Junior Golf Programs at Palm Desert Golf Academy
Palm Desert Golf Academy at Desert Willow Golf Resort, 38995 Desert Willow Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260
About
Junior Golf Programs at Palm Desert Golf Academy include skills classes, a rules and etiquette class, on-course playing lessons, and fun competitions. Instruction covers full swing fundamentals, short game skills, putting, confidence-building drills, and on-course play. Junior Golf Summer Camps include daily instruction and skill development followed by on-course play.
• Ages: 7–15 years old
• Schedule: Fairway Kids Skills Series meets Tuesdays 3:30–5:00 PM for 8 weeks; Bobcats Players Series meets Wednesdays 3:30–5:00 PM for 10 weeks; 2026 Junior Golf Summer Camps run June 8–11 and June 15–18, Monday–Thursday, 8:30–11:30 AM with early drop-off at 8:00 AM and late pick-up until 12:00 PM
• Price: Fairway Kids Skills Series is $349 per child; Bobcats Players Series is $429 per person; 2026 Junior Golf Summer Camps are $379 per child per session and include professional instruction, on-course play, snacks, and access to the Palm Desert Golf Academy’s practice facilities
Junior golf programs at Palm Desert Golf Academy have been offered since 1998 and provide a pathway from beginner to competition. Programs use small student-to-teacher ratios of 4:1 or 6:1, group kids by skill level, and emphasize etiquette, course strategy, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Equipment is provided if needed for the Fairway Kids Skills Series and Bobcats Players Series, and golf equipment is available upon request for Junior Golf Summer Camps, with no golf clubs needed for the Fairway Kids Skills Series.
Programs are led by Paul Bucy, PGA, a three-time DCPGA Junior Golf Teacher of the Year and Director of Instruction, with junior programs supported by expert staff led by Bill Spicknall, who is dedicated to junior golf development and brings years of expertise and a passion for coaching young golfers. Junior Golf Summer Camps are led by PGA Professionals, and Palm Desert Golf Academy offers expert instruction from PGA professionals including Ryan Szydlowski, PGA; Jason Wilkinson, PGA; Jeff Grant, PGA; Josh Garber, PGA; and Matt Holm, PGA. The coaching mission is stated as: “Our goal as coaches is to develop junior golfers for top performance, make a positive impact on them as young athletes, and to do this with respect and integrity.”
Families across Coachella Valley choose the Palm Desert Golf Academy’s junior programs, and guests come from Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and other areas across California, the United States, Canada, and around the world. Desert Willow Golf Resort, where the academy is based, has been recognized among the Top Public Golf Courses in California and was the only golf course ever featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine in April 1997 for its design that blends championship golf with sustainable desert landscaping using native plants and minimal turf. The junior golf program is described as Coachella Valley’s leading junior golf program, and Paul Bucy is a three-time DCPGA Junior Golf Teacher of the Year.
Junior offerings also include PGA Jr. League team play with a team jersey, bag tag, free range balls, regular season matches, and an All-Star pathway. Junior Summer Golf Camps include daily on-course play, snacks, and access to practice facilities, along with early drop-off and late pick-up options. A GOLFPASS review notes that the course conditions can be windy, describes the Firecliff course as challenging on a first visit, and mentions accurate GPS in the carts, friendly staff, and fairways and greens that made the reviewer feel special to play there.
Last updated June 26, 2026.
• Ages: 7–15 years old
• Schedule: Fairway Kids Skills Series meets Tuesdays 3:30–5:00 PM for 8 weeks; Bobcats Players Series meets Wednesdays 3:30–5:00 PM for 10 weeks; 2026 Junior Golf Summer Camps run June 8–11 and June 15–18, Monday–Thursday, 8:30–11:30 AM with early drop-off at 8:00 AM and late pick-up until 12:00 PM
• Price: Fairway Kids Skills Series is $349 per child; Bobcats Players Series is $429 per person; 2026 Junior Golf Summer Camps are $379 per child per session and include professional instruction, on-course play, snacks, and access to the Palm Desert Golf Academy’s practice facilities
Junior golf programs at Palm Desert Golf Academy have been offered since 1998 and provide a pathway from beginner to competition. Programs use small student-to-teacher ratios of 4:1 or 6:1, group kids by skill level, and emphasize etiquette, course strategy, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Equipment is provided if needed for the Fairway Kids Skills Series and Bobcats Players Series, and golf equipment is available upon request for Junior Golf Summer Camps, with no golf clubs needed for the Fairway Kids Skills Series.
Programs are led by Paul Bucy, PGA, a three-time DCPGA Junior Golf Teacher of the Year and Director of Instruction, with junior programs supported by expert staff led by Bill Spicknall, who is dedicated to junior golf development and brings years of expertise and a passion for coaching young golfers. Junior Golf Summer Camps are led by PGA Professionals, and Palm Desert Golf Academy offers expert instruction from PGA professionals including Ryan Szydlowski, PGA; Jason Wilkinson, PGA; Jeff Grant, PGA; Josh Garber, PGA; and Matt Holm, PGA. The coaching mission is stated as: “Our goal as coaches is to develop junior golfers for top performance, make a positive impact on them as young athletes, and to do this with respect and integrity.”
Families across Coachella Valley choose the Palm Desert Golf Academy’s junior programs, and guests come from Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and other areas across California, the United States, Canada, and around the world. Desert Willow Golf Resort, where the academy is based, has been recognized among the Top Public Golf Courses in California and was the only golf course ever featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine in April 1997 for its design that blends championship golf with sustainable desert landscaping using native plants and minimal turf. The junior golf program is described as Coachella Valley’s leading junior golf program, and Paul Bucy is a three-time DCPGA Junior Golf Teacher of the Year.
Junior offerings also include PGA Jr. League team play with a team jersey, bag tag, free range balls, regular season matches, and an All-Star pathway. Junior Summer Golf Camps include daily on-course play, snacks, and access to practice facilities, along with early drop-off and late pick-up options. A GOLFPASS review notes that the course conditions can be windy, describes the Firecliff course as challenging on a first visit, and mentions accurate GPS in the carts, friendly staff, and fairways and greens that made the reviewer feel special to play there.
Last updated June 26, 2026.
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