Clubhouse catches fire at course in land dispute

PALM SPRINGS, California — The abandoned clubhouse at the shuttered Bel Air Greens Golf Course in this desert town caught fire on Monday afternoon, as the future of the beleaguered golf course remains uncertain.

There were no injuries reported from the fire, according to the Palm Springs Fire Department, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Capt. Nathan Gunkel, the fire department spokesperson. The abandoned clubhouse structure is located in the 1000 block of South El Cielo Road.

The clubhouse is located at the former Tommy Jacobs Bel Air Greens golf course. The nine-hole course opened in 1972, closed in 2014, and has since fallen into disrepair and neglect.

In July, the city’s planning commission criticized a proposal to build 74 single-family homes on the property. Commissioners said they were frustrated that the proposal would not leave 50% of the site as open space. City rules adopted in 2019 require that any redevelopment of a former golf course property preserve at least 50% of the property as open space.

The purpose of the July meeting was an opportunity for the commission to learn more about the proposal and make suggestions before a development application is formally submitted to the city. That application would ultimately be considered and voted on by the city council, although the planning commission would make a recommendation.

But the residential development could ultimately happen without city input, because the land is owned by members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and city agreements with the tribe state that any land-use decisions there can be appealed to the tribal council, which can overturn city decisions.

Meanwhile, the Oswit Land Trust also wants to buy the property and incorporate it into a nature preserve that the nonprofit is currently developing on the neighboring Mesquite Golf Course. Oswit Land Trust acquired the Mesquite Golf Course in July.

Previous reporting from Desert Sun reporter Paul Albani-Burgio was used in this story.