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Dining Around The Desert: 2024 Wrap Up

Old Favorites and New Gems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2025 season is upon us, and with it, a busier year than we had in 2024. We did manage to make it to quite a few of our old favorites, and discovered some new gems as well. Since we’ve reviewed most of these in the past, I’ll just give you the bullet points and then a preview of what’s coming soon.

Three places where I don’t think you can ever go wrong are Eddie V’s and Mastros in Palm Desert on El Paseo and Morgan’s at the La Quinta Resort. Service, food, and atmosphere are always top-notch.

One of the best patios in the desert is at Lavender Bistro. Enjoy dinner under the stars and listen to live music.

Another favorite and a must for your out-of-town guests is The Nest in Indian Wells. There’s just nothing like it in the valley. Yes, the entertainment is great, but you might be surprised to know the food and service are very good as well.

Porta Via on El Paseo fits the bill for those wanting the quintessential Palm Springs feel. Great cocktails, excellent food, attentive servers, and a mid-century vibe.

In Indio, Italica Bar and Indio Taphouse are two newer places that are proving to be local favorites.

A place that I hadn’t been to in a very long time proved to be a very nice surprise when we went just last week. Piero’s Pizza Vino on El Paseo was warm, inviting, and the food and wine were just right. Same with Arnold Palmer’s in La Quinta.

The Tack Room at the Polo Fields is under new management and honing its menu as I write. We are looking forward to having live music back.

The Wine & Cheese Shop on El Paseo is a very cool new shop that opened in mid-January. Bob and Jen are the owners, and it looks like they are going to have a hit on their hands. We are going to be featuring them along with Porta Via, and a super cute new Italian gelateria called la dolce piccola on our next episode of Selling Palm Springs.

There are some very unique places on the books to open soon, and we look forward to sharing them with you in 2025!

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

It’s a New Year in Tennis Paradise in the Coachella Valley!

 

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Tennis Anyone?

Dining Around The Desert: Arnold Palmer’s, La Quinta

Michael and I dined at Arnold Palmer’s a few weeks ago having not been in quite some time. I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised.

About Arnold Palmer’s

Open since 2004, Arnold Palmer's Restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in the Coachella Valley. Featuring Arnold Palmer's favorite dishes, with a genuine and inviting atmosphere a hallmark of The King himself, the restaurant treats visitors to a massive collection of memorabilia spanning Palmer's decades-long professional golf career.

Dine indoors in the Masters Dining Room or Arnie’s Lounge; both provide a unique experience and a journey through Arnold Palmer's history and triumphs, all with their signature service. Multiple private rooms are available as well: The Wine Room, The Palmer Room, and The Open Room are all perfect for special events.

You may choose to dine on the renovated, beautifully landscaped, live entertainment patio; it is a perfect place to enjoy a desert evening, dining al fresco under the stars. Heaters, misters, and a cozy fire pit ensure year-round comfort.

We dined inside with a view of the bar, since it was still pretty warm out, which was great since we spotted our friend Frank behind the bar whipping up libations.

We started out with Arnie’s Chopped BLT for Michael, and the Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Cheese salad for me. Both were perfect starters.

For my main course I had the Ravioli Shrimp Scampi with sauteed tiger shrimp, garlic, tomatoes, lemon, basil, and ricotta ravioli. Michael enjoyed the most popular item, the Double Cut Pork Chop with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and housemade apple chutney.

Because we had no self control, we then finished it off with their House Made Cocnut Cream Pie, with toasted coconut, salted caramel, and whipped cream.

It was all prepared perfectly, the service was fantastic, and I left wondering why it had been so long since I’d had dinner there.

Location & hours

Arnold Palmer's Restaurant
78164 Avenue 52
La Quinta, CA 92253
760-771-GOLF (4653)[email protected]

OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY @5PM

CLOSED SUNDAYS

ONLY THE DINNER MENU IS OFFERED AT THIS TIME

RESERVATIONS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDFOR THE PATIO, DINING ROOM, & LOUNGE

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON THE PATIO DAILY 5-9PM

Map & directions

Follow Washington Street south until it ends at Ave. 52. Turn right. Go approximately 1 block.

Some GPS units have difficulty finding the restaurant. Please ensure that your destination shows the restaurant entrance near the intersection of Avenue 52 and Desert Club Drive, west of Washington Street.

