The Lakes vs. Desert Falls: Which Fits Your Life?
A cohesive private-club setting or a different mix of homes and golf options? Compare the places you would use every day.
The Lakes Country Club and Desert Falls both offer established Palm Desert neighborhoods with golf, water, palms and mountain views. The difference becomes clearer when you picture an ordinary day: the home you leave in the morning, the facilities you actually use, and the setting you return to in the evening.
My impression from photographing the two communities is that The Lakes feels more cohesive and more centered on its private club. Desert Falls gives buyers a different mix of home configurations and ways to enjoy golf. Neither observation picks a winner for every household. It helps explain why two homes a short drive apart can suit different lives.
- The Lakes emphasizes a cohesive landscape and an extensive private-club experience.
- Its major clubhouse and wellness project was completed in November 2021.
- Desert Falls merits a home-by-home comparison of levels, stairs, patios and recreation access.
- Compare the same sales filters and the complete ownership package—not just the purchase price.
The comparison at a glance
| Daily-life question | The Lakes Country Club | Desert Falls Country Club |
|---|---|---|
| What shapes the setting? | A cohesive condominium community with low-rise homes, water features and a substantial private-club campus. | Residential clusters around golf and water; the precise building, level and patio position make a large difference. |
| What stands out at the club? | A renovated clubhouse and new wellness center delivered through the 20/20 project, completed in November 2021. | An established golf clubhouse and recreation facilities; compare the current services and access attached to the home. |
| How does golf work? | 27 holes; residential golf is an optional addition to the social membership included in HOA dues. | 18 holes; public tee-time booking plus annual, seasonal and play-pass offerings. |
| What deserves attention indoors? | Usable floor-plan space, any additions or enclosed atriums, and the relationship between living rooms and the patio. | Upper versus lower level, entry stairs, overhead neighbors, and balcony or patio privacy. |
| What is the central tradeoff? | How much value your household gets from a broad, integrated club offering. | How well the specific home and selected recreation arrangements fit your routine and total budget. |
Why The Lakes feels so cohesive
The Lakes was planned as a coordinated whole. Sunrise Company lists The Lakes among its developments, beginning in 1982. The club’s own history describes an all-condominium community built around golf and park-like common areas, with owners taking possession of the community assets in 1986.
In the photographs, that shared design is easy to see: repeated rooflines, low buildings, curving water edges and landscaping that continues beyond any single patio. The impression is of homes placed within one maintained landscape.
That does not establish that every residence has a lake view. I could not verify that claim. A particular home may relate more directly to golf, a greenbelt, a pool or neighboring residences. Buy the view you can see from the living room and patio, rather than a promise implied by the community name.
Desert Falls has its own visual continuity—tile roofs, palms and broad fairways—but its buildings and outdoor spaces deserve a more individual comparison. Two listings can share the same community name while offering very different relationships to stairs, neighbors and the landscape.
The home layout can change the decision
At Desert Falls, the upstairs-versus-downstairs question should come early. An upper residence may offer a more elevated outlook; a lower one changes the arrival experience and connection to outdoor space. Neither automatically provides more privacy. Check neighboring windows, the position of the balcony above, and the route from garage to front door.
At The Lakes, pay particular attention to how an individual floor plan has evolved. Enclosed atriums, expanded rooms and remodeled kitchens can change circulation considerably. The club describes the community as condominium ownership, even though a few MLS entries use a single-family code. An attached or detached appearance is not a substitute for checking the recorded ownership and maintenance responsibilities.
Our November 4 buying-guide samples reported living areas of 1,368–4,100 square feet at The Lakes and 1,044–2,236 at Desert Falls. Those are ranges in the exact MLS searches, not boundaries for every home in either development. They suggest why matching usable space and bedroom layout matters more than comparing two community-wide median prices.
The Lakes’ newer-feeling club experience
This is where The Lakes makes its strongest case for a buyer who wants the club to be part of daily life. The 20/20 project combined a wall-to-wall clubhouse renovation and expansion with a new Lifestyle & Wellness Center, Charlie’s dining venue and racquet-facility improvements. The club dates completion of the overall project to November 2021.
