Cathedral Canyon Golf Club

Nestled in the Coachella Valley and set against the San Jacinto Mountains lies a course with enough breathtaking views and well-designed holes to entice any player to grab their clubs and head out for a round: $18 for 18 Holes with Cart at Cathedral Canyon Golf Club near Palm Springs ($52 Value. Good Any Day, Any Time until September 30, 2013!)

Built in the early 1970s, Cathedral Canyon Golf Club was designed by David Rainville, whose design philosophy is based on three points: Traditional architecture that preserves and enhances natural environmental features; use of the essential character of the terrain where possible; and demonstrable variety within a round.

Cathedral Canyon offers two distinct nine-hole layouts, Lake and Mountain. The Lake Course presents you with a fairly level playing field as it wanders through a sleepy residential community. As its name implies, there is plenty of water to be found on the Lake Course, and these hazards are sure to challenge the accuracy of your shots and claim a few of your balls.

Again, as its name implies, The Mountain Course has a bit more rolling topography than its counterpart, as well as spectacular mountain views. Watch out for No. 7 on the Mountain; anything but a straight shot off the tee will land you in a hazard and the tiered green is apt to finish you off. Both layouts boast tree-lined freeways, strategically placed bunkers and give you legitimate birdie opportunities on each of the par-5s. At a little over 6,500 yards in length from the longest tees, Cathedral Canyon Golf Club is picturesque and playable for lovers of the game at all experience levels.

Rainville's career has seen a specialization in California golf courses, and with Billy Casper -- one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s -- by his side for many of them, the results of his work speak for themselves. So with this dynamic duo calling the shots, it's no wonder Cathedral Canyon Golf Club is such a well-rounded joy to play.