Interactive Map

 

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Dining Around The Desert: Sandfish, Palm Springs


 

Michael and I dined at Sandfish in Palm Springs a few weeks ago after being told about it by our friends Ambria and Justin. It’s been in Palm Springs since 2018.

ABOUT SANDFISH

Cool, modern and refined. Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey by Chef Engin Onural offers a global twist on traditional Japanese cuisine. Exquisite sushi creations come together with unique whiskey and cocktail pairings for an unforgettable dining experience.

Michael started with their signature Old Fashioned, and I had the Aperol Spritz along with their Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms which were not like any I’ve had before, but were really good.

We then had three different Signature Rolls. The first was the Sandfish Roll with Spicy tuna, crab meat and avocado topped with lightly fried potato threads, spicy aioli, teriyaki sauce, micro greens, green onions and black truffle zest.

The second was the Scandinavian with Crab meat, avocado topped with salmon, ponzu sauce and bonito flakes.

Lastly was the Venue Roll where spicy tuna, salmon and tobiko come together like a symphony. Spicy tuna, cucumber and gobo topped with seared salmon, spicy aioli, teriyaki sauce, micro greens and tobiko.

Everything was beautifully prepared, interesting, and the service was attentive. If you are a whisky lover, you’ll likely appreciate the huge selections.

If some of the items sound a bit familiar, it’s because the chef is the originator of The Venue Sushi & Sake Bar in Palm Desert. Chef Engin Onural is among a small group of sushi ambassadors designated by the Japanese government, and that 2017 he placed 27th in the World Sushi Olympics.  He also received the designation of Best Chef America in 2016.

ADDRESS

1556 North Palm Canyon
Palm Springs,
California 92262

EMAIL

[email protected]

HOURS

Sunday - Thursday   4:30pm – 10pm
Friday & Saturday    4:30pm – 11pm

PHONE

760.537.1022

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

What are the New Changes to Real Estate in California?

The real estate landscape has recently undergone significant changes, especially regarding the way agent compensation is handled and how listings are presented in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). These adjustments, which took effect on August 6th, 2024, aim to bring more transparency to the real estate process but have also introduced some complexities that both sellers and buyers need to be aware of. Here's a breakdown of what these changes mean for you:

FOR SELLERS

  1. Agent Compensation:
    • Traditionally, the seller's listing included an offer to compensate the buyer's agent, which was clearly stated in the MLS. With the new rules, this compensation cannot be listed in the MLS, at least for now. However, this does not mean you, as a seller, are no longer participating in the buyer’s agent compensation. You can still choose to offer compensation, but it won’t be explicitly mentioned in the MLS.
    • In many other areas of California, the MLS now has a box indicating whether the seller is participating in the buyer's agent compensation. This allows buyers to decide whether to view properties based on the seller's participation in agent fees. Our local MLS is being urged to adopt this practice, but changes are still pending.
  2. Advertising Restrictions:
    • Another change is the restriction on advertising your willingness to compensate the buyer's agent on websites linked to the MLS. However, you can still mention this in social media posts that are not directly connected to any MLS listing.
  3. Increased Paperwork:
    • With these changes, sellers will need to sign additional forms when listing their properties. The goal is to ensure transparency, but the process has become more complex and may cause some confusion.

FOR BUYERS

  1. New Mandatory Form – BRBC:
    • As a buyer, you will now need to sign a new form called the Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation (BRBC) before you can be shown any property. This replaces the older BRE form that outlined the duties between you and your agent.
    • The BRBC form includes a section where you agree on the amount of compensation you are willing to pay your buyer’s agent. In most cases, this may be a non-issue as sellers are still likely to offer compensation.
  2. Buyer’s Agent Compensation Reference:
    • When submitting an offer, your buyer’s agent will now include a form that references the fees they expect the seller to contribute towards their compensation. This is a new requirement that has been introduced with the changes.
  3. Consultations and Clarity:
    • Given the complexities of these changes, it’s more important than ever to have a thorough consultation with your buyer’s agent. Ensure that you understand all the forms, fees, and the overall process to avoid any confusion.

