Golf Courses: There are two 18-hole golf courses, both designed by Ted Robinson, and an unusual 18-hole championship putting course.
The Palms: Built in 1987, these 18 holes wind around the resort’s waterways.
The Valley: This course shows such classic Ted Robinson features as effective water usage, multi-tiered greens framed by palm trees, and undulating fairways.
The Greens: Located adjacent to the lobby bar at the hotel, this 18-hole putting course stands out for its use of classic features of full-length courses, including sand bunkers, water hazards, strategically placed trees, and rolling “fairways,” all played with only a putter. Par 54, 1,435 feet.
Spa & Fitness Center: Located along the lake, a couple of hundred yards from the hotel lobby, the 38,000-square-foot Spa Desert Springs has adopted a “California casual” decor of split-face limestone and Brazilian ipe wood throughout its interior. Both the men’s and women’s areas have saunas, steam rooms, and hot and cold plunge pools, and outdoor whirlpools, the latter overlooking the resort’s Ted Robinson-designed golf course. A door from each leads to a Spa Bistro, which serves light snacks. New to both areas, however, is a Turkish hammam: a spacious steam chamber infused with essential oils and set at 105 degrees (which allows for a longer relaxation period than a traditional steam room). Digitally programmable Kohler Desert Rain showers with five heads let guests fully choreograph their shower experience. The men’s side also has a 50-inche flat-screen TV. Outside, there’s a saltwater pool with views of the golf course and homes lining the lake.
The spa treatments draw heavily on the healing ingredients and customs of the surrounding Sonoran Desert—including locally harvested citrus and dates, cactus flower, and aloe. However, it remains eclectic in also adopting European customs of using mud as a detoxifier, Ayurvedic warm oil and crushed herb treatments, Turkish sea salts, and more. There is also a new emphasis on “spa together,” in which couples and groups can enjoy treatments together. Finally, they have added a 600-square-foot Spa Sanctuary, a private suite destined to cater to VIPs and the Hollywood elite. It has a private entrance and butler.
Those wanting to workout have the Fitness Center, a complete workout center with lines of treadmills, exercycles (recumbent and upright), and elliptical and standard StairMasters plus a full suite off LifeFitness machines, free weights, and dumbbells. It’s is a partly mirrored room with windows on outside entrance. TVs hang from ceiling in front of workout machines and each of the cardio stations has its own television. There are also a variety of classes, including morning power walks (3.5 miles in about 45 minutes), spinning, yoga, and mat Pilates. There’s also a shop with spa products and workout gear, a salon and hallways leading to women’s locker in one direction, men’s in the other. These each have tile showers, sauna, steam, and menthol steam and hot and cold plunge pools. A door from each leads to the Bistro, which serves light snacks, and to an outdoor lap pool bordered by lounge chairs. There’s another small fitness center, with a handful of cardiovascular machines, at one corner of the tennis building where it has windows on the outside.
Children's programs: There is a wide variety of kid's recreation and programming available.
Dining: The main restaurant is the Rockwood Grill, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a garden terrace just off the lake. It is supplemented by the Mikado Japanese Steakhouse, seafood at Fishermen’s Landing, sushi in the Lobby Bar, a poolside grill, and a Starbucks.
500 Reviews on “JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa - Peter Burwash International”
It’s our third time visiting the incredible team Jim L has built in Palm Desert. Jim and his team simplify instruction in an actionable way. He builds confidence and busts through self-doubt. The mid-court clinic is a must for players of all levels. We are already planning our next trip. ❤️
Stacey was great. He had great energy and provided clear helpful double strategies advice for my wife and I, and then gave an excellent lesson to my mom and eleven year old son. We’ll be right back out there tomorrow.
Stacy was thoughtful and provided additional insights that will allow me to play doubles more effectively. He brought several concepts full circle in an easy to understand way.
Stacy was great. He gave me some great pointers and was a pleasure to work with.
Great time, nice, and easy instruction, had fun with everyone. I booked another time this week.
I’ve used these facilities as a hotel guest several times and I am ALWAYS grateful. I’ve worked with Jim (a living legend) and today worked with Stacey Sims (loved). They are amazing instructors and by the end of my lesson, I saw immediately improvements to my game.
The courts are older, but very well kept. The entire tennis center staff is incredibly lovely.
Every year we come here for our anniversary, and without a doubt, the tennis clinics and whatever other court time we can get with Jim is the highlight of our trip. He has a balance of information and implementation that I have not found anywhere else. His coaching is distilled into the purest and easiest to understand formula. Every hour spent here is equivalent to months elsewhere. We’ll be back again next year.
My husband and I had an incredible time! We came just to have the experience of playing on grass and clay tennis courts, and we both took lessons from Jim. He was very professional and easy to work with, and I (as a complete beginner) thoroughly enjoyed myself. The courts were well maintained and the staff was very friendly. I highly recommend visiting!
