The Canyons at Bighorn Golf Club

The Canyons at Bighorn Golf Club opened in 1998 as Tom Fazio's contribution to this private desert community in Palm Desert. The course occupies dramatic terrain in the Santa Rosa Mountains foothills, where Fazio routed holes through natural canyons and across elevation changes that provide views across the Coachella Valley. The design works with the existing topography rather than imposing upon it, incorporating rock outcroppings, desert washes, and native vegetation into the playing corridors.

Fazio's routing takes advantage of the property's natural movement, with holes that climb into the canyons and descend back toward the valley floor. The course features the architect's characteristic attention to playability across different skill levels, with multiple tee options that allow members to choose appropriate challenge. Bunkering and green complexes reflect Fazio's preference for strategic options rather than penal design, though the desert landscape itself provides natural consequences for wayward shots.

Bighorn Golf Club also includes a second course, The Mountains, designed by Arthur Hills. The club serves a membership drawn largely from seasonal residents and maintains a reputation for privacy and understated luxury typical of high-end desert golf communities in the Palm Springs area. The Canyons has hosted member tournaments and regional amateur events, though it has not been a venue for professional competition. The course benefits from the desert climate's playing conditions during the winter and spring months when most members are in residence.