WORK IN PROGRESS

As these changes are just being implemented, expect some growing pains as the industry adjusts. It’s a significant shift from how real estate transactions have traditionally been conducted, and many people, including agents, are still getting up to speed.

Our team is committed to staying informed and up-to-date with the latest developments. We’re here to help you navigate these changes smoothly and answer any questions you may have. We appreciate your patience as we all adapt to this new way of conducting real estate transactions.

If you have any concerns or need further clarification, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to ensure you’re well-informed and comfortable with every step of your real estate journey.

 

From Sheri Dettman
In Buying - Info For Buyers, Buying – Info For Canadian Buyers, Info For Buyers, Info For Sellers, Info For Sellers, Real Estate Market Updates, Selling - Info For Sellers, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Uncategorized

Dining Around The Desert: Shorebird Palm Desert

We’ve had the pleasure of dining at the newly opened Shorebird in Palm Desert several times over the past couple of months.

About Shorebird: CASUAL ELEGANCE. COASTAL KITCHEN.

At Shorebird, we take immense pride in crafting extraordinary culinary experiences for our local community. Our chef-curated menu is made from scratch daily, featuring only the freshest seafood and the finest ingredients, ensuring each dish consistently meets our exacting standards.

To elevate your dining experience, our cocktails are handcrafted with precision, blending classic techniques with a creative twist. Additionally, our wine selection is meticulously handpicked by our Master Sommelier, offering an exquisite range of choices to complement your meal. Our beverage program also includes a diverse lineup of rotating craft beers on tap.

Dedicated to excellence, we strive to provide a memorable dining experience that keeps our locals coming back for more.

The first time we went it was a party of six and we sat upstairs, which was very nice but pretty loud as the place was packed. The next time we sat at the bar on the first floor. Again, it was packed and noisy but it’s a fun atmosphere and the food is outstanding.

We’ve sampled Avocado Fries, Tempura Rock Shrimp, various rolls from the Raw Bar, Lemon Caeser, as well as Chilean Seabass, Hokkaido Scallops, Rib Eye, and Carne Adovada Tacos.

 

They have a lot of nice specialty craft cocktails and a nice wine list as well.

For dessert I highly recommend the Key Lime Pie and Pineapple Carrot Cake.

This is one of our new favorites and we’ll be back!

73-061 El Paseo, Suite 8, Palm Desert, CA, United States

(760) 404-0455

Shorebirdrestaurant.com/palm-desert

 

 

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

The American Dream Press Release

A logo for a company Description automatically generated

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

INTRODUCING A NEW LIFESTYLE AND REAL ESTATE TV SHOW 

Featuring the most influential voices in real estate 

Sheri Dettman - Lifestyle Realtor/TV Host

Featuring

Palm Springs, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Indio, Cathedral City, and Thermal

The American Dream TV proudly announces the release of its newest show set to captivate audiences nationwide. The Emmy-nominated TV show, celebrated for its compelling blend of lifestyle and real estate narratives, airs on national platforms such as The Travel Channel and prominent streaming services including Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies & TV, Tubi, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Roku. With a substantial social media presence and commanding visibility on leading streaming platforms, The American Dream TV solidifies its expansive reach and profound influence.

The American Dream TV, together with its production team, has garnered acclaim including an Emmy nomination, Telly Awards, and Viddy Awards, along with national recognition for showcasing authentic stories of neighborhoods and featuring top real estate professionals. Each episode spotlights elite realtors and mortgage lenders chosen for their expertise, reputation, and recognition from both peers and clients.

Executive show producer Craig Sewing, Inman News Nominee for "Most Influential in Real Estate," carefully selects the best hosts to represent the voice of lifestyle and real estate in each market. The show can be watched on a variety of networks and boasts millions of views on social media, proudly embracing its identity as “positive media” specializing in real estate, lifestyle, and culture.

About The American Dream TV: 

American Dream Media and Tech is a dynamic media company delivering premium content and innovative technology solutions. The American Dream TV, an Emmy-nominated national TV show centered around real estate and lifestyle, inspires and enriches communities across the country through positive media. Featuring over 1,000 top-producing real estate professionals as the authentic voice of their markets, the show airs on major networks and streaming platforms, amassing millions of views.

