Thunderbird Country Club

The Thunderbird Country Club is a country club in Rancho Mirage in California's Coachella Valley. Its signature 18-hole golf course has hosted the Ryder Cup and the Palm Springs Golf Classic (now known as the American Express). Opened in 1951, the country club has been a favorite of many celebrities, including Bing Crosby and Bob Hope,[1] as well as US Presidents Gerald Ford and Barack Obama.[2] First known as the Thunderbird Ranch, it was purchased by Johnny Dawson, who established Coachella Valley's first 18-hole golf course here in 1951.[3][4]

The golf cart is rumored to have been invented at Thunderbird Country Club.[5][6] By its own account, the Ford Thunderbird is named for the club.[7][8]

It’s golf course was designed by Lawrence Hughes, also responsible for the 9-hole course at the Tomahawk Lake Country Club in South Dakota.

  1. ^ Our History Thunderbird Country Club website, accessed March 28, 2015
  2. ^ Obama's visit put spotlight back on Thunderbird by Dominique Fong The Desert Sun, June 21, 2014
  3. ^ Mallette, Leo A. (2011). Rancho Mirage. Arcadia Publishing. Page 9. ISBN 9780738575018.
  4. ^ Niemann, Greg (2005). Palm Springs Legends: Creation of a Desert Oasis. Sunbelt Publications. Page 191. ISBN 9780932653741.
  5. ^ Mahler, Richard (2005). Hidden Picture-Perfect Escapes Palm Springs. Ulysses Press. Page 125. ISBN 9781569754313.
  6. ^ Mallette, Leo A. (2011). Rancho Mirage. Arcadia Publishing. Page 9. ISBN 9780738575018.
  7. ^ Mallette, Leo A. (2011). Rancho Mirage. Arcadia Publishing. Page 9. ISBN 9780738575018.
  8. ^ Riche, Melissa and Jim (2018). Mod Mirage: The Midcentury Architecture of Rancho Mirage. Gibbs Smith. Page 12. ISBN 9781423648765.