The result is an established residential community with a substantially refreshed social and fitness center. Dedicated exercise studios, strength and cardio equipment, the lap pool and several dining settings give a household reasons to use the club beyond a round of golf.
My take: The Lakes has the more expansive, integrated amenity experience of these two communities. That is an assessment of the offering and setting, not a claim that every buyer will use it enough to justify the cost. A person who swims, takes classes, plays racquet sports and meets friends for dinner may value it very differently from someone who mainly wants a comfortable seasonal home.
Desert Falls’ photographs show substantial golf and racquet facilities, and the right home may put a pool or court close at hand. Its value depends on which facilities the address can use and the services operating during your months in residence. For dining in particular, confirm the current Falls Bar & Grill schedule; the November 4 guide recorded a seasonal closure notice.
27 private-club holes or a flexible 18-hole option?
The Lakes has three nine-hole courses, originally designed by Ted Robinson and subsequently renovated and redesigned by Casey O’Callaghan. Residential social membership is included in HOA dues; residential golf membership is an additional choice. The attraction is a private-club golf environment connected to the wider community.
Desert Falls’ Ron Fream-designed 18-hole course dates to 1984. Its official website offers public tee-time booking as well as annual memberships, seasonal memberships and play passes. That creates a different starting point for someone who wants to choose how often—and through which arrangement—to play.
For frequent golfers, compare actual booking opportunities during the months you will be here, practice access, guest terms and cart charges. Twenty-seven holes provide more routing variety, but the hole count alone does not prove easier tee-time access or a better fit for your game. For occasional golfers, work out the likely number of rounds before assuming an annual membership is the best choice.
Compare the entire ownership package
The Lakes bundles residential social membership into HOA dues. The club says that membership includes the clubhouse, pools, Racquet Center and Lifestyle & Wellness Center; golf is additional. That matters even if nobody in the household plays golf, because the non-golf offering is a meaningful part of what the owner supports.
At Desert Falls, establish the precise association, included maintenance and recreation rights for the address, then price any chosen golf arrangement separately. A lower purchase price or a smaller quoted assessment does not, by itself, make two ownership packages equivalent.
Before comparing recurring costs, obtain the current assessment statement, budget, insurance information and any special-assessment disclosures for each property. Compare those with the actual services included. The individual buying guides provide the dated MLS observations and additional ownership research.
A practical way to weigh the difference: Picture a normal week in the desert. If that week includes fitness classes, swimming, racquet play and several visits to the club, The Lakes’ broad offering may carry substantial value. If the week revolves around time at home, outings around Palm Desert and occasional golf, the particular Desert Falls home may be the more important part of the decision.
Compare the two community records
Open either full buying guide for the detailed research, original photo collection and property-specific questions. The home-price ranges below update from DOI’s shared community data.
2 communities
Home prices use recent closed sales in the matched MLS area. HOA and club amounts retain the qualifications in the shared community records.
Palm Desert
Buying guide
The Lakes Country Club
A private, member-owned community of 902 condominiums woven around lakes, waterfalls and 27 holes of golf. Residential social membership includes racquet sports, pools and the Lifestyle & Wellness Center; golf is an additional option.
- Home price
- Loading prices…
- HOA
- Est. $1,690–$1,800/mo
- Club / social
- Resident Social membership included in HOA
- Golf
- Optional residential golf upgrade; current dues on request
What to compare here
HomesCompare usable space, approved additions and the actual patio outlook.
MembershipSocial membership is included in HOA dues; residential golf is optional.
Ask before buyingWill the household use the club enough to value the complete ownership package?
Palm Desert
Buying guide
Desert Falls Country Club
An established, gated Palm Desert community shaped by lakes, open fairways and Mediterranean-style homes. Golf, tennis, pickleball and fitness offer distinct ways to use the setting; residential services and golf privileges vary by arrangement.
- Home price
- Loading prices…
- HOA
- Est. $350–$900/mo
- Club / social
- Options and dues to confirm
- Golf
- Access and rates to confirm
What to compare here
HomesCompare upper and lower levels, stairs, privacy and the garage-to-home route.
MembershipConfirm address-specific HOA services and recreation rights; price chosen golf separately.