Connect with us: americandreamnetwork.tv

On social: @theamericandreamtv

As Seen On

From Sheri Dettman
In Info For Buyers, Info For Sellers, Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Music mogul Irving Azoff and Apple exec Eddy Cue build their ultimate golf course in the Coachella Valley

By Max Adler courtesy of GolfDigest
January 10, 2024
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THEIR HAPPY PLACE Azoff and Cue at Ladera Golf Club in Thermal, Calif. Photographs by Channing Benjamin

The only thing better than building your own golf course is building one with your best friend. Better still is when money isn’t really a concern because you’ve both won low-net and gross in the game of life. Irving Azoff dropped out of the University of Illinois in 1970 because it would’ve been financially reckless not to transfer his robust booking business of fraternity bands (among them REO Speedwagon) to Los Angeles. He would run Ticketmaster and later be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Eddy Cue, a first-generation Cuban-American from Miami whose father was a stagehand and mother a butcher, studied computer science at Duke and has worked at Apple since 1989. Today, they count nearly two dozen memberships between them, mostly the same clubs, and play about 70 rounds a year together. Now that they’ve opened Ladera Golf Club in Thermal, Calif., Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course of 2023, the worlds of music and tech have merged like never before. How did this power twosome get paired?

Two decades ago Cue was busy launching a new service called iTunes, but the library didn’t include one of his boss’ favorite bands, the Eagles. To placate Steve Jobs, Cue tracked down their manager to clear the impasse with the record label. Azoff proved a useful contact because in addition to the Eagles, he has represented or promoted U2, Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, Bon Jovi, Journey, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, yada yada. Together, they would revolutionize the digital sales and distribution of the music industry.

“Irving is the super-agent because of three things,” begins Cue, swirling a glass of cabernet over a thick New York strip. (Cue, 59, was a standout high school basketball player and still has the appetite of an athlete, as well as a powerful voice that would command a locker room. Azoff, a smaller engine thrumming nicely at 75, is having iced tea with fish and greens, and will softly note that his rock ’n’ rollers were always comforted knowing somebody sober was at the helm.) “One, Irving will kill for his clients. Two, he answers his phone 24-7. Three, he’s never slipped into the trap of thinking he’s the talent.”

Then Azoff says, “Eddy makes decisions with financial implications that are 100 times what I deal with.”

We’re sitting at a table in the temporary Ladera clubhouse where sleek steel beams and plush interior defy the word, and similarly unbelievable is how often Azoff’s iPhone rings and the names that pop up. In 10 minutes, a threatening letter with powder from a deranged fan has arrived for a legendary diva, a radio personality in New Zealand urgently needs a doctor for his kid, and the clubhouse manager wants to know if it’ll be lunch or dinner at next month’s inaugural member-guest tournament. Azoff treats each matter with equal and calm attention. That is, until Azoff and Cue start goofing by answering each other’s phones. The scene suggests the original name intended for the place, which the duo ultimately decided to call the par-3 course: Q&A.

Ladera translates to “Spanish foothills” and is the street name at one of Azoff’s homes, which is only sort of funny if you consider the club doesn’t have a paved entrance yet. For now, just park in any dirt space between the lemon trees bordering the driving range. The property is a construction site with fully finished golf facilities and is basically a second office for Azoff, who has been walking nine holes daily. It’s a getaway for Cue, who rarely plays golf in San Francisco where his real life is.

In the beginning, neither knew the other was a golfer. That happened in a surprise encounter at El Dorado Golf and Beach Club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Then the bromance really heated up at another Discovery Land property, Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club in Idaho. A half-serious comment about wanting a house nearer the water got serious when a certain property became available, so they bought it together. Thus began many trips and holidays with their families to Gozzer and beyond.

All three Cue children love to play golf. Jeffrey Azoff qualified for the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur, and his younger brother, Cameron, is also a tournament player. Together, they were responsible for many of the details at Ladera, including the scorecards, tee markers (the tips at 7,705 yards are pink, a whimsical twist on machismo), practice areas, golf-shop merchandise and more. Someday the children will inherit the club. To date, Cue and Azoff have sold nearly 40 non-equity memberships to their jet-setting friends, but ownership of Ladera will stay within the two families.

“Their friendship is aspirational,” Jeffrey says. “For two guys who deserve to make everything in the world about them, that they’d involve us in all the meetings about creating [Ladera] is humbling.”

