Discover the rich history of golf in the desert.
Though an improbable home for the sport, the Coachella Valley has become known to some as the “golf capital of the world.” With 122 courses to choose from, 300 days of sunshine a year and pristine playing conditions, it is no wonder that golf is the premier attraction in the desert. And much like the development of the surrounding desert, the growth of golf in the Coachella Valley was rapid in the mid century, shaped by the elite, and is full of rich history.
Before 1950, there were only two small golf courses across the Valley—the first was The O’Donnell Golf Course, built by Thomas Arthur O’Donnell. An oil tycoon and owner of the famed house above what is now the Palm Springs Art Museum, O’Donnell built the nine-hole course on 33 acres as his personal playground for the sport he loved.
In 1951, the golf rush of the Coachella Valley officially began with the development of the Thunderbird Country Club. Originally a dude ranch owned by future Palm Springs mayor Frank Bogert, the barren 33 acres of desert was transformed into a luxurious 18-hole course by a top amateur golfer named Johnny Dawson. With the backing of several investors—including celebrities Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Phil Harris and Alice Faye—the golf scene in the desert would never be the same.
By the ’60s, there were 21 established golf courses in the Coachella Valley welcoming the most notable golfers in the world. In 1957, Hollywood legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz opened the Indian Wells Resort Hotel to house their famous, golfing-obsessed friends. By 1960, the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) established a tournament called the Palm Springs Golf Classic. The nine-hole course at Sunnylands was to act as a conference center for world leaders in 1966.
Over the next 80 years, another 101 courses would be built, bringing over a billion dollars to the Coachella Valley each year.
