FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Travel
Home›Travel›Coachella Valley Classic: La Quinta Resort & Club

Coachella Valley Classic: La Quinta Resort & Club

By Robert Kaufman
January 1, 2015
3528
0
Share:
PGA West

From the air, the Coachella Valley looks like a jigsaw puzzle of more than 2,000 grassy configurations. That number represents the staggering sum of 4.25-inch wide holes in this California desert playground. Deciding which 18 or 36 you want to play can be a difficult task. Add to that the myriad accommodations that are available as your home away from home, and yes, planning a golf getaway to this renowned destination can sometimes be intimidating. Unless, of course, you zero in on La Quinta Resort & Club.

One glance at the extensive collection of amenities at this posh property located at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains is all the convincing necessary to realize why it rises to the top of the deck. A stay here further validates why legendary film director Frank Capra chose this blissful setting to script his classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.

La Quinta Spa EntranceToday, with “Joe Guest” playing the lead role, this beautifully-manicured refuge delivers a stellar supporting cast of 620 casitas, 98 villas, 23 tennis courts, 41 outdoor pools, a 23,000-square-foot spa, two top-notch golf courses (and several more at nearby PGA WEST) and, to placate visiting canines, 10 pet relief stations. This many frills under one resort umbrella constitutes more than what might be found in many single destinations.

A NEW ERA BEGINS

Nearly 70 years after Capra’s feel-good film hit the big screen, the curtain has been raised on a new era for La Quinta Resort. What premiered in 1926 as a hacienda-style hotel with 20 casitas, constructed for $150,000, the iconic property recently became the benefactor of a multi-million restoration that has kept intact its old California charm, along with enhancing its status as the quintessential desert retreat for relaxation and rejuvenation.

“As we moved forward, one of the key focuses was maintaining the historical aspects and we looked at this not as a renovation but as a restoration,” says Chris George, director of marketing at La Quinta Resort & Club. “Every step along the way, we kept in mind the history and tradition of the resort while at the same time bringing in some of the contemporary amenities savvy travelers have come to expect, such as USB charging ports, reading lights built into the bed headboards or refrigerators with built-in ice makers. These are the little touches that add to the overall luxury experience.”

The opening scene commences with a resort familiarization session at the front desk, where guests receive a colorful map of the 45-acre layout. If you’re a newbie, after being escorted to your casita by one of the bellmen, you’ll be relieved to have the reference for navigating the maze of pathways weaving between the guestrooms clustered around the plethora of pools and spas. But if you do happen to find yourself wandering aimlessly, stop and smell the roses … and bougainvillea and citrus trees planted throughout the grounds and appreciate the Spanish-style architecture that was originally molded from more than 100,000 hand-formed adobe bricks and 60,000 locally fired roof tiles.

La Quinta PlazaThe reality is, all paths eventually migrate towards The Plaza in the heart of the resort, the hub for shopping, entertainment and dining. Here you’ll find a variety of options to reward the palate, including the American bistro-style Twenty6; the Adobe Grill, specializing in Mexican cuisine; and or Morgan’s in the Desert, where three-time James Beard award-winning chef, Jimmy Schmidt, prepares his farm-to-table dishes.

“Foods in season taste the best and are the highest in nutritional value,” says Schmidt. “Working closely with our farming families in the Coachella Valley, we are able to capture these foods at the absolute peak.”

HOMEGROWN FAIRWAYS

When you’re ready to hit the links, there are 90 golf holes available to guests of La Quinta Resort & Club. Although all five courses are situated off-property, two (Mountain and Dunes) are merely separated by a strip of homes next to the main resort and the other trio is a short drive away with shuttles provided. Regardless of location, with a designer hand comprised of two Pete Dyes, two Jack Nicklaus and one Greg Norman, the odds for a memorable round are in the golfer’s favor.