Ask before buyingDoes this particular home fit daily life better after all recurring costs are counted?
Open the full Community Explorer
Your community comparison
Compare recorded sales with the same filters
Use the same period, property type, price band and bedroom filter for both communities. This tool connects to DOI’s shared monthly real estate database. It starts with all included homes, matching the community cards above. Select Condominiums to narrow both communities to condominium-coded sales.
Loading the dated market comparison.
Loading matched community figures…
This table reports completed sales. The price band applies to the sold price, not the asking price. Small-sample medians are withheld below five usable observations. Missing coverage is shown as unavailable.
The figures use the exact Palm Desert MLS labels “The Lakes Country Club” and “Desert Falls Country Club.” Separate Desert Falls labels, including Desert Falls Estates and Desert Falls The Lin, are excluded. MLS property-type codes are not legal ownership determinations. Medians reflect the homes that sold; they do not isolate the value of a lake view, renovation or club membership.
Which fits your everyday life?
Give The Lakes a closer look if…
- You want dining, wellness and racquet activities to be regular parts of the week.
- You value a coordinated, low-rise neighborhood landscape.
- You want to explore private-club golf alongside a substantial non-golf offering.
Give Desert Falls a closer look if…
- You want to compare upper- and lower-level homes and different outdoor settings.
- You prefer to choose a golf arrangement around how much you actually play.
- The home itself, its total costs and its exact position matter more than the largest club offering.
I would tour both with the same questions in mind: Does this home work for an ordinary day? Do I like its actual outdoor setting? Will I use the facilities I am paying for? The Lakes’ amenity campus deserves real weight in that comparison. So does finding a Desert Falls residence whose layout, outlook and ownership package fit you particularly well.
Questions about The Lakes and Desert Falls
Was The Lakes Country Club developed by Sunrise?
Yes. Sunrise Company includes The Lakes in its development history, with a 1982 start. The club’s history describes Bill Bone’s all-condominium plan and the community’s later transition to owner control.
Does every home at The Lakes have a lake view?
We could not verify a universal lake-view claim. Water is a defining part of the community, but the outlook from a particular residence must be checked in person. Golf, greenbelt, pool and neighboring-home relationships also matter.
When were The Lakes clubhouse and wellness facilities updated?
The club dates completion of its 20/20 improvement project to November 2021. The project included a major clubhouse renovation and expansion, a new Lifestyle & Wellness Center, Charlie’s and racquet-facility improvements.
Is golf membership required when buying in either community?
The Lakes describes residential golf as an optional addition to the social membership included in HOA dues. Desert Falls offers public tee times, annual and seasonal memberships, and play passes. Confirm the exact property’s obligations and the written terms of any golf arrangement before buying.
Can I compare only condominium sales?
Yes. Choose Condominiums in the Home type filter to narrow both communities to condominium-coded records in their exact MLS areas. The default includes all recorded home types, matching the community cards. MLS codes do not determine legal ownership, and differences in size, condition and view still affect the homes sold.
Sources and research notes
Prepared November 10, 2026. Mark Miller’s original photography was captured November 4, 2026. The amenity assessment is his editorial judgment; facility access, assessments and golf terms remain property- and membership-specific.
- Sunrise Company development history — The Lakes development, beginning in 1982.
- The Lakes official history — condominium community, owner control and November 2021 completion of the 20/20 project.
- The Lakes membership, golf and wellness — reviewed November 10, 2026.
- Desert Falls official golf information and membership categories — reviewed November 10, 2026. Exact booking terms and prices should be confirmed in the chosen agreement.
- The linked DOI buying guides document the separate November 4, 2026 authenticated MLS exports: 135 records for The Lakes and 151 for Desert Falls. Reported living-area ranges are sample observations. The Desert Falls guide recorded the seasonal dining notice on that date; current reopening was not independently confirmed for this comparison.
- Recorded-sales tool: DOI’s shared monthly MLS release, initially sales through October 31, 2026 and inventory dated November 1. Exact community matching, same filters, and small-sample suppression are preserved. The live monthly release is requested on page load, with a dated local snapshot retained if it cannot be reached.
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