
The Canyons Course
Bighorn Golf Club


About this course
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.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Private column compares member-only and guest-restricted courses.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in CA
Quick facts
- Location
- Palm Desert, CA, USA
- Access
- Private
- Year built
- 1999
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Tom Fazio
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,000 yards
- Difficulty
- 74.6/141
- Course Vaults score
- 8.4
Getting there
Most arrivals to Bighorn Golf Club touch down at Palm Springs International Airport, a compact, desert-modern gateway just twenty minutes northwest through the Coachella Valley. Private aviation finds its natural home at Thermal Airport or the Bermuda Dunes FBO, both discreetly positioned for those who prefer a quieter descent into the desert. The drive east along Highway 111 unfolds beneath the towering San Jacinto massif, the landscape shifting from mid-century modernist sprawl to the hushed, gated enclaves of south Palm Desert, where Bighorn's twin courses lie tucked against the raw, boulder-strewn foothills like a private oasis reserved for the fortunate few.

FAQ
Common questions about The Canyons at Bighorn Golf Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Canyons at Bighorn Golf Club has a Course Vaults score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 20 logged golfers.
The Canyons was designed by Tom Fazio.
The Canyons at Bighorn Golf Club is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at The Canyons is 72.
The Canyons plays 7,000 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at The Canyons is 141.