The Mountain and Dunes courses were both conceived by Dye in 1980 and 1981, respectively. But it was his third 18-hole creation at PGA WEST that has garnered most of the accolades. The TPC Stadium Course (1986) was originally built to host the 1991 Ryder Cup (eventually played at Kiawah Island Golf Resort), and over the years has provided countless adrenaline rushes well beyond Trevino’s famous ace at hole No. 17 in the 1987 Skins Game. Adding to the drama, this trophy course served as a biennial host to PGA TOUR “Q-School” Finals, and the tournament slope rating of 150 inflicted a nightmarish end to many golfers’ dreams. “Golf is not a fair game, so why build a course fair?” Dye once said.

Pete Dye Dunes Hole #16Rounding out the quintuplet of golf venues is the Jack Nicklaus Tournament layout, a slightly tamer version of TPC Stadium that includes the rare feature of two island greens and, resting in a prehistoric ocean bed 40 feet below sea level is the Greg Norman Course, his only design in the Coachella Valley.

“There’s no question we’re in a golf destination,” says Lon Grundy, who came on board in January 2013, as director of golf at La Quinta Resort and PGA West. “With PGA West being such a strong brand, if you’re coming to the desert to play golf, we’re going to capture at least one or two of those rounds.”

If Capra were still alive, he’d be the first to declare life is wonderful indeed at La Quinta Resort & Spa.

# # #

For a look at what to do nearby La Quinta Resort & Spa, visit visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

Previous Article

What is Four-Ball and How Does It ...

Next Article

Bash Brother: Mark-Paul Gosselaar

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Robert Kaufman

Related articles More from author

  • Palouse
    Summer 2016Travel

    Golf-a-Palouse-a: Traveling to the North Country Par

    July 1, 2016
    By Ken Van Vechten
  • Fall 2019Travel

    Legends of the Fall

    October 22, 2019
    By Joe Passov
  • Fall 2021Travel

    Quiet Jewels: Five Destinations that Fly Under the Radar

    November 2, 2021
    By Joe Passov
  • Summer 2019Travel

    Travelin’ Joe: Lake Effect

    July 27, 2019
    By Joe Passov
  • TravelWinter 2022

    Spring Training Baseball in Arizona Also Means Great Golf

    January 24, 2022
    By Joe Passov
  • TravelWinter 2022

    A Tropical Gem: Kapalua, Maui Keeps Evolving

    January 25, 2022
    By George Fuller

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • At The TurnFeaturedWinter 2023

    Pins & Needles: An Ancient Remedy for an Age-Old Problem

  • FeaturedTravelWinter 2023

    Cactus Makes Perfect: Travelin’ Joe’s Top Six 36-Hole Arizona Desert Courses you can Play

  • 19th HoleFeaturedWinter 2023

    Best Ball Bar & Grill: Woodley Lakes GC Gets a Big Culinary Upgrade

  • FeaturedSCGA JuniorWinter 2023

    Making a Future in Golf a Reality: Skylar Graham and the Pathways Internship

  • FeaturedProfilesWinter 2023

    A Modern Throwback: Cole Young Calls his Own Shots

FOLLOW US

Facebook 0Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Changing of the Guard: New Galleri Classic Set to Debut in the Desert

    By Judd Spicer
    February 7, 2023
  • New Year’s Daze: Looking Forward and Looking Back at your Handicap

    By Kevin O'Connor
    February 7, 2023
  • Grass by Design: Pure Research Yields New Strains of Drought-Tolerant Grass

    By Craig Kessler
    February 7, 2023
  • Best Ball Bar & Grill: Woodley Lakes GC Gets a Big Culinary Upgrade

    By David Weiss
    February 7, 2023
  • Making a Future in Golf a Reality: Skylar Graham and the Pathways Internship

    By Ken Van Vechten
    February 7, 2023
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Julie
    on
    November 13, 2022

    The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”

    Thanks for this. I ...
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...
  • Judy Carls
    on
    November 15, 2018

    The Gilded One: Eldorado CC

    Excellent magazine..thank you Judy Carls LPGA ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Julie on The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”
  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Judy Carls on The Gilded One: Eldorado CC
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise