Sometimes, it is necessary to take a step backwards before moving forward.
Golf course architect Brian Curley of the firm Curley-Wagner Golf Design recently finished work on The Palms Golf Club, returning the course in La Quinta, California to what he and former design partner and World Golf Hall of Famer Fred Couples intended in 1999 when they built it.
The work by Curley to reclaim the clean, classic look at The Palms while updating it to ensure the course remains relevant for today's players.
They reconstructed creeks, removed trees to enhance strategic options and long-range views and cleared vegetation to reveal features that had disappeared over time. Fairways were widened to improve playability and revive the doglegs that defined the original design. The result is an open, playable design that is visually connected to its desert surroundings.
"Over the past 25-plus years, the course had seen subtle changes that were mostly imposed to cater to the elite player," Curley in a news release. "These included tighter fairway widths and added trees that took out alternative angles of play. Fred and I feel that this recent effort brought back much of the original width creating more playability for the average player, yet the course certainly remains one of the more challenging layouts in the desert."
The Palms was conceived as a walkable, old-school golf club where there are no tee times, and fast play is central to the club's history that borrows some aesthetics from places like Augusta, Riviera and Oakmont.
The routing offers variety and character. The opening holes unfold through a mesquite environment reminiscent of the Sandbelt, while later stretches are framed by towering palms that lend the course a timeless Coachella Valley vibe.
The club's membership reflects that tradition. The Palms historically has been home to a collection of PGA and LPGA Tour professionals, as well as many of the region's top amateurs. Arnold Palmer was among its past members.
The portfolio of Curley's current design firm of Curley-Wagner includes private, resort and residential projects throughout the U.S., Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Sweden, and elsewhere. The firm specializes in creating challenging, beautiful and enjoyable courses, often located on difficult sites, by balancing classic golf course architecture with ever-advancing technology.