The American Express, formerly known as the Desert Classic, is a professional men's golf tournament, part of the PGA Tour. Founded in 1960, it has always been played in Riverside County, California, and it is currently held across 3 top-class courses; the Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course of PGA West, and La Quinta Country Club.
In the past, the Desert Classic was famous for its celebrity Pro-Am round. Over the years, it featured entrants such as President Dwight Eisenhower, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, and many others. Though the celebrity Pro-Ams are a thing of the past, the American Express remains an important and entertaining PGA Tour stop which invariably features some star players.
In 2024, Nick Dunlap made history by becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991 – and at age 20 the youngest amateur to win on the Tour since 1910 – with his 1-stroke victory. Having carded 29-under par, he also recorded the best score at the tournament in 14 years.
The defending champion is Sepp Straka, who finished 2 shots clear of closest rival Justin Thomas in 2025 to secure his 3rd PGA Tour victory.
The American Express Tickets
Sales Open
The American Express ticket sales are open!
Single-day and weekly general admission Grounds, Clubhouse, Premium Club, and Champions Club tickets are available.
Spectators attending on Friday and Saturday are treated to live music at the conclusion of play on each day. Access to the concerts is included with all tickets on these days.
Sales Open
The American Express ticket sales are open! See the tickets section for more details.
4 sellers · Event starts in 46 days
🧒 Child Tickets
Children aged 15 and under receive complimentary general Grounds admission all week, including concerts, when accompanied by a ticketed adult. These complimentary tickets can be picked up upon entry.
Children aged 4 and up will require a ticket to access hospitality venues, however.
👨🎓 Student Tickets
There are no discounted tickets for students and so a full-price ticket must be purchased.
🧓 Senior Tickets
There are no discounted tickets for senior citizens and so a full-price ticket must be purchased.
🪖 Military Tickets
Active duty, reserve, retired, and veteran military members, as well as first responders, are entitled to complimentary Grounds tickets throughout the the tournament, which can be ordered online. As well as public fan venues such as the Fan Deck, Beers For Birdies and 18th Tee Terrace, they will also get access to the Patriots Outpost hospitality area on PGA West Stadium Course's 9th hole and the concerts on Friday and Saturday night.
👨🦽 Disabled Tickets
There are no discounted tickets for disabled visitors and so a full-priced ticket must be purchased. For any accessibility-related questions, please contact info@theamexgolf.com.
ℹ️ Additional Ticket Info
Amex card members are entitled to a 20% discount on their tickets at checkout.
Please note: the information below is based on a previous edition of the event for reference purposes only. The timetable for this edition will be published nearer to the event.
Thursday 22 January
Time
Activity
Performance
Notes
07:30
Entry Gates
Gates Open
08:30
Golf
Round 1
Friday 23 January
07:30
Entry Gates
Gates Open
08:30
Golf
Round 2
16:00
Entry Gates
Concert Area Opens
17:30
Concert
Little Big Town Concert
Saturday 24 January
07:30
Entry Gates
Gates Open
08:30
Golf
Round 3
16:00
Entry Gates
Concert Area Opens
17:30
Concert
Journey Concert
Sunday 25 January
07:30
Entry Gates
Gates Open
08:30
Golf
Round 4
Please be aware that all performances listed are subject to change or removal without notification.
Venue Travel & Parking
🏟️ Address: PGA West, 56-150 PGA Boulevard, La Quinta, Californa, 92253, United States Directions in Google Maps
PGA West and La Quinta Country Club are located in La Quinta in the Greater Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area of California, approximately 200 km east of Los Angeles and the same distance northeast of San Diego. With event parking options in place and a lack of public transport links close by, arrival by car is recommended.
🅿️ Parking
General parking is in the P Lot and costs $20. The entrance of the main tournament parking lot is on the Southbound Side of Jefferson Street, across the street from The Hideaway Golf Club in between Avenue 52 and Avenue 54.
