The Best of Desert Golf - Five Courses for Golf Vacations

Tropical paradises can sure be overrated sometimes! In the warmer months your golf often gets rained out, and you have to cover yourself in insect repellant every day or be eaten alive on the golf course. If you have always been the steadier, hardier sort, then a golf vacation to the desert can hold some surprising gems. From the beautiful courses of Cabo San Jose in Mexico, to Nevada and Arizona's championship offerings, we are looking five of the best golf courses that call the American desert home.

Cabo Del Sol - Desert

This course is designed by the prolific Tom Weiskopf, and is nestled among the six other championship courses in Cabo San Lucas. There are five sets of tees which mean the course varies in length from 5,300 to 7,100 yards, and the design takes advantage of desert landscape features like natural river washes, rolling dunes and startling red sandy bunkers. It is in the desert, but you can see the ocean wherever you look from most holes.

Palmilla

Another of Cabo San Lucas' gorgeous offerings, Palmilla is a Jack-Nicklaus-designed course that was handpicked for its gorgeous scenery by the golf master. For a free and easy golf vacation with just a little bite in your course, Palmilla is a must play. It has a slope of 139.

Omni Tucson - Catalina

Formerly known as the Orange/Gold course, the Omni Tuscon was designed by Robert Bruce Harris and has gorgeous desert mountain views of the middle of Arizona. There are ten sparkling lakes to give the desert setting a bit of refreshment. Why not make your next golf vacation at the standard PGA tour stop in Arizona?

TPC at the Canyons

Vegas is known for slot holes ... but not ordinarily round holes with golf balls in them! The TPC at the Canyons course is a notable exception, designed by Bobby Weed and Raymond Floyd and host to the Senior PGA Touras well as the Invensys Classic. The course flows through canyons and arroyos, and there is nothing but clear blue sky and a comfy dry warmth for most of the year.

The Chase at PGA Golf Club Coyote Springs

Jack Nicklaus has a series of golf courses planned to flow throughout the Coyote Springs community. This course is the first one in the series, and is located between Mesquite and Vegas. It is a par 72, and the forward tees take off around 2,000 yards from the back tees, which set the course at 7,471 yards. There are 11 lakes on the course, so hone your water-avoidance skills on your next golf vacation!