The COVID-19 pandemic has had impacts on everything from where people eat to how often people leave their homes. At Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta, the impact was on the pace of renovations of the club’s facilities.
A year ago, Tradition was in the midst of a $7 million renovation of its clubhouse as well as the addition of some new facilities, with a planned completion before the end of spring. But the pandemic slowed the construction pace, so the season ended with parts of the clubhouse still a work in progress.
As the 2021 season moves forward, the construction at Tradition has been completed, showing the desert trend of pushing lifestyle over strictly golf at private clubs in the Coachella Valley.
“It is important because it appeals to not only our members as a whole but the membership that wants to be able to truly live here and be here full time,” said Justin Williams, in his first year as general manager at Tradition. “Not only our newer members but our members that have been here a long time. The social piece has become a vital part of Tradition and who we are as a group of individuals that kind of come together and enjoy being here.”
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The outdoor patio dining area at Tradition Golf Club, overlooking the putting green and the 18th hole of the course, has been doubled in size as part of a year-long renovation of the clubhouse in La Quinta. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)
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From pickleball courts to bocce courts to fitness centers to expanding dining facilities, numerous desert country clubs have modified their facilities in recent years as the number of golfers in the country shrank and clubs needed more than a great golf course to attract members. Now, as the number of golfers in the country has increased during the pandemic year, Tradition officials believe the club is in a position to attract both golfers and non-golfers alike to the 24-year-old club.
“Our membership demographics are changing rapidly,” said Jenn Hallock, a member at Tradition for six years. “So we are seeing a lot of younger members come in the door. When I joined, our average member was 72. Now our average member is almost 65. So the age is going down, and I think COVID is going to make it even go down further because people are advancing their retirements earlier.”
Interior changes evident
The changes at Tradition include converting the old pro shop into a new bar area called the Tavern at Tradition. An older dining area has been updated inside the clubhouse, but the outdoor dining area has been expanded by more than 1,000 square feet, a patio that overlooks the practice putting green, the first tee and the 18th green of the golf course.
A new enclosed lounge area overlooks the original Hacienda del Gato, one of the original buildings on the property and new bocce courts have been added for members. But the exterior of the facilities remain in a Spanish style with tile roofs and traditional hacienda architecture.
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Once the pro shop of Tradition Golf Club, this room has been transformed into the Tavern at Tradition bar for members and their guests. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)
“The No. 1 priority for the membership was do not change the exteriors,” Hallock said. “We actually didn’t even change the footprint.”
Even Williams’ presence at the club is a nod to lifestyle over golf. Williams’ background is not in the golf industry but in high-end restaurants, most recently in the Denver area.
“We are absolutely listening to not only our members who have been here since the beginning, but also our new members,” Williams said. “We want the ability to bring everyone together and see everyone interact and be social together. We want to continue to build the legacy and tradition that has been here but to keep that legacy moving forward.”
That legacy at Tradition is built around one of the desert’s best-known golf names, Arnold Palmer. Palmer not only designed the 18-hole golf course at Tradition, he also lived at the course over the last two decades of his life when he wasn’t in Florida or Pennsylvania.
“I remember when I was working with Arnold at Bay Hill (in Florida) and I was coming out to the Dinah (now the ANA Inspiration) to play in the pro-am,” said Charlie Mechem, a close friend of Palmer and a former commissioner of the LPGA. “He said while you are out there go look at this course I just opened, Tradition. I think it may be one of the two or three best golf courses I’ve ever built. So we did come, and we bought a lot the same day.”
“The other thing, I think, is keeping the legacy of Mr. Palmer alive and keeping with those traditions,” Williams said. “The understanding that this is not only a club designed by Mr. Palmer, but his home. So keeping that tradition alive and knowing that he is with us is important.”
Larry Bohannan is The Desert Sun golf writer. He can be reached at (760) 778-4633 or larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @Larry_Bohannan. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Desert Sun.