Desert Living
Tee Time and Prime Time: Why Hawk's Landing Is the High Desert's Best-Kept Secret
There is a moment, just after sunrise at Hawk's Landing Golf Club, when the fairways glow almost impossibly green against the tawny desert floor. The San Bernardino Mountains loom to the west, Joshua trees dot the horizon, and the only sound is the clean crack of a well-struck iron echoing across the valley. If you have never teed up in the High Desert, you are missing one of Southern California's most underrated golf experiences. And if you have never stayed for Friday night prime rib, well, you are missing even more.
From Blue Skies to Hawk's Landing
Golf in Yucca Valley goes back more than seven decades. The course at 55100 Martinez Trail first opened in the 1950s as Blue Skies Country Club, an 18-hole, par 71 layout designed by architect Roscoe Smith. For generations, Blue Skies served as a recreational anchor for the Morongo Basin, drawing locals and snowbirds alike to its fairways. At 6,400 yards from the blue tees, it was a legitimate test of golf tucked into a desert community most people drove right past on the way to Palm Springs.
But courses age, and Blue Skies was no exception. By the early 2010s, the property needed a fresh vision. Enter owners Bill and Mona Brehm and award-winning golf course architect Cary Bickler, who together reimagined the property and reopened it in 2015 as Hawk's Landing Golf Club at Blue Skies.
1950s
Original Opening
18
Original Holes
2015
Redesigned
12
Current Holes
A New Chapter Takes Flight
Bickler's redesign was bold. Rather than rebuild all 18 holes, he created a 12-hole course structured around two distinct 6-hole loops. The concept gives golfers real flexibility: squeeze in a quick six during a lunch break, play a full twelve when the afternoon is wide open, or loop back through the first six to complete a traditional 18. Every hole is named after local wildlife, from the red-tailed hawks overhead to the roadrunners darting between creosote bushes. Native desert landscaping threads through the layout, capturing stormwater and conserving resources in a region where every drop matters. The result is a course that feels like it grew out of the desert itself rather than being imposed on it.
A golf course green with a blue flag overlooks a pond and scenic hills under a clear sky.
Hawk's Landing Golf Course is a scenic 12-hole golf club in Yucca Valley, California, offering a welcoming atmosphere for golfers of all skill levels. The club features a well-maintained course, a pro shop, and a popular restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with beautiful outdoor dining views. Known for its friendly staff and family-friendly environment, Hawk's Landing is a favorite destination for both locals and visitors seeking a memorable golf and dining experience in the High Desert.
Hours
The Pioneer Pass: Golf Meets Adventure
If Hawk's Landing already sounds a little different from your typical country club, wait until you hear about the Pioneer Pass Golf Challenge. Run in partnership with the Hawk's Landing Players Association, this annual tournament might be the most adventurous golf event in all of California.
The format has two tracks. The first, labeled Extreme Golf, is a two-day affair: 18 holes of regulation play on Friday, followed by nine holes of wilderness golf from Big Bear down the mountain to Pioneertown on Saturday. Yes, you read that correctly. Golfers literally play their way down a mountain pass, through terrain that would make a billy goat think twice. For those who prefer their golf slightly less life-threatening, there is also a four-person scramble on Saturday, priced at just 75 dollars per player, with the entry covering golf, an awards dinner, and a whole lineup of prizes and contests.
The best part may be the Saturday afternoon party, when the extreme golfers finally stagger in from the mountain and everyone gathers for food, drinks, and stories that grow taller with each retelling. It is the kind of event that could only happen in the High Desert.
Friday Night Prime Rib at the Roost
Golf aside, Hawk's Landing has quietly become one of Yucca Valley's favorite dinner destinations, thanks to the Roost Cafe. Perched on the patio overlooking the course, the Roost turns a simple meal into a sunset experience. The cocktails are strong, well-crafted, and surprisingly affordable. The views of the greens fading into dusk are worth the drive on their own.
But Friday night is the main event. That is when the kitchen fires up Prime Rib Night, and locals have learned to plan accordingly. The roast takes its time in the oven, so the smart move is to call ahead for a reservation and arrive by 5 PM to guarantee your cut. The Roost also runs scallop specials on Thursdays and baby back ribs on Saturdays, but Friday's prime rib has earned a devoted following that fills the patio week after week.
A word of advice from the regulars: do not wait until the last minute to call. Phone reservations go quickly, especially as word spreads and the weather warms up. Call (760) 365-0033 to reserve your spot.
Your Move
Spring has arrived in the Morongo Basin, and the mornings are crisp, the afternoons are golden, and the fairways at Hawk's Landing are calling. Whether you are a scratch golfer or someone who just likes smacking a ball around for fun, this is a course designed for all of it. Play six holes before lunch. Play twelve and stay for a drink. Or make a whole evening of it and end with a slab of prime rib on the patio as the sun drops behind the mountains. Hawk's Landing is at 55100 Martinez Trail in Yucca Valley, just thirty minutes from Palm Springs and a world away from everything else. Call ahead. Tee it up. Stay for dinner.
