In addition to 36 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf (North and South Courses), the club features a double-ended driving range, a large practice green, and a state-of-the-art performance center.
There’s something comforting in the slow, opening draw of Toscana Country Club’s front wrought iron gates. The way the olive and cypress trees sway in the warm breeze. The sound of water cascading from ornate, stone fountains. The sweet perfume of fresh flowers wafting through the courtyards and cool, cloistered passageways.
“It’s peaceful,” says Gary Diamond, who joined Toscana with his wife, Allison, in 2014. When friends ask the L.A.-based couple why they bought a second home in the desert, a mere two hours away, it always comes down to the feeling, the environment, and the people they find here. “Your whole attitude changes,” he continues. “Allison likes to call it her ‘happy place.’”
It is, without a doubt, a happy place. While many clubs in the area spotlight their sleek, modern architecture and design, Toscana feels like an Italian villa that’s been built over time. Full of warmth. Stories. Splendor. Charm. Or like stepping inside a painting of the Tuscan countryside, only better, because here — nestled in the prestigious enclave of Indian Wells — the Italianate backdrop comes alive with unexpected textures and shades of stately palm trees, sun-drenched mountains and cloudless skies.
From the Garden Terrace, intentionally built on an elevated ridge, Members mingle over cocktails, share lively conversation, and gather for dinner on the covered patio while Toscana’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses unfold before them in all their emerald green glory. “Our golf experience here is second to none,” says Director of Golf Charlie Peterson. “The surroundings, the course conditions, the friendly people. I don’t know where you could find a better round.”
In addition to 36 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf (North and South Courses), the club features a double-ended driving range, a large practice green, and a state-of-the-art performance center helmed by Director of Instruction, and one of Golf Magazine’s top 100 teaching professionals, Bill Harmon. “Our [Bill Harmon Performance Center] houses all of the technologies that are available today to help with golf instruction and club fitting,” Peterson explains. “And we offer a number of golf improvement schools and clinics, as well.”
Though golf remains a cornerstone of the Toscana community (with Nicklaus’ own design sketches adorning the walls of the men’s locker room), the club’s lifestyle has evolved over the years to also encompass world-class cuisine, wellness, recreation, the arts and everything in between.
Within the expansive Club Villa complex, Members enjoy an array of first-rate amenities and facilities, all framed by a Tuscan-inspired aesthetic and convivial atmosphere.
High wood-beam ceilings, artisan sconces, and crackling fireplaces create an elegant space for indulging in seasonally inspired fare at Il Forno Trattoria, the club’s fine dining restaurant. And many a winemaker dinner has been held inside the dimly lit, temperature-controlled wine cellar downstairs, which offers a more intimate setting for group dinners and private events.
Across the way, the club’s newest venue, La Cucina, caters to those in search of a more casual dining scene, with a glass-walled display kitchen, horseshoe-shaped bar and pocket sliding doors that bring the natural beauty found outside in.
At La Cucina, disappearing pocket doors create a relaxing indoor-outdoor dining space for enjoying casual bites and stunning views.
Next door, Il Caffe serves fresh coffee and pastries for Members on the go — which is most of the time. “Our Members are really active and adventurous,” says Spa and Sports Club Director Jennifer DiFrancesco. In her 10 years at Toscana, she’s created a robust activity and enrichment program that inspires Members to rethink how they define “wellness.”
For some, it’s a traditional one-on-one session with a personal trainer, an hour on the spin bike inside the fitness center, a couple laps in the resort’s sparkling pool, or a group exercise class like standup paddleboard yoga.
A seasonally inspired menu pleases even the most sophisticated palates at Il Forno, Toscana’s fine dining restaurant.
Unique fitness classes, such as standup paddleboard yoga, inspire Members to rethink how they define “wellness.”
Others imagine a day of pure relaxation and rejuvenation at Spa Bella Vita. With seven treatment rooms, lavishly appointed lounges, a eucalyptus-infused steam room, a dry sauna, an on-site boutique, and a hair and nail salon, the options for finding bliss seem practically endless. “Most private clubs in the desert do not have a full-service spa,” DiFrancesco says. “And every single one of our treatment rooms has a private patio, so we can offer both indoor and outdoor services.”
