
Avondale is one of the rare Coachella Valley clubs with a tree-lined, classic northern feel—unusual for the desert.
Greens were carefully rediscovered and expanded using archival aerials and USGA-guided mapping in 2017.
Despite its resort address, Avondale is strictly member-centric and private—no daily public play.
Pete Dye's menacing jewel—bucket-list public desert golf, host of high-level tournaments.
Championship test with an immaculate resort aesthetic just minutes from Avondale.
Public-friendly Nicklaus design with expansive mountain backdrops and strong value.
First-class facilities and two of the most visitor-friendly courses in the region.
Standout mix of scenery, bold holes, and top-tier public access.
Central Palm Desert or Indian Wells for quick access to Avondale and the region’s best public tracks.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Turning Stone Resort Atunyote offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to Avondale Golf Club.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Williams Country Club offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to Avondale Golf Club.
Why it matches: If Avondale Golf Club is your kind of course, Fort Collins Country Club is worth a look because it puts the same premium on presentation.
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