Shuttles will transport you to and from the parking lot to the tournament entrances at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club.
ADA Parking will be available in the general admission lot. ADA shuttles will also be available to transport guests to and from the tournament.
🚖️ Taxi
Taxis can pick up and drop off on the roads surrounding the venues.
🚍 Coach & Bus
La Quinta Country Club can be reached on public bus routes 7, 700, and 701. Get off at Washington at Ave 50 stop, which is 1.4 km (17 min) walk to the Country Club.
There are no bus stops in the vicinity of PGA West's Stadium/Nicklaus courses.
🚆 Train
The closest train station is Palm Springs station, which can be reached via Amtrak's Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle services. The station is in excess of 40 km away, so further transportation will be required.
Accommodation
As the staycation spot of choice for movie and music stars in the 60’s and 70’s, Palm Springs became an exclusive luxury destination known for its flashy villas and high-end hotels. Although the city has become more commercial today, luxury and exclusivity are still two of the city’s biggest draws, and most pay a pretty penny to stay there. However, Palm Springs is a tiny city in the Coachella Valley where a range of accommodation options can be found.
Palm Springs is a glamorous desert city sitting pretty between Mount San Jacinto State Park and Joshua Tree National Park. Its quietude and desolate beauty started to attract Hollywood stars looking for…
Flights & International Travel
To reach Palm Springs, fly to Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), which is located 3 km (8 minutes) east of downtown Palm Springs. The airport offers…
Things To Do
Browse the high-end boutiques of Palm Desert – venture 25 minutes southeast of Palm Springs to find this unlikely stretch of designer shops and refined cafes
Average weather in January
🌡️
15°C
high
6°C
low
🌧️
9 mm
4 days
The American Express Reviews & Tips
4.3
Based on 4 reviews
5 Star
4 Star
3 Star
2 Star
1 Star
5.0
Entertainment
5.0
View
3.5
Food & drink
3.8
Toilets & facilities
2.8
Access and parking
4.7
Accommodation
The American Express Fan Q&A
🚶♂️ Walking
There are several places to stay which are within a500 m (6 min) to 2.5 km (30 min) walk from La Quinta Country Club.
There are also a number of vacation residences and places to stay on-site or within a 3.0 km (36 min) walk of PGA West's Stadium Course/Nicklaus Course.
Showing questions 1-1 of 1
Betty P
Who has the best travel package for the laquinta pga west amex golf 2026- lodging
Anonymous Fan
I don't think travel companies will offer packages until the 2026 PGA calendar is released. I think if you're an Amex card holder with access to their concierge they can put together packages for you. Not sure of any specific travel companies though - Google might be way to go once they confirm calendar.
Showing questions 1-1 of 1
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Showing reviews 1-4 of 4
Rhonda S
30 Jan 2024
Very enjoyable golf tournament and concerts.
5
Entertainment
5
View
4
Food & drink
4
Toilets & facilities
4
Access and parking
4
Accommodation
Ian
22 Jan 2024
I love this event. It is so easy to be up and close with great players and see beautiful golf courses.
My only word of advice for future changes is we were unable to get an UBER to get anywhere close to the golf grounds. In the end we had to walk all the way past the car park to get to somewhere where the traffic control people would allow an UBER to come. It would seem obvious to me that there should be a stream of UBER's dropping off and picking up people at the two sites.
5
Entertainment
5
View
3
Food & drink
5
Toilets & facilities
1
Access and parking
5
Accommodation
Marion
21 Jan 2023
Stay away from Premium Pass plus poor organization
5
Entertainment
5
View
2
Food & drink
1
Toilets & facilities
1
Access and parking
Stewart Croll.
06 Jul 2022
Was in Palm Springs on holiday from Scotland and went along to watch the golf. Superb day up close to the players as it’s played over 3 courses, great weather, great burgers and cold beer. Would highly recommend a visit. We will be back in 2023.