Coral Mountain Desert Club

Coral Mountain Desert Club brings Scottish golf course architect David McLay Kidd to the Coachella Valley for the first time, with an 18-hole desert-style layout set against the Santa Rosa Mountains of La Quinta, California. Groundbreaking on the 400-acre private community took place in April 2026, with the golf course and broader phase-one amenities anticipated for completion in 2028. The site occupies one of the last remaining large undeveloped parcels in the Coachella Valley, with the name Coral Mountain derived from fossilised seashells and ancient water lines visible across the property — evidence of a prehistoric seabed.

Why Play