PGA West Nicklaus Tournament
Jack Nicklaus built the Tournament Course at PGA West in 1987, a par 72 of 7,204 yards beneath the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta, with the rare distinction of two island greens. It shares host duties at the PGA Tour's American Express with the Stadium Course next door, and unlike most Tour venues, anyone can book it.
Photo: PGA WEST Nicklaus Tournament Course via Google.
The verdict
PGA West is the self styled western home of golf in America, and while Pete Dye's Stadium Course takes the headlines, the Nicklaus Tournament Course is the round many visitors enjoy more. Built in 1987, it carries a 75.3 rating and 143 slope from the tips, so it is no soft touch, but Nicklaus shaped it with playable width, defined targets and that famous pair of island greens that give the round its photographs and its stories.
Its Tour pedigree is real: each January the American Express brings the PGA Tour to La Quinta and the Nicklaus Tournament shares hosting with the Stadium Course and La Quinta Country Club, which means you can play the same fairways the field does in tournament week, on a public tee time. For a desert buddies trip it is the ideal companion round: hard enough to matter, fair enough to keep the whole group smiling, and immaculately kept through the winter season.
Nicklaus Tournament at a glance
- Opened
- 1987
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus
- Type
- Desert resort
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,204 yds
- Green fee
- Dynamic by season (2026)
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from PGA West and leading course databases: Jack Nicklaus, 1987, par 72, 7,204 yards, rating 75.3 and slope 143 from the back tees. PGA West uses dynamic pricing, so there is no fixed rate card; published rates include cart and same day practice facilities. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Nicklaus gives you room from the tee, then asks more and more of the approach as the round builds. The defining features are the two island greens, a rarity on any course and almost a signature dare here: full carries to putting surfaces ringed by water, where the smart play is the middle of the green and the honest debrief happens on the next tee.
The desert frames everything. Fairways run between palms, mesquite and white sand, with the Santa Rosa Mountains stacked behind almost every shot, and in the dry desert air well struck irons fly true and hold their lines. Water touches a meaningful share of the holes, but the course is fair about showing you where it is; the trouble announces itself, which is exactly what a resort championship course should do.
The closing run is built for matches, risk and reward decisions stacked one after another with water in play, and in tournament week it produces real movement on the leaderboard. Play it in the afternoon, when the light goes gold on the mountains, and you will understand why the desert season books out months ahead.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public resort play; PGA West is open to visitors and resort guests alike |
| Green fee | Dynamic pricing by date and demand (2026): winter mornings command premium rates, summer and twilight times run far lower; rates include cart and practice facilities |
| Booking | Book through PGA West or La Quinta Resort tee times; January to April books well ahead |
| On the day | Carts standard; full practice grounds; expect tournament conditioning in season |
| Getting there | La Quinta, about 35 to 45 minutes from Palm Springs International Airport |
| Best months | November to April; autumn overseeding briefly affects conditions, and summer is for dawn patrol value hunters |
Access picture verified June 2026; PGA West prices dynamically, so the number you see at booking is the fee, and it moves with demand. Always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
La Quinta Resort & Club is the storied base, a 1926 hacienda style resort tied to the PGA West courses, with casitas, dozens of pools and golf packages that bundle the Tour venues. Staying there keeps every tee time inside a 15 minute drive and adds the resort's own courses to the menu.
The wider valley works just as well: Palm Springs for midcentury style and restaurants, Indian Wells and Palm Desert for quieter luxury. Wherever you sleep, build the week around the PGA West double of Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament, then branch out; our Palm Springs golf holidays page and California itinerary show how the desert fits a bigger California swing.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Nicklaus Tournament.
Build a Palm Springs golf trip
We book the PGA West rounds, pair them with the desert's best and match the resort to your group. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, no obligation.
Nicklaus Tournament questions
Who designed the Nicklaus Tournament Course and when did it open?
The Tournament Course at PGA West was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1987, part of the original wave of championship courses that made PGA West the western home of golf in America.
What is the par and length of the Nicklaus Tournament Course?
The course is a par 72 of 7,204 yards from the back tees, with a 75.3 rating and 143 slope, and multiple forward tees that make it a fair resort round for every handicap.
Does the Nicklaus Tournament Course really have two island greens?
Yes. The course features two island greens, a rarity anywhere in golf, and they are the shots most visitors remember and talk about afterward.
How much does it cost to play the Nicklaus Tournament Course?
PGA West uses dynamic pricing, so fees move with date and demand: winter peak mornings cost the most and summer or twilight times far less, with cart and practice included. Always confirm the current rate when you book.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; pricing model verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.