The address for Tamarisk Country Club has a classic ring to it: none other than Frank Sinatra Drive.
The legendary crooner was actually a member of the club as were Bob Hope and Kirk Douglas.
Four of the five Marx Brothers were among the 65 founding members of the club, which opened in 1952. There were also business tycoons, real estate moguls, inventors, lawyers and physicians.
Sinatra built a house on the 17th fairway, and there are current club members who knew him.
“We have a tremendous Hollywood history,” General Manager Chad Johnson said. “Many of our founding members were Golden Age Hollywood, really big names. In the 1950s and '60s almost every A-lister was a member here from Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, Sinatra, Dean Martin, so many.”
The club also has a classic golf history.
“Our first head pro was Ben Hogan,” Johnson said. “In 1953, when he was still playing out of Tamarisk, he won the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open. It’s a pretty impressive pedigree.”
The golf course itself was designed by William P. Bell.
“Although there are other Bell designs in the Valley, they are not from William P.; they are from his son,” Johnson said. “So we really have the only William P. Bell, and he was the co-designer of Riviera and some of the older clubs in Los Angeles.”
Golf is once again increasing in popularity after a decline in the mid-1980s, Johnson said.
“After COVID, there’s a new appreciation for being out in beautiful open spaces,” he said. “You’re not only playing an engaging game, but you’re getting some athletic and fitness component into it as well.”
More members are choosing to walk the course rather than use golf carts, he said.
Over the summer, the Palm Springs area began to see an influx of newcomers from big cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
“They appreciate the openness of the desert and slower lifestyle,” Johnson said. “They feel safer.”
The stories of old Palm Springs also have an allure for many.
“There’s lot of stories here about some of the parties Sinatra had in his backyard,” Johnson said. ”You can see his compound from the clubhouse.”
There are also stories of elegant and glamorous parties at Tamarisk.
“Tamarisk has been somewhat timeless in that regard,” Johnson said. “We still have elegant parties – although obviously not in COVID times -- but that’s part of the culture here.”
