"I would say we certainly shot high, the public spoke, and we've made adjustments accordingly." Michael Gerano, DSRT Surf's vice president and general manager, said that to The Inertia on September 29, three days after the wave lagoon at Desert Willow Golf Resort opened to the public. The park took more than a decade to build. Its posted session prices lasted less than a week.
That quick turnaround says a lot about this moment. The prices, the amenities and the number of people allowed on the property are all still being worked out. For those of us who live a few minutes from Country Club Drive, that makes this fall an unusual window. One offer, the resident lesson, has a clear published price. The rest is still being adjusted week to week.
The price list was rewritten in the first week
On opening weekend, sessions built around larger waves and turns cost about $290 an hour, and barrel sessions ran about $370 to $380, according to The Palm Desert Post. Weekday sessions were about $20 less. Renting the whole lagoon for an hour, with both the left and right waves, was listed at about $19,000.
By September 29, those numbers had moved:
| Offer | Launch price | Reported by Sept. 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Expert barrel session | $370 | $270 |
| Beginner session | As high as $250 | As low as $130 |
| Learn-to-Surf Experience | $100 public, $75 Coachella Valley residents | No change reported |
| Full lagoon buyout, one hour | About $19,000 | No revised figure reported |
Greater Palm Springs Business Insider worked out that the expert cut comes to about 27 percent. The outlet also pointed out that the beginner sessions in the newer report are a separate product from the Learn-to-Surf lesson, so the two prices can't be swapped for each other. Its advice was to check DSRT Surf's booking calendar for the exact session, date and wave setting you want, because the launch prices were never meant as a permanent rate card.
Capacity is also limited for now. Gerano told The Inertia the property is open to 150 people at a time. Separately, he said the pool will eventually handle as many as 700 surfers a day when it fully opens. One figure counts people on site at once and the other counts surfers over a full day, so they don't translate into a percentage. Expert wave settings allow only nine to 16 surfers per session. He called the first three weeks of bookings a "learning opportunity."
Why the $75 lesson is the simplest way in
So expert sessions have already been repriced, the restaurant hasn't opened, and the property is running under a temporary cap of 150 people at a time. Among all of that, the Learn-to-Surf Experience is the clearest offer for someone who lives here. It starts with 30 minutes of instruction on land, followed by a 60-minute guided session in the water. It costs $100 for the general public and $75 for Coachella Valley residents, and at launch, weekday sessions were offered at 4 and 6 p.m. DSRT pitches the lesson to people with no surf experience. It asks guests to arrive 30 minutes early for check-in, equipment and an introduction to their coaches.
The FAQ adds that no membership is required and complete beginners are welcome. Neither KESQ's opening report nor the public FAQ says what proof of residency qualifies you for the $75 rate. Call ahead or check at booking rather than assuming a driver's license will do.
Don't confuse this with Desert Willow's Resident Card, which belongs to the golf side of the property. The City of Palm Desert describes it as a golf program that requires a California ID with a Palm Desert address plus a current utility bill. It comes with a $52 Resident Card rate and a three-day booking window for tee times. Nothing in the sources connects that card to surf pricing.
Going without getting in the water
The surf park sits on 17.8 acres between Desert Willow's two golf courses, Firecliff and Mountain View, and can hold 3,500 people. If you'd rather watch, DSRT's FAQ says a beach pass gets you onto the grounds "so you can hang out, watch the action, and take in the scene." The FAQ doesn't list the pass price.
The same FAQ lists pickleball, a skate area, a resort pool and a jacuzzi. It also mentions water stations, shaded areas and air-conditioned spaces for cooling off. Because the opening was phased, the sources don't confirm which of those were open to day visitors as of early October. On-site food and drink are listed as "coming soon," including a full-service restaurant.
For a meal, the golf clubhouse next door is already open. Desert Willow's The Terrace Restaurant serves the public without requiring a round of golf. Breakfast runs 7 to 11 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The resort also lists Vista Bar, Lobby Bar and Cook's Cantina at the clubhouse. An early lesson at the lagoon followed by lunch on The Terrace is the most complete outing the property offers right now.
DSRT lists its address as 105 Wave Drive and says parking is complimentary. Desert Willow's own directions send drivers from I-10 down Monterey Avenue or Cook Street to Country Club Drive, then onto Desert Willow Drive. Neither source describes an entrance from Portola Avenue.
What's open now, and what is still planned
As of the first week of October, based on the sources available:
- Open: The Surf Lagoon and Surf Center, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with sessions starting every hour
- Open: Learn-to-Surf lessons at the resident rate, plus repriced beginner and expert sessions
- Listed, availability unconfirmed: The beach pass, resort pool, jacuzzi, pickleball and skate area
- Coming soon: On-site food and drink, including a full-service restaurant
- Phase two: A 139-room resort hotel and 57 villas, with no published timeline
Phase two is the most uncertain item on that list. Gerano told Greater Palm Springs Business Insider that the 57 permitted villas would include both sales and rentals. The outlet also reported that a five-acre parcel tied to the project, previously advertised for $8 million, is no longer being marketed. The outlet said that change doesn't show the parcel sold, that a hotel developer has been chosen, or that construction is close. Until a hotel opens, overnight surf visitors will stay elsewhere in the valley.
November 19 to 22 brings the first big event
The lagoon's first major test comes less than two months after opening. The International Surfing Association will hold the 2026 ISA World Para Surfing Championship at DSRT Surf from November 19 through 22. According to Greater Palm Springs Business Insider, the ISA expects about 140 athletes representing 24 national teams. It will be the first ISA World Championship held in a surf lagoon.
The tentative schedule:
- Thursday, November 19: opening ceremony and training
- Friday, November 20: competition
- Saturday, November 21: competition
- Sunday, November 22: final competition and closing ceremony
Most start times are still listed as to be determined. The ISA says spectators are welcome and the event will be livestreamed. Its announcement doesn't mention a ticket fee. For anyone who has been waiting to see the lagoon at full speed before paying for a session, that weekend gives the clearest view of what it can do.
Ten miles from the other surf park
The Coachella Valley now has two public surf parks about 10 miles apart. The Inertia reports that no two public surf parks anywhere else in the world are nearly that close. Palm Springs Surf Club opened in 2024 on the site of the former Wet 'n' Wild Palm Springs. Before DSRT opened, The Inertia put a public session at the Surf Club at $212. Packages there bring the cost down to about $175 a session if you buy four, eight or 20 at once. That comparison helps explain the late-September changes in Palm Desert. DSRT's expert price moved from well above the Surf Club's single-session rate to within about $60 of it.
Gerano describes the two as different products. "We have two completely different technologies, and I would say two completely different experiences," he told The Inertia. He added that DSRT's larger lagoon has to put more people in the water every hour, and that "we do want to be courteous neighbors." A third option is on the way. Thermal Beach Club, a private project at Coral Mountain Desert Club near La Quinta, broke ground in August and is expected to open in 2028.
Until then, Palm Desert has the valley's newest public wave. Its posted prices have already changed once, and the restaurant and hotel haven't opened yet. For a resident, the $75 lesson is the cheapest published way to see what the lagoon is like during these first weeks.
I live a short drive from Desert Willow, and I'm keeping an eye on DSRT Surf's next phase, from the villas to the hotel parcel, and on how it shapes daily life around Country Club Drive. If you're wondering what it might mean for your corner of Palm Desert, I'm glad to talk it through. Let's Connect with Kelly Ramsay.