If you’re staying at the resort do yourself a favor and book a lesson with Coach Jim (especially while your husband is off golfing 😉). I took just a few lessons this week and won my match today 7-5, 7-5—AND held at AD! My new volley grip is finally clicking thanks to Jim’s patient coaching and pro tips. He makes it fun, approachable, and actually gets results. Highly recommend!
Great experience with Stacey. Even though I has some knowledge of the sport, he taught me all the basics in a different way, and pretty good tricks to make everything easier. I had a great time, and can’t wait to visit again for another session.
Great drills and coaching from Stacey. He easily navigated our differing skill levels and made it both fun and improved our skills. We can’t wait to go back!
I’ve visited several times over the last 10 years. This my favorite spot. It’s beautiful and so many things to do. The service and breakfast at Rockwood Grill is always fantastic. My favorite activity is the tennis center drills each morning. Evan, Stacey and Tim were excellent. I wish I had a before and after of my latest drill with Tim Gottesman. It was amazing. Best of luck Tim at the Four Seasons in St. Kitts. Hoping to get a trip down there this winter.
Jim and his team are an absolute pleasure to work with. We’ve been coming to the tennis facility for several years, and could not recommend it more! With an excellent pro staff, and all three tennis surfaces to play on, what more could you ask for!
The center offers daily drop in clinics which my husband and I try to attend whenever we are in the area. They are fun, informative, and well organized. Instruction is top notch and Jim manages to bring new perspectives to the way we think about tennis every time we see him. All three of our kids do clinics and lessons here too and have said they are the most fun lessons they have. We will be returning to play every year!
Jim Leupold, PBI Director of Racquets and his staff are so much fun and most of all patient. I did tennis clinics and they are so positive and fun and informative and most of all fair! I’m old and I felt like they didn’t ignore me like what usually happens!! I have found most resorts with tennis available do not offer clinics like this place does. And they are organized!! Just call the center or drop into the shop and register for the clinic you want DAILY! Join a clinic: they offer live ball/aerobics, groundstrokes, serve and net game clinics, double strategy……gosh the list goes on! Take a private with Jim if there is something you want to work on. Just be sure you sign up, cancel 12 hours prior and show up! Guaranteed you will walk away picking up tips and getting some workout in! Pickle ball is run the same way! Clinics with a variety of “subjects” to work on. They even offer lessons for kids. I called the main desk at the JW Marriott Tennis and they took a photo of clinics offered and texted it to me. We stayed at the Marriott Spring Villas and also the JW and it is such an easy warm up walk.
My son and I recently spent a week at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa and had an absolutely phenomenal tennis experience with the Peter Burwash International program. We played 3–4 hours of tennis every day, and the quality of the courts, the organization of the clinics, and the caliber of the instruction exceeded all expectations.
The facilities are top-notch—beautifully maintained hard and clay courts set against a stunning desert backdrop. It’s a truly inspiring place to train. But what really sets this program apart is the team of instructors. Every coach we worked with was knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely invested in helping us improve. They brought high energy and a thoughtful approach to every session.
As a parent, it was incredibly rewarding to share this time with my son on court. The staff made both of us feel welcome, and they adapted the instruction to suit our level of play, helping us both progress while having fun together. It was an ideal blend of intensity and enjoyment, and a week we’ll never forget.
Highly recommend for any tennis-loving family or individual looking to level up their game in a world-class setting. We look forward to our next visit!
Had opportunity to participate in the Thursday “Grand Slam Round Robin” tennis event – Grass, Clay, & Hardcourt on 4/10/2025. Lots of fun! A rare opportunity to play on multiple surfaces with a variety of players. I recommend anyone in the area (I was on vacation from Seattle) to check out this tennis center (great tennis pros). A not to be missed tennis opportunity! Seattle-Jim
I was a guest at the Marriott villas this week leaving today and i want to tell you about Stacy the pickle ball coach . He is a very professional, respectful coach to his clients . He was very gentle in teaching me new techniques and I also watched him deal with other clients. He is worth everything he would ask for and I am happy to come back just for him
My husband and I took a lesson with Scott and we were very impressed. In one hour he helped us improve our strokes significantly. It was one of the best lessons we’ve ever had.
Fantastic experience every time!
I’ve been coming here for over 10 years, and it continues to impress. The program and staff are outstanding—they do an excellent job of balancing recreational players who simply love the game and may not play often with those who are more advanced and competitive. It’s especially well-organized during BNP Tournament week. Highly recommend!
