A city course with resort manners, and a new finish.
Indian Wells Golf Resort is owned by the City of Indian Wells and run by Troon, and it is one of the most practical places to play in the Coachella Valley. Its two courses, the Players and the Celebrity, have both been ranked among the best municipal courses in the United States by Golfweek. Anyone can book online up to 90 days ahead, the clubhouse is large and well run, and four resort hotels sit within walking distance. The Players Course is the tougher of the pair, and in late 2025 it reopened after a US$13.5 million rebuild by its original architect.
Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players Course) green fees and tee times.
Tee times are booked through the resort website, which links to its own online booking engine, or by phone on 760 346 4653. Non-residents can book up to 90 days in advance, and the resort says its own site carries the best available rate. Every tee time is prepaid, refunds can take up to five days to reach you, and cancellations need 24 hours’ notice. Rates change with the season and are shown when you search rather than on a published list. Indian Wells residents book online up to 14½ days ahead and must show a Resident Benefit Card. A visitor can pay the cheaper resident-guest rate only when a cardholder plays in the same group; anyone who books those rates without one is turned away and charged.
The round, in perspective.
John Fought designed the Players Course, which opened in 2007, a year after Clive Clark’s Celebrity Course debuted next door in November 2006. The resort calls the two Beauty and the Beast, and the Players is the beast. The resort says the layout draws on Riviera, Winged Foot and Alister MacKenzie’s courses around Melbourne. For years the par-three 17th and the 18th were the only holes on the south side of the Whitewater wash. The renovation, which began on 5 March 2025 and finished in December, moved both onto the north side with the rest of the course, brought the 9th closer to the clubhouse, rebuilt every bunker in the same style but a little simpler, and regrassed the greens with TifEagle Bermuda. SCGA FORE reports that the new 18th is a par five. Golf Magazine has ranked the Players 16th among courses you can play in California.
Know before you go.
Booking window
Up to 90 days ahead for visitors
Payment
All tee times prepaid
Cancellation
At least 24 hours before the tee time
Rental clubs
US$85 a set; reserve by phone
Make the trip work.
If you play both courses, start on the Celebrity, the Beauty of the pair, whose water features also make it the resort’s wedding and group-day course. Book the Players when your swing has settled. Rental sets cost US$85 and must be reserved by phone. Lunch at Kestrel, the clubhouse restaurant run with chef Richard Blais, is an easy way to round off a morning tee time. The Epson Tour Championship, the LPGA development tour’s final event, uses the resort every October, so check the calendar if you are travelling then.
Palm Springs International (PSP) is about 17 miles away, typically 25 minutes by car via Highway 111 or Interstate 10 and Washington Street. The resort is on Indian Wells Lane just off Highway 111. Ontario (ONT) is about two hours west, and Los Angeles (LAX) close to three without traffic. If you stay at one of the neighbouring hotels, you can walk to the first tee.
Four resort hotels are within walking distance of the clubhouse. The former Hyatt Regency next door was renamed Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas after a US$64 million renovation, and the Renaissance Esmeralda, Indian Wells Resort Hotel and Miramonte Resort are close by. El Paseo in Palm Desert, about ten minutes west, has the valley’s best concentration of shops and restaurants, while La Quinta is ten minutes east.
Make a trip of it.
The Celebrity Course on the same site is the natural second round. Desert Willow in Palm Desert, another city-owned 36, is about 15 minutes away. La Quinta Resort’s Dye courses and the PGA WEST Stadium Course are 20 to 30 minutes south-east. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home of the BNP Paribas Open every March, is a few minutes north, and the Living Desert zoo and gardens in Palm Desert suit a non-golf morning.
Find your season.
The resort overseeds each autumn. In 2026 the Celebrity closed from 28 September to 22 October, as listed by Where2Golf, while the Epson Tour Championship ran from 1 to 4 October. The Players has been open since its reopening in early December 2025. The busiest months are January to April, when the tennis tournament in March also fills hotels.
Yes. Although the City of Indian Wells owns it, both courses are open to everyone. Non-residents book online up to 90 days ahead and pay in advance. Only the discounted resident rates are restricted to holders of an Indian Wells Resident Benefit Card.
What changed on the Players Course at Indian Wells?
John Fought redesigned the 9th, 17th and 18th so that all the holes sit north of the Whitewater wash, and the resort said the course would go from par 72 to par 71. SCGA FORE put the cost at US$13.5 million. Ground was broken on 5 March 2025, and the course reopened in early December 2025.
Which tournaments are played at Indian Wells Golf Resort?
The Epson Tour Championship has been held there every October since 2024, and the city has extended it through 2029. Before that, the resort says, its two courses hosted the PGA’s Skins Game and Golf Channel’s Big Break series.
Is Indian Wells Golf Resort the Players or the Celebrity course?
Both. The resort is a 36-hole facility with one clubhouse. The Players, by John Fought, is the longer, harder test; the Celebrity, by Clive Clark, is shorter and known for its water features. You book each separately on the same site.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