“They all get along so great, and it’s cool to think about them one day sitting in these chairs with their grandkids, applying their own perspective and taking this place to a whole new level,” Cue says. As for his generation, Cue recently sent a recap email of a banner day made possible, in part, by the private air strip that’s a five-minute drive from the course—18 holes of golf, courtside at a Lakers game, backstage with U2 in Las Vegas—with the subject heading: Membership Has Its Privileges. Some of the early members include powerhitters like Fred Harman (co-owner of the Golden State Warriors), Rob Light (managing partner and director at Creative Artists Agency), Patrick Healy (CEO of Hellman & Friedman investments in London) and Harry Styles (you know what he does).

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CREATIVE JUICE The genius of Cue, Azoff and Hanse combined to transform a lemon grove into holes like the par-4 13th.

Like many great notions, Ladera traces to the pandemic. Q&A have the self-awareness to know how absurdly privileged this sounds, but in their view the opulent private desert club where they rode out COVID became overrun. That is, by the hordes of adult children and their children who fled cities during lockdown to the sweet, gated embrace of their forebears’ retirement communities, ballooning the number of humans with golf privileges. Newcomers to the game are wonderful and need to be encouraged, of course, but there are only so many unreplaced divots men of certain taste will stomach. “There were golf carts being driven in bunkers!” Azoff says, cringing at the memory.

As with the Gozzer house, when the ideal property came up for sale, neither guy blinked: in this case, 300 acres of lemon grove in the Coachella Valley (with existing water rights) nestled against the Santa Rosa Mountains. The most in-demand golf architect, Gil Hanse, flew in to assess the site and seriousness of its new owners and was pleased on both counts. The next day, back at work at Los Angeles Country Club in preparation for its upcoming U.S. Open, Hanse received a surprise delivery of eight pies from Azoff’s L.A. restaurant, Apple Pan, with a challenge to decide his favorite.

“The staff makes room in the kitchen refrigerator, and less than 24 hours after meeting these guys I’m alone in my room doing a pie-tasting,” says Hanse, who chose the chocolate banana cream.

Not long after, Hanse was flying to Ja-pan with a seven-hour layover in L.A. He texted Azoff. “A car picks me up and takes me to the Harry Styles concert,” Hanse says. “Before the show, we’re underneath the stage hitting balls on a simulator with Harry, then it’s dinner with several stars and all these amazing wines. At the concert I’m standing next to The Edge. That was my layover. Another time I went over to Irving’s house to watch a movie, and David Geffen, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann were there. Irving lives in this different world and moves effortlessly through it, loving nothing more than making people happy. Then there’s Eddy. Every time a new Apple product is released, I’m on this special list. But more important than any of these things has been the experience of just hanging with these guys and creating the happiest place on the planet for them.”

Ladera Golf Club

Ladera Golf Club
Thermal, CA
Ladera breaks the mold of desert golf in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. The design does not incorporate unnatural water features, it’s not lined by palm trees, and it’s not constrained by housing considerations. Instead, it is a beautiful and varied expression of what desert golf can be in its most natural form, though nothing about it is natural. The 300-acre site slopes 140 feet from the high point near the Santa Rosa Mountains across once-level land that was formerly lemon groves and mango farms. Hanse and Wagner propped up the low side of the property to reorient sightlines over the valley floor toward the eastern Mecca Hills and moved millions of cubic yards of earth to create each particle of golf.Ladera’s fairways are generous, 60 to 100 yards with no formal rough, but strategy abounds with options to play to wide parts of the fairway though the best approach angles and lines-of-sight are reserved for those who skirt the boundaries of the hazards. Even completely straight holes, such as the par-5 seventh, are full of options with staggered bunkers and a treacherous side slope short of the green. The greens reveal a tremendous variety of sizes and forms, some modestly contoured like the enormous saucer third and others a pattern of ridges and falling tiers (the 14th). But the most distinctive features at Ladera are the attractive dry gullies and arroyos that Hanse, Wagner and their team cut through the site emulating sandy, eroded vegetative lows that water would rush through during rare periods of heavy rain. The excavated sand was used to create sweeping elevation changes and to prop up greens like the par-3 fourth, the altar-like 15th, the par-3 16th and the par-5 17th that hangs over the edge of a deep arroyo.
Though the project hasn’t been all sunshine and grab-ass with the stars. There was a lot of row to hoe before, say, Hanse and Azoff were riding together in sunglasses in a dozer pushing dirt, Dead & Co. blasting from a huge speaker strapped to the back, each pinching himself that he’s learning from the preeminent authority on C.B. Macdonald/John Mayer. Having opened The Sphere in Las Vegas plus five other massive modern arenas during COVID, Azoff can navigate the matrices of development better than most. Having overseen crucial aspects of Apple News, Apple Pay, Apple Books and more, Cue is also no stranger to tense deadlines. (With Hanse’s contractual commitments to other courses, if Ladera wasn’t finished in 10 months, it would’ve taken at least another full year.)

