Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta, CA., is making a strong coneback. Following years of financial and management problems, the course that achieved “must-play” status in the early 2000s after hosting The Skins Game from 2003 to 2006, is re-emerging in the Coachella Valley. The course is 45 minutes from the Palm Springs airport and located among a cluster of the best private, resort and public courses in the desert.
Earlier this year, the residents of Trilogy at La Quinta voted overwhelmingly to purchase the golf course, clubhouse and restaurant. They’ve reverted the club back to its original name, Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta (from Coral Mountain Golf Club) and have invested in a multi-million-dollar renovation to modernize the facilities. The homeowners have even brought back the original management team from BlueStar Resort & Golf to oversee the renovation and manage the club. Work is underway and come November, Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta will reclaim its status as a ‘must-play,” ”daily-fee golf course in the Valley.
“The course has great bones. You can see all the characteristics that made it one of the best in the region,” said Mark Reider, president of the TLQMA board of directors. “It has a tremendous setting and a very playable, enjoyable design. It just wasn’t cared for properly for a very long time. Now, crews are out there every day putting it back the way it should be. We’ve got a great team on this, and we can’t wait for our community and people from the surrounding area to be able to enjoy this golf course the way it was when it hosted The Skins Game.”
The ongoing work to restore the course to its original design is extensive. Each of the greens have been re-grassed, and the collars have been resodded. The greenside irrigation heads have all been replaced. The pump station was replaced, and the entire irrigation system is being audited to ensure exceptional playing conditions.
Working with architect Gary Brawley, who was part of Gary Panks’ original design team, several bunkers have been reshaped with lowered bunker noses to enhance playability, and all bunkers have been completely rebuilt with new drainage, new liners and a new 50/50-blend Emerald sand.
As an added feature for players, when Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta re-opens in November, the club will make the original “Skins tees” available for play, allowing players to experience the course the way Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, and Phil Mickelson did back in its heyday.
In addition to the golf course work, the club also is renovating the clubhouse which includes a full-service golf shop and its signature restaurant. The design and décor will be heavily influenced by the Coachella Valley’s famed mid-century modern aesthetic with thoughtfully planned gathering spaces for friends and families filled with natural light and beauty. The atmosphere will be welcoming and friendly with a relaxed sophistication, and the menu will focus on delivering quality classic fare with inventive touches and craft cocktails and beverages.
BlueStar Resort & Golf is a boutique management firm focused on supporting developers, asset managers, and community association boards in the successful operation of resort and golf amenities. Headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, its expertise in hospitality management includes golf, spa, food and beverage, and community clubs. BlueStar’s portfolio spans from coast to coast, with management operations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.
Photo Courtesy of Trilogy Golf Club of La Quinta.