mission-hills-country-club

On a Mission

Mission Hills Country Club is celebrating a major milestone with a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Lawrence Karol Real Estate

mission-hills-country-club
A photograph from Mission Hill's 35th anniversary commemorative book features the Clubhouse exterior circa 2006.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MISSION HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

The Mission Hills Country Club is so closely associated with its location in Rancho Mirage that it’s easy to overlook the fact that the Club was actually established in 1971—two years before Rancho Mirage was even incorporated as a city.

At the time of its development, Mission Hills was also one of the largest country club community developments in the world, and eventually became the home of three championship golf courses.

Dinah Shore founded the professional women’s golf championship, then known as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle, at Mission Hills in 1972. Eleven years later, it was classified as a major Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour event and continues today as the ANA Inspiration.

“The tournament is the first of the five major championships in women’s golf and features the well-known victory celebration of the winner jumping into ‘Poppie’s Pond’ on the 18th hole—a tradition that began when Amy Alcott jumped in the water after her 1988 victory,” says Garret Kriske, general manager of Mission Hills Country Club.

To honor its 45th anniversary, the Club is embarking on a major renovation of its clubhouse — which is known for its sweeping views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains, and the lake on the 18th hole — as well as the introduction of several new membership programs.

As part of their 45th anniversary celebration, Mission Hills Country Club is updating their clubhouse. The light-filled lobby has been redesigned with modern furnishings and a contemporary color palette.

Among the Club’s dining options is the Main Dining Room patio.

An aerial view of the Club in the 1990s.

“As time [has changed] member habits, we felt we needed to change the Club experience to match that while not losing sight of the Club’s rich history and heritage,” says Kriske. “This exciting reinvention will allow us to build on our traditions but put the Club in step with the lives of today’s members.”

The changes include an updated foyer and entrance, the addition of two dining areas, climate-controlled wine lockers, and a complete renovation of men’s locker room that will encompass a gaming space with a snooker table and card tables.

“Snooker will be our newest club within the Club,” says Kriske. “It’s quite popular in Canada and we expect it to be a popular spot with our Canadian members and their guests. And it likely will be the only place in the desert to play — outside of private homes.”

The Club also hosts many other events, including a quarterly children’s paint night, lectures, cooking classes, and more. “Once the renovations are complete, we will be offering game nights, sporting event watch parties, wine and craft beer tastings, and even more specialty dinners,” says Kriske.

The Club’s setting affords members incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

Technological innovations are also a part of the renovation. The Club’s new Touchdown Room will be a private, high-tech-enabled workspace. “Members can drop in and work without any distractions, hold interviews, host small impromptu meetings, and make private phone calls,” says Kriske.

“We believe in the future of the Club and we are changing it to help fit the needs of our members,” adds Kriske. “We want to create a new space which has all the characteristics our members have enjoyed through the years, but which offers a more modern setting, expanded dining spaces, and additional amenities.”

Mission Hills Country Club, 760-324-9400, www.missionhills.com

 
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A view of Mission Hills Country Club in its infancy.