Azoff is unequivocal. “I had to put more time and energy into building this golf course than The Sphere. I don’t think anybody else will be able to pull off what we’ve done in this area.” He’s referring to irrigation, electricity, flood walls, roads, Internet, $40 million for the golf holes, which doesn’t include the planned clubhouse and seven villas, and a hundred other challenges that come with moving two million cubic yards of dirt to create a sloping masterpiece from poor flat nothing.

“It’s obnoxious to talk about cost, but I compare it to the Apple Park campus. Short-term it sounds insane, but 100 years from now the figure will seem cheap,” Cue says. “One difference is there were no computer renderings. Gil shows you his black-and-white pencil sketches, and you just have to trust him.”

Playing with Q&A, both giddy as schoolboys, they don’t hide that Hanse and his partner, Jim Wagner, and by extension their construction partner LaBar Golf, exceeded their expectations. Cue points out ideal strategic lines and is quick to offer fist-bumps, even chestbumps, if you pull it off. “We’ve got fucking 360-degree views of the mountains,” says Azoff, spinning slowly to behold, and who, by the way, is rocking high-top G/Fores and an untucked polo. A minute later his head’s down, getting nerdy about the turf maintenance program. The best part about having a personal playground? Ask that and Azoff’s gaze goes mid-range, squarely on you. “Sharing it with other people.”

Dotting the course are a handful of converted Airstream trailers replete with air conditioning, bathrooms, refrigeration, and every snack conceivable. Such “comfort stations” are not novel, yet Q&A want Ladera’s vibe to be a departure from other high-end new courses that have celebrated golf as part of a relaxed recreational smorgasbord without stuffy rules. Q&A are still figuring out what this means exactly but know they want golfers who walk instead of ride and who “respect the virtues of the game.” The historic international destinations that draw the most ardent golf lovers exist under the weight of their own traditions, your Augustas and Pine Valleys, but Ladera is a blank slate.

Azoff’s phone rings. The greatest basketball player of all time wants to play tomorrow. “OK, but can he keep it to one group?”

No more than four foursomes per day is one idea at Ladera. Another is that it’s not a local course for retirees to bang balls for 10 minutes, play 18 holes in two and half hours, head home, then rinse and repeat. The complete lack of housing suggests this, as does the absence of a swimming pool, gym, tennis and pickleball courts. But the most unique attribute is the insistence on walking, with a caddie or a pushcart or carrying your bag. In deference to heat, hills, and even age, desert golf has always been played in carts. I’m aware of no other course in this part of the country that’s as committed to the ideal of golf as a soulful trek together as Ladera.

“Golf’s about friendship, but it’s also an incredible business tool,” Azoff says. “So much business, especially in my business, is done on the golf course.” From what I can’t help but eavesdrop, at least a portion of this marketing genius’ daily work involves giving away concert tickets to important people. It’s good to hang around Irving.

To the question, “Why don’t more folks in tech play golf?” Cue says, “Programmers are solitary individuals, and even though golf is an individual sport, it’s very social at its essence.” Whether that is construed as positive or negative is unclear when Cue says to me: “I now know you better than if we had six dinners together.”

What will become of Ladera Golf Club? As tech and music have shown in California, it’s all possible.

Below: The stunning par-5 first sets the stage for what's to come at Ladera: enormous landing areas, slick playing surfaces, arroyos that criss-cross the property and meditative views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and Coachella Valley.

For a closer look at the golf course itself with more drone footage, check out our Best New feature on Ladera here.

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog
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