We stayed at JW Marriott Desert Spa and Resort during Indian Wells championship weekend. It was our first time to visit Palm Spring/Indian Wells. One of the reasons we chose this hotel was because of the Tennis Club that is on site. My son is an active Tennis Junior player participating in tournaments in Canada, and we wanted him to have an opportunity to practice during our stay. I contacted Jim, the tennis club director and requested a lesson with a coach. We were very lucky to have Coach Tim Gottesman to train with my son. We booked a 90 minutes lesson with Tim. Tim is one of the best coaches we have encountered. He assessed my son’s skills throughout the lesson and gave him very good pointers. The way he communicated with my son was very inspiring and very clear. He was humorous as well. Every minute of the lesson was valuable and not a single minute was wasted. We wished we had more time with Tim. We have returned home and my son applied what Tim taught him in the past few days during his tennis training, there is an obvious improvement in my son’s attitude and approach in class. Thank you Tim!
The Tennis Club on site has beautiful courts and facilities. As a resort guest, we also get to play on the hard courts 1 hour for free everyday. It’s an amazing place. We will defnitely return and thank you Jim for your help arranging for our lesson with Tim!
We stayed at JW Marriott Desert Spa and Resort during Indian Wells championship weekend. It was our first time to visit Palm Spring/Indian Wells. One of the reasons we chose this hotel was because of the Tennis Club that is on site. My son is an active Tennis Junior player participating in tournaments in Canada, and we wanted him to have an opportunity to practice during our stay. I contacted Jim, the tennis club director and requested a lesson with a coach. We were very lucky to have Coach Tim Guttesman to train with my son. We booked a 90 minutes lesson with Tim. Tim is one of the best coaches we have encountered. He assessed my son’s skills throughout the lesson and gave him very good pointers. The way he communicated with my son was very inspiring and very clear. He was humorous as well. Every minute of the lesson was valuable and not a single minute was wasted. We wished we had more time with Tim. We have returned home and my son applied what Tim taught him in the past few days during his tennis training, there is an obvious improvement in my son’s attitude and approach in class. Thank you Tim!
The Tennis Club on site has beautiful courts and facilities. As a resort guest, we also get to play on the hard courts 1 hour for free everyday. It’s an amazing place. We will defnitely return and thank you Jim for your help arranging for our lesson with Tim!
Our most recent experience was FIVE STAR! Even though it was a very busy week for the team at PBI, everyone was cheerful, professional and accommodating. The tennis lessons were worth every penny. The tennis drills and clinics were great because Jim and his team did a superb job of matching levels of play together. The tennis courts are in excellent condition and we look forward to coming back next year!
We go to the BNP Paribas Open every year and stay at the JW Marriott. While we enjoy watching the tennis at the tournament, we especially enjoy playing tennis for 2 hours each morning at this facility. The courts are kept in immaculate condition and the staff is so friendly and knowledgable. The head pro—Jim—is awesome. We have taken the clinics and learn a lot from the staff each year. The clinics focus a lot more on instruction than getting a cardio workout from our experience. We also reserve courts and love playing on all the surfaces—hard, clay, and grass. We have stayed at many resorts with tennis facilities but have yet to find a resort that even comes close to the JW Marriott Desert Spring’s facilities. We intend to keep going every year for a long time to come.
Beyond the tennis, we love the rest of the resort. It’s perhaps the best JW Marriott we have stayed it with top notch restaurants, beautiful grounds, exercise facility, spa, and pools. We have not played golf but the greens look amazing. It’s a wonderful place for a tennis vacation.
I just want to say that I had a great time playing tennis and pickle ball at the JWMariott with Jim Leopold and his team. Jim runs a fantastic tennis program each and every year. I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons and clinics this year. I have to say that my favourite tennis instructor is Roger Darron.
I look forward to visiting again next year!
We had our first Pickleball experience at the JW Marriott tennis courts with Stacy as our instructor. He was a wonderful teacher very polite had lots of great tips and advice and I felt like we learned a lot in the hour that we were with him. I highly recommend this for all levels of Pickleball players. We are definitely hooked!
Always a great experience with Jim leading an enthusiastic and expert group of teaching professionals. This resort has the best selection of clinics and drills I have ever encountered and I always leave after a week stay with so many great tips and improvements in my game. The facilities are top notch with the grass courts being a highlight given their rarity in the US. Organized, professional, and so much fun to be a player visiting this tennis mecca!
We had a really great experience with the tennis club this week! We loved our clinics and learn so much from all the professionals ! Scott was wonderful in our lesson, really focusing on all the different volleys and getting to the net! He gave us drills for our toss and great tips on our serves! Thank you all for the wonderful instruction this week🩷
Tim was awesome! Great technical coaching and adjusting lesson to skill level of players on the court.
Had a wonderful hour and a half lesson with Evan. He was super patient and really improved my swing. Will probably go back for another with him.
Courts were in great condition and the racket they lent me was awesome.
