desert willow golf resort
Desert Willow Golf Resort is a 36-hole, public daily-fee golf resort in Palm Desert, California, owned by the City of Palm Desert and managed by KemperSports, serving individual golfers, group events, weddings, and academy students through two championship courses plus integrated dining, retail, and event venues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersPalm Desert, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What desert willow golf resort does
Desert Willow Golf Resort is a 36-hole, public daily-fee golf facility located in Palm Desert, California, on land owned by the City of Palm Desert and operated under management by KemperSports since inception. The property comprises two championship courses: the recently renovated Firecliff Course, featuring Mini Verde Bermudagrass greens and over 100 bunkers, and the more player-friendly Mountain View Course. Both courses were designed by the team of Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and PGA Tour pro John Cook in 1997, with environmental stewardship and native desert integration as foundational design principles. Surrounding the golf product is an integrated resort stack: the Palm Desert Golf Academy (private lessons, one/two/three-day schools, daily clinics, custom club fitting, and memberships), The Terrace Restaurant serving California cuisine, a resort-style Golf Shop, and event venues for tournaments, weddings, and corporate outings.
The business monetizes through multiple revenue streams: green fees and tee-time bookings (primary driver), academy instruction and club-fitting services, on-course retail, food and beverage, and event hosting. Distribution is predominantly direct via desertwillow.com, native iOS/Android mobile apps, and phone reservations, with supplemental tee-time inventory sold through DailyDeals.golf and GolfNow, plus access to KemperSports' network of 130+ venues. Customer segments span individual recreational golfers, corporate and group event organizers, wedding clients, academy students, and Palm Desert residents on a dedicated benefits tier; pricing is not publicly disclosed.
The resort competes in the upper tier of public-access desert golf and has accumulated durable reputation capital, including Firecliff placements in Golfweek's Top 200 Resort Courses, Mountain View top-25 placements in California public-course rankings, the first-ever 59club USA Gold Flag service designation (2026), and the 2025 NGCOA Jemsek Course of the Year (West Region). Desert Willow is a municipal asset, has no equity funding events, and operates with 11-50 employees in a single market.
desert willow golf resort firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- desert willow golf resort
- Legal name
- KemperSports Management, Inc.
- Website
- https://desertwillow.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Desert Willow Golf Resort is a 36-hole, public daily-fee golf resort in Palm Desert, California, owned by the City of Palm Desert and managed by KemperSports, serving individual golfers, group events, weddings, and academy students through two championship courses plus integrated dining, retail, and event venues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
desert willow golf resort industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Golf Resort
- NAICS
- Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Golf Resorts (THAGACAH), Resort Convention Hotels (THAGALAC), Golf & Leisure Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAH), Athletic Field & Golf Course Groundskeeping (IMAIAIAH)
Keywords
Where desert willow golf resort is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palm Desert
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
desert willow golf resort business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Green Fees and Golf Rounds: Daily fee golf revenue from players booking tee times on Firecliff and Mountain View courses, the primary revenue driver.
- Palm Desert Golf Academy Instruction: Revenue from golf instruction, private lessons, golf schools (one-day, two-day, three-day programs), daily clinics, custom club fitting, and academy memberships.
- Golf Shop Retail: Resort-style golf retail offering top golf brands, resort apparel, and performance equipment.
- Food and Beverage - The Terrace Restaurant: On-site dining at The Terrace Restaurant offering California cuisine with desert views, serving breakfast, lunch, and events.
- Events and Weddings: Tournament hosting, corporate meetings, private events, and wedding celebrations at the resort's venues.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
desert willow golf resort product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Desert Willow Golf Resort operates two public 18-hole championship golf courses — Firecliff (recently renovated with Mini Verde Bermudagrass greens and over 100 bunkers) and Mountain View (a more player-friendly layout) — in Palm Desert, California. The resort also runs the Palm Desert Golf Academy (lessons, clinics, golf schools, club fitting), The Terrace Restaurant (on-site California cuisine dining), a golf shop (retail apparel and equipment), and hosts tournaments, corporate outings, weddings, and private events. Operations are managed by KemperSports on behalf of the City of Palm Desert.
Product overview
Desert Willow Golf Resort operates two award-winning public golf courses (Firecliff and Mountain View) managed by KemperSports for the City of Palm Desert. The Firecliff Course is the championship-level challenge featuring recent multi-million dollar renovations, Mini Verde Bermudagrass greens, and 100+ bunkers. The Mountain View Course offers a more player-friendly experience. The resort also includes the Palm Desert Golf Academy for instruction, The Terrace Restaurant for dining, a full golf shop, tournament and event hosting (including weddings), and a loyalty eClub program. GPS-equipped carts enhance the golfing experience across both courses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Firecliff Course: The championship-level Firecliff Course featuring Mini Verde Bermudagrass greens, over 100 bunkers, and dramatic desert views. Recently renovated and reimagined.
- Mountain View Course
- The Terrace Restaurant
Products and services
- Firecliff Course
Quantifiable outcome
- Firecliff Course ranked #129-140 in Golfweek's Top 200 Resort Courses (2019-2023)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use desert willow golf resort
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
desert willow golf resort technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
desert willow golf resort partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Folds of HonorminorAnnual charitable partnership supporting Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to families of fallen and disabled service members. Desert Willow hosts an annual Par 3 Shootout fundraiser.