Then there are those who live for overhead smashes, serves, and rallies. The club’s Charlie Pasarell Tennis Center features a mix of tennis and pickleball courts set among fragrant citrus trees and beautiful garden-like surroundings, providing a perfect setup for clinics, league play, or lessons with a pro.
If Members aren’t sure what healthy passion piques their interest, they can try something different, like cooking, painting, or even petting puppies. “I read an article about how petting puppies lowers the cortisol levels, which are responsible for fight or flight, in our bodies,” DiFrancesco shares. “So we had a dog breeder come in with a whole new litter of puppies. Everyone sat around in a circle, and for one full hour the class was petting them. I had Members coming up to me afterward asking when we could do this again.”
“That was the really big draw for us,” says Member Michelle Flemons. “We loved how active this community was.” When she and her husband, Wade, began searching for a private club in the Coachella Valley to call their home away from home, a walkable golf course was a must. But the countless field trips, group hikes, and even excursions abroad — such as Cycling in Solvang — were like the finishing brushstroke on a masterpiece. They purchased a home in 2018 and savor the south-facing mountain views (especially when they arrive from their native Canada for the winter).
“Everyone sort of feels like extended family because you create these connections with people through all of the wonderful activities that Toscana coordinates,” Michelle continues. “The bocce ball, the tennis, the yoga, the pickleball. You just end up really knowing people on more than a superficial level.”
Spa Bella Vita’s lavish treatment rooms and wide selection of services offer a blissful escape from the everyday.
From group bike rides to pickleball tournaments to outdoor yoga, Toscana’s robust activity and enrichment program offers something for everyone.
“For me,” Wade adds, “you have two sides to every community. You’ve got the physical layout and what it looks like, but even more than all that is the people and the culture. Somehow, at Toscana, they’ve done it right. Everyone is happy here.” A full calendar of events speaks to such camaraderie and sociability. Throughout the season, Members gather for themed dinners, family fun days, men’s and ladies’ card games, book and film clubs, barbecues, and more. And each experience is as outstanding as the last.
“Everything about Toscana is higher quality,” says William Bone, Chairman of Sunrise Company — the artista behind this private, luxury, master-planned community. “I’ve never seen anything that can match the vast array of our facilities as well as the activities that go along with them. The Members call it ‘Camp Toscana’ because there are so many activities to participate in.”
The homes scattered across the club’s 640 rolling acres, he adds, are also unparalleled, from the lot size to the finishes to the landscaping.
In fact, the Diamonds fell so in love with the first Toscana home they toured (after viewing more than 30 in a neighboring community) that they decided to buy before knowing anything about the club’s lifestyle and amenities. “I hadn’t even played the golf course yet,” Gary says with a slight chuckle. “I knew nothing about the club. That’s how fast things happened.”
Toscana’s two bocce courts have become a popular gathering place for Members who like to enjoy a little friendly competition and camaraderie framed by beautiful views.
Residences reflect one of three exterior styles — Mediterranean, Tuscan, and early Californian — and are available in 10 different floor plans ranging from 2,400 to over 4,500 square feet. All homes, however, are completely customizable within and designed with the utmost privacy and seamless indoor-outdoor living in mind. For Members who purchase homesites to build one of the floor plans, an on-site Design Center overflowing with kitchen and bath fixtures, tiles, frames, and flooring selections helps streamline the customization process.
Every Toscana residence is designed with seamless indoor-outdoor living in mind, the main living room flowing effortlessly to the back patio and to the emerald green golf course beyond.
The Diamonds, who have enjoyed the best of both experiences (renovating an existing property and building from the ground up), still treasure the vistas from their backyard patio, facing the 17th tee on the North Course, as much as the first day they moved in. They watch the golfers as they pass by. People wave. Everyone says “hi.” And just like that incomparable, carefree feeling that embraces all Members upon arrival, the moment they leave, they can’t wait to get back.
Visit toscanacc.com.
• READ NEXT: You'll Find Good Company at The Vintage Club.