The Course

As the summer months come to a close in Borrego Springs, Rams Hill Golf Club is set to open on November 3, 2023, for another highly anticipated new season.  This summer, Rams Hill embarked on a two-year multi-million dollar project to help extend the season by changing the grass types seen on the course. Extending the season will allow guests to take advantage of the course year-round, including great conditions in mid-September and October.  Rams Hill underwent Phase 1 of bermudagrass renovations, where all putting greens have been converted to miniverde bermudagrass. The greens were planted in four groups, with the first grouping of greens planted on June 23.  With the help of the original architect on Tom Fazio's design team, Tim Jackson, now with Jackson-Kahn design, the putting greens on #2, #7, and #17 have been expanded, offering golfers fresh perspectives and challenges as they navigate the new [...]

The first-ever tropical storm watch in San Diego County history was issued for the desert on Friday, August 18, 2023. The tropical storm served as an adverse effect of Hurricane Hilary as it swept through Mexico, making its way into Southern California.  The middle of nowhere tends to see sparse rainfall year-round. Borrego Springs records an average of 6.18 inches of rain annually. On Sunday, August 20, Rams Hill experienced 2.7 inches of rain in just a few hours, 43.7 percent of the average yearly precipitation.  Rams Hill woke up Monday morning to fallen trees, muddy pathways, and minor flooding on the course. Despite the unexpected rain, our summer projects remain on schedule as we look forward to opening weekend, November 3-5! [...]

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial lights, the beauty of a starlit night sky has become a rare sight for many, but not here in Borrego Springs.  In 2009, Borrego Springs, the home of Rams Hill became California's first International Dark Sky Community. This designation recognizes our town’s commitment to preserving its dark skies by implementing quality outdoor lighting ordinances, dark sky education and citizen support of dark skies. The International Dark Sky Communities recognize the importance of mitigating light pollution and promoting responsible lighting practices to ensure that everyone can experience the splendor of a dark, star-filled sky. Stargazers travel to enjoy some of the best night sky views in Southern California! Borrego Springs remained the sole dark sky community in California, until 2021 when Julian, California was named to the list.  Rams Hill embraces the magic of night sky and the protection of the wildlife in [...]

“Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing towards what will be” – Kahlil Gibran Once again, Rams Hill is proud to announce our recognition from Golf Digest as one of America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses. In their latest biennial rankings for 2023-2024, Rams Hill moved up from 98th to 91st. "We are honored and humbled to be a part of this very prestigious list and are committed to our goal of continued ascension in the rankings. To that end, we have embarked upon a multi-year bermudagrass conversion to create consistent and sustainable playing conditions, expand to a year-round golf season and anchor the community of Borrego Springs as a leader in employment, infrastructure, and sustainability - all while building upon our reputation as one of the country’s premier golf destinations," says COO & GM Harry Turner. We look forward to welcoming golfers [...]

As the 2022-23 golf season drew to a close, the Rams Hill team gathered for a culminating team barbecue, bidding farewell to the season in style - poolside! Surrounded by the picturesque mountain range, our friends and family came together to enjoy delicious food, participate in fun activities, and create lasting memories all while celebrating the season that was.. Stories were shared, memorable season moments relived, and games were played - with the biggest hit being “pin the bowtie on the flamingo” in the Kids & Grandkids division! The barbeque also gave an excellent opportunity to award the 2023 Rams Hill Value Keepers. A big congratulations to Dunia Padilla, Rene Navarro, Dan Donnelly, Gabriela Ramirez, Efrin Vilchis, and Charles Thompkins for earning recognition as Rams Hill's Value Keepers for the 2022-2023 season. We commend these team members for their outstanding display of our core values: Integrity Respect Collaboration Customer [...]

Golf courses must adapt and look to the future.  This summer and beyond, Rams Hill is taking proactive steps to ensure sustainable playing conditions and solidify its position as a leader in employment, infrastructure, and sustainability. Phase 1 of Rams Hill’s two-year multi-million-dollar bermudagrass conversion began in late May - before the final ball of the season was even holed - as a means to ensure the most optimal golf course conditions year-round for the Anza-Borrego escape. This summer, Rams Hill has committed to converting all putting greens from bentgrass to Mini Verde bermudagrass, implementing TifTuf bermudagrass in all practice areas, and expanding three putting greens. Sustainability has been the driving factor throughout the project. With the grassing transformation, Rams Hill aims to achieve excellent playing conditions while also significantly reducing water usage by up to 30 percent upon completion of both phases.  “The impetus of it is water [...]

Golf evolves. The game we play today is different than 10 years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago. Clubs, balls, strategy, swings, instruction, competition, fashion — every aspect of golf as we know it progresses over time. The same can be said for the places we play the game. From Scottish cow pastures in the 1800s tended by a single greenkeeper to modern masterpieces that host professional events with unlimited budgets and high-tech agronomy tools, every golf course encounters obstacles — both collectively as an industry and unique to region and circumstances. And in recent years, a resurgent golf boom has supercharged these challenges while pushing the limits of land sustainability and water conservation, especially in the drought-stricken Western United States — and even more so in the harsh-climate of the Anza-Borrego Desert. So we must adapt. And look to the future. And that future is very bright. [...]