Thank you Stacie for a great class! I was added at the last minute. He made it very fun and was so kind and encouraging ❤️ most definitely try again. This was a good first intro to pickleball
Absolutely wonderful tennis and pickleball lesson experience for my husband and me. Both Tim and Stacie were informative, courteous and fun. We recommend that anyone pursue this opportunity!
I went for a tennis lesson and had a great experience with Evan.
We went through multiple iterations of various shots and I could feel and see the improvements.
I had a private lesson with Evan, and it was the best investment in my game that I could’ve ever made. Evan helped take my serve to the next level. He had great insights into the mechanics of my serve and explained things in a way that were easy for me to understand and implement. He’s definitely one of the best coaches I’ve come across, and I can’t wait to go back for more lessons soon. Highly recommend.
The property was also beautiful and impeccably maintained.
Evan was an awesome pro to hit with when I stayed at the hotel. A great instructor and very helpful simple tips, even for someone like me who has played tennis competitively for 15 years.
Stacy is as an excellent pickleball and tennis coach!!
I just had another wonderful experience at the J. W. Marriott/Peter Burwash tennis center. Over the 2 weeks I participated in 7 morning clinics covering a variety of topics from net game to doubles strategy. The instruction from Jim, Evan and Tim was excellent; the people in the clinics were great.
Great courts!
Pickleball pro was courteous, knowledgeable, patient and fun!!
The tennis club is beautiful and seems to be very well run. Stacie was my pickleball 101 instructor and he was very pleasant knowledgeable and patient (as I’d never played pickleball before). I understand now why everyone is so excited about pickleball! A great hour to spend at the beautiful desert springs resort. Thank you Stacie!
I had a great on court lesson this week with Evan. We worked on all parts of my game and Evan was able to provide insight on all of them. I wish that I would have had more time to take another lesson.
Jim and his coaching team are amazing! Truly the most informative and well run clinic I have ever taken! Jim is an incredible teacher and knows how to engage all players.
I’m visiting from NY and I had an amazing two private lessons with Jim. I’m a beginner and he was patient and attentive with me. He taught me some really great techniques and tricks that I can practice when I get back home. I can’t wait to come back and visit with my sister so we can play again. Thanks again Jim!!
Awesome experience hitting on all 3 surfaces.
Jim has a vast knowledge of the varied affects of each surface.
Also, Jim shared tennis tips for a lifetime !
I’m visiting from NY and had two amazing private lessons with Jim. I’m a beginner and he was patient and attentive with me. He taught me some really great techniques and tricks that I can practice when I get back home. I can’t wait to come back and visit with my sister so we can play again. Thanks again Jim!!
There’s nothing like spending time at the Marriott Desert Springs for relaxation and of course, tennis! We love the grass, hard, and clay courts and try to play on all surfaces.
We try to take a couple of clinics to refresh our game, learn something new, and meet new players.
Jim is not only very knowledgeable but personalizes the experience to the group.
We will keep coming and look forward to many more years at Desert Springs.
The tennis program and pro, Jim, are fantastic.
Jim is an amazing instructor and a true pro of his craft. We will be coming back for years to come.
By far some of the best tennis teaching and coaching I have had in the 5 years I have been actively playing tennis. I will absolutely be heading back for more. Jim Leupold is clearly a highly experienced and knowledgeable pro. He broke the strokes and strategic points of the game down in a way that I have not experienced before. I am very excited to get back home and incorporate his incredible tricks and advice into my game !
This was our first tennis camp experience, and I doubt we will ever find better instruction at any other resort or tennis facility. I would wager to guess he has the most unique program in the world. We have NEVER heard anything like the content he taught us from any of the clinics or lessons we’ve taken or even online courses. We were absolutely blown away by Jim and everything he offered us! To add to the tennis expertise, He’s also such a happy, funny, and great guy to be around. He revolutionized both of our serves, our match strategies, and shot selections. Thats huge! I challenged him to try volleyball, as I’m a volleyball player at heart, and he actually found and brought a volleyball out to the tennis courts so we could hit around. It was hilarious and awesome. We enjoyed every minute of our time with him, came away with at least ten reliable new skills to use, and overall just had an excellent time.
Jim Leupold, the tennis pro, is a treasure. If you want new insights into your game, he is the instructor for you! He sets clinic themes for each clinic. “Serves”, “Doubles Strategies”, and “Groundstrokes” to break down each part of the game. Jim is an enthusiastic and willing teacher helping all walks of life who show up to his court. Highly recommend!!
The JW Marriott Desert Springs & Resort never fails to amaze me! I took a private lesson with Jim Leupold and he always finds a way to elevate my game. Highly recommend for any travelers during their stay! 🙂
Excellent tennis instruction in a fun and supportive environment.