- KemperSportscoreKemperSports has managed Desert Willow Golf Resort since its inception on behalf of the City of Palm Desert. With operations since 1979 and over 130 venues across the United States and Mexico, KemperSports provides experienced golf management, operations, marketing, and technology solutions.
- City of Palm DesertcoreThe City of Palm Desert owns Desert Willow Golf Resort and commissioned the original development. The resort is operated for the public benefit as a municipal golf facility.
- Hurdzan-Fry-Cook (Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, John Cook)coreThe acclaimed design team of Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and PGA Tour pro John Cook were commissioned by the City of Palm Desert to create the resort's two championship courses, designed to blend seamlessly with the natural desert landscape.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
desert willow golf resort competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Indian Wells Golf Resort: Public daily-fee resort with two championship courses (Players and Celebrity) immediately adjacent to Desert Willow in the Coachella Valley. Operated by the City of Indian Wells, it competes head-to-head for the same destination golfer and group-event customers.
- Classic Club (Palm Desert): Public daily-fee championship course in Palm Desert designed by Arnold Palmer, operated in the same local market with similar premium positioning and tournament-hosting focus. Direct competitor for high-end public play and group outings.
- Indian Canyons Golf Resort: Public 36-hole resort in Palm Springs managed by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, offering similar mountain/desert course experiences. Competes for the same Palm Springs area tourist and group-event golf business.
- Tahquitz Creek Resort (Palm Springs): Public 36-hole facility in nearby Palm Springs offering resort-style golf at comparable price points. Competes for the same Coachella Valley visitor golf demand with similar academy, F&B, and event programming.
- PGA West (La Quinta Resort & Club): Premier public-access golf destination in La Quinta, also in the Coachella Valley, featuring multiple championship courses including the famous Mountain Course. Comparable positioning as a high-end desert golf resort with stay-and-play and tournament-hosting capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- Pebble Beach Resorts: Premier luxury golf destination on the California coast with multiple courses, lodging, and event facilities. While a different market, it sets the ceiling for premium public-resort positioning and competes for high-end destination-golfer share-of-wallet.
- La Quinta Resort & Club (Waldorf Astoria): Iconic luxury resort in La Quinta with multiple golf courses and full hotel/spa offerings, serving as a broader hospitality competitor for the same premium desert destination traveler. Larger scale and lodging integration distinguish it as an incumbent destination.
- Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Premier destination golf resort in Oregon featuring multiple championship courses and stay-and-play packages. Comparable as a multi-course resort destination, though in a different climate region and away from Desert Willow's Southwest market.
Others
- Troon Golf (management company): Largest golf management company globally, operating hundreds of daily-fee and private facilities. Indirect competitor for management contracts and a benchmark for KemperSports' role at Desert Willow; represents alternative operator paths.
Regional players
- Eagle Falls Golf Course: Public course in the greater Las Vegas area offering similar desert-golf aesthetic and value positioning. Comparable as a Southwest desert public-facility competitor, though operating in a different metropolitan tourism market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
desert willow golf resort social profiles
Digital presencedesert willow golf resort financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
desert willow golf resort leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
desert willow golf resort funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
desert willow golf resort M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about desert willow golf resort
What does desert willow golf resort do?
Desert Willow Golf Resort operates two public 18-hole championship golf courses — Firecliff (recently renovated with Mini Verde Bermudagrass greens and over 100 bunkers) and Mountain View (a more player-friendly layout) — in Palm Desert, California. The resort also runs the Palm Desert Golf Academy (lessons, clinics, golf schools, club fitting), The Terrace Restaurant (on-site California cuisine dining), a golf shop (retail apparel and equipment), and hosts tournaments, corporate outings, weddings, and private events. Operations are managed by KemperSports on behalf of the City of Palm Desert.
Is desert willow golf resort a public or private company?
desert willow golf resort is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was desert willow golf resort founded?
desert willow golf resort was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is desert willow golf resort based?
desert willow golf resort is headquartered in Palm Desert, United States, in the North America region.
How does desert willow golf resort make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Green Fees and Golf Rounds are the primary driver. The others are palm Desert Golf Academy Instruction, golf Shop Retail, food and Beverage - The Terrace Restaurant and events and Weddings.
Who are desert willow golf resort's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Indian Wells Golf Resort, Classic Club (Palm Desert), Indian Canyons Golf Resort, Tahquitz Creek Resort (Palm Springs) and PGA West (La Quinta Resort & Club). Broad incumbents are Pebble Beach Resorts, La Quinta Resort & Club (Waldorf Astoria) and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Troon Golf (management company) is listed as an others. Eagle Falls Golf Course is listed as a regional player.
Does desert willow golf resort have an API?
No public API is recorded for desert willow golf resort.
What industry is desert willow golf resort in?
desert willow golf resort's product category is Public Golf Resort. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAEAD, Golf Courses & Golf Facilities, with a secondary code of THAGACAH, Luxury Golf Resorts. Its NAICS code is 71391 and its SIC code is 7900.