Ladera Breaks the Mold of Desert Golf in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley
Palm Springs, CA (January 10, 2024) — Ladera Golf Club, located in Thermal, California, and owned by Los Angeles-based entertainment executive Irving Azoff and Apple’s senior vice president of services Eddy Cue, has been honored with the prestigious title of “2023 Golf Digest Best New Private Course” by Golf Digest in the February 2024 issue of the magazine (http://tinyurl.com/22z2fhmm and http://tinyurl.com/mr5tdh73). Breaking away from conventional desert golf norms in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, Ladera, designed by world-renowned Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner of Hanse Golf Course Design sets a new standard for innovation and design.
“We are honored to receive the ‘2023 Golf Digest Best New Private Course’ accolade. Ladera Golf Club represents a departure from the ordinary, offering a unique and magical golfing experience that is visually stunning, strategically engaging, and incredibly fun,” said Azoff, co-owner of Ladera Golf Club.
Unlike typical desert golf courses, Ladera rejects artificial water features, palm tree-lined fairways, and housing constraints. Spanning 300 acres, the course gracefully slopes 140 feet from its highest point near the Santa Rosa Mountains, traversing land once occupied by lemon groves and mango farms. Hanse and Wagner meticulously manipulated the terrain, showcasing a beautiful and diverse expression of natural desert golf, with stunning views that are enhanced each day as the sun moves across the Mountains.
Cue, co-owner added, “Ladera’s unique design underscores our commitment to pushing boundaries and creating exceptional experiences. We gave Gil and Jim a clean canvas on which to create something special and incredibly memorable. Where every golfer couldn’t wait to play it again. We are honored to be recognized by Golf Digest for our innovative approach to golf course development.”
From the first time the 18 holes were ever played in January 2023, there was no doubt Ladera was magical, as designer Hanse made his first hole-in-one on #8, with Cue and Azoff (along with four others) watching and cheering as the ball rolled into the cup.
Ladera’s fairways, ranging from 60 to 100 yards with no formal rough, offer a generous layout. However, strategic elements are abundant, providing players with options to navigate hazards and access prime approach angles. Even seemingly straight holes, such as the par-5 seventh, feature staggered bunkers and challenging side slopes near the green.
The greens at Ladera exhibit remarkable diversity in size and shape. Some, like the saucer-shaped third, boast modest contours, while others, like the ridged and tiered 14th, present a more intricate challenge. What truly sets Ladera apart are the visually striking dry gullies and arroyos crafted by Hanse, Wagner, and their team. These features emulate sandy, eroded low points where water would flow during rare heavy rainfalls. Excavated sand was repurposed to create dramatic elevation changes and support greens like those found at the par-3 fourth, the altar-like 15th, the par-3 16th, and the par-5 17th, perched dramatically over the edge of a deep arroyo.
Ladera Golf Club stands as a testament to groundbreaking golf course architecture, redefining expectations and celebrating the beauty of natural desert landscapes.
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About Ladera Golf Club: Ladera Golf Club located in Thermal, California, owned by Irving Azoff and Eddy Cue, is a groundbreaking golf course in Palm Springs, CA. Straying from conventional norms, Ladera showcases an innovative and natural expression of desert golf. The club’s unique design, featuring captivating dry gullies and meticulously crafted fairways, has earned it the prestigious title of “2023 Golf Digest Best New Private Course.” Visit www.laderagolfclub.com for more information.
Hanse Golf Course Design: An intentionally small firm, dedicated to the proposition that golf courses are designed, restored and renovated in the field as opposed to solely on the drawing board. Formed in 1993 by founder Gil Hanse, who was joined in 1995 by partner Jim Wagner, Hanse Golf Course Design has patiently nurtured its reputation and its craft to arrive at a position of designing and restoring some of the finest golf courses in the world.
Palm Springs, CA (January 10, 2024) — Ladera Golf Club, located in Thermal, California, and owned by Los Angeles-based entertainment executive Irving Azoff and Apple’s senior vice president of services Eddy Cue, has been honored with the prestigious title of “2023 Golf Digest Best New Private Course” by Golf Digest in the February 2024 issue of the magazine (http://tinyurl.com/22z2fhmm and http://tinyurl.com/mr5tdh73). Breaking away from conventional desert golf norms in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, Ladera, designed by world-renowned Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner of Hanse Golf Course Design sets a new standard for innovation and design.
“We are honored to receive the ‘2023 Golf Digest Best New Private Course’ accolade. Ladera Golf Club represents a departure from the ordinary, offering a unique and magical golfing experience that is visually stunning, strategically engaging, and incredibly fun,” said Azoff, co-owner of Ladera Golf Club.
Unlike typical desert golf courses, Ladera rejects artificial water features, palm tree-lined fairways, and housing constraints. Spanning 300 acres, the course gracefully slopes 140 feet from its highest point near the Santa Rosa Mountains, traversing land once occupied by lemon groves and mango farms. Hanse and Wagner meticulously manipulated the terrain, showcasing a beautiful and diverse expression of natural desert golf, with stunning views that are enhanced each day as the sun moves across the Mountains.
Cue, co-owner added, “Ladera’s unique design underscores our commitment to pushing boundaries and creating exceptional experiences. We gave Gil and Jim a clean canvas on which to create something special and incredibly memorable. Where every golfer couldn’t wait to play it again. We are honored to be recognized by Golf Digest for our innovative approach to golf course development.”
From the first time the 18 holes were ever played in January 2023, there was no doubt Ladera was magical, as designer Hanse made his first hole-in-one on #8, with Cue and Azoff (along with four others) watching and cheering as the ball rolled into the cup.
Ladera’s fairways, ranging from 60 to 100 yards with no formal rough, offer a generous layout. However, strategic elements are abundant, providing players with options to navigate hazards and access prime approach angles. Even seemingly straight holes, such as the par-5 seventh, feature staggered bunkers and challenging side slopes near the green.
The greens at Ladera exhibit remarkable diversity in size and shape. Some, like the saucer-shaped third, boast modest contours, while others, like the ridged and tiered 14th, present a more intricate challenge. What truly sets Ladera apart are the visually striking dry gullies and arroyos crafted by Hanse, Wagner, and their team. These features emulate sandy, eroded low points where water would flow during rare heavy rainfalls. Excavated sand was repurposed to create dramatic elevation changes and support greens like those found at the par-3 fourth, the altar-like 15th, the par-3 16th, and the par-5 17th, perched dramatically over the edge of a deep arroyo.
Ladera Golf Club stands as a testament to groundbreaking golf course architecture, redefining expectations and celebrating the beauty of natural desert landscapes.
# # #
About Ladera Golf Club: Ladera Golf Club located in Thermal, California, owned by Irving Azoff and Eddy Cue, is a groundbreaking golf course in Palm Springs, CA. Straying from conventional norms, Ladera showcases an innovative and natural expression of desert golf. The club’s unique design, featuring captivating dry gullies and meticulously crafted fairways, has earned it the prestigious title of “2023 Golf Digest Best New Private Course.” Visit www.laderagolfclub.com for more information.
Hanse Golf Course Design: An intentionally small firm, dedicated to the proposition that golf courses are designed, restored and renovated in the field as opposed to solely on the drawing board. Formed in 1993 by founder Gil Hanse, who was joined in 1995 by partner Jim Wagner, Hanse Golf Course Design has patiently nurtured its reputation and its craft to arrive at a position of designing and restoring some of the finest golf courses in the world.
