Palm Springs Golf: A History of Coachella Valley Legends & Fairways

by Larry Bohannan

Overview

Against a dramatic background of desert mountains, the sparkling green fairways of the Coachella Valley have attracted world-class golf tournaments, athletes and dignitaries for decades. In the 1920s, enterprising oil tycoon Tom O'Donnell built one of the first nine-hole courses in Palm Springs, and the area was a hangout for Hollywood's elite by the 1940s and '50s. Bob Hope's namesake PGA Tour event became a mainstay, while Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, the Marx Brothers, Marilyn Monroe and more frequented over the years. Today, the valley is a renowned perennial golf destination boasting over 120 courses and exceptional resorts. Follow award-winning local golf columnist Larry Bohannan as he recounts the storied history of the game under the desert palms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626199637
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	06/15/2015
Series:	Sports
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Larry Bohannan has been the golf writer and columnist for the Desert Sun newspaper and desertsun.com since 1986, covering the PGA Tour, LPGA and Champions Tour events in the Coachella Valley. A 1982 graduate from Cal State Fullerton with a BA degree in communications, he was named the 2011 Media Person of the Year by the California Golf Writers and Broadcasters Association. He has previously authored 50 Years of Hope, a history of the Bob Hope Classic. He lives in Indio.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

1 Some Grass for the Desert Dunes 11

2 The World Discovers the Desert 23

3 The Golden Era 32

4 For Money and Country 48

5 Arnie, Bob and the 1960s 62

6 Playground of the Presidents 77

7 The Ladies Play Through 96

8 The Big'80s 116

9 Tournaments, Tournaments and More Tournaments 128

10 Changes in the Desert 137

Index 153

About the Author 160