In an effort to keep the Indian Wells Golf Resort competitive — and to attract the LPGA Tour back to the Coachella Valley — the city council voted by a 3-2 margin Thursday to spend $13.5 million to redesign one of the resort’s two main courses.
The Indian Wells council agreed to spend $12 million for Troon, the company that manages the resort, to work with a golf landscaping company to complete the Player’s Course redesign, along with $1.5 million to build a new fire access road on the property.
The remodel was planned by John Fought, the same person who designed the course in 2007, and it involves relocating the 17th and 18th holes to the north side of the Whitewater Channel, rehabilitating the greens and tee boxes, replacing the course’s irrigation system and rerouting the overall course.
The 18th fairway and green at the Indian Wells Golf Resort, seen April 26, 2024.
City officials told the council the remodel is sorely needed to keep the course competitive among golf destinations in the Coachella Valley and beyond. While most of the council ultimately supported the project, some members were concerned about getting more community input, as well as the considerable increase in the final bid submitted to the city compared to prior cost estimates.
With the council’s approval, construction on the redesigned course will begin in March 2025, with an opening date in November 2025.
The par-3 17th hole at the Indian Wells Golf Resort in Indian Wells, California. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)
Why it matters
The Players Course at the Indian Wells Golf Resort was built 17 years ago. City Manager Christopher Freeland said its irrigation system and bunkers need to be replaced, noting the course’s ranking has dropped in recent years.
“We want to maintain our market share and to make sure that our course is competitive with our other (local) competitors of PGA West and Desert Willow, who have done recent renovations,” Freeland told the council Thursday.
Hotel officials also told the city they’ll be able to better market a new golf course, compared to just a rehabilitation, with Freeland noting estimates that the project will lead to more revenues for the resort.
Freeland also said the remodeled course could be a draw to the Ladies Professional Golf Association, which has a long history in the valley. The LPGA Tour held its Dinah Shore tournament, now known as the Chevron Championship, at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage…
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