What happened to this “Jewel of the Desert” course between 2012 and 2015 ? Was there a real estate crisis ?
As you will find out, if you compare Bullpupp2’s version and this one, most of the villas and roads are gone (just like that small rambling waterfall, on the left of the 7th green), replaced by quite a few trees of various sizes. Quite surprising, indeed, even if the beautiful rocky mountains on this CGX La Quinta course are still there, just like the water hazards and the narrow fairways.
This being said, this par 72 looks very nice too, but it is not the most difficult course you will ever play with plenty of straight holes (nice par-4 1st and 2nd, and the par-5 5th and 6th, with the latter being prettier) on the front 9.
In fact, most of the challenging holes have water around, one way of the other, be it with the scenic par-3 3rd hole, with a tee shot over a small elongated lake ending past the green (on the left), the dogleg right par-4 4th, with a tee shot over a big pond, and the par-3 7th, with a tee shot over a big pond, offering a nice panoramic view of the mountains behind.
The par-4 8th hole, with a tee shot along a lake (on the left) landing onto a narrow fairway and the similar par-4 9th, with a lake, midway (but on the right) are also worth mentioning with their slightly-elevated greens, to the left.
The back 9 starts with the dogleg left par-4 10th hole, with a very narrow tree-lined fairway becoming wider as you get close to the green, and continues with the straight par-5 11th, with a narrow fairway and a green, to the right, hard to reach on your second shot.
Another pretty hole is the par-3 12th, with its slightly-elevated green, next to a small lake (on the right), followed by the dogleg right par-5 13th, where you will face another very narrow tree-lined fairway, before hitting your uphill approach to the slightly-elevated green.
The par-3 15th hole is also noteworthy, with its narrow and slightly-elevated green (next to a bunker, on the right). Then, after the two straight holes, the par-4 16th, with a wide fairway and an elongated lake, midway (on the right), and the par-4 17th, with a couple of trees (on the left) “forcing” you to hit your tee shot a little bit to the right, you will finish with the picturesque and challenging par-4 18th, with a tee shot over some tall trees, midway, landing next to an elongated lake (on the left), before aiming your last shot toward the green.
With its beautiful panorama and nice plantings, this well-designed CGX La Quinta course is quite enjoyable and, at times, challenging with a few water hazards and bunkers, set around a lot of raised greens. But, as I said before, I prefer Bullpupp2’s version, much closer to the real layout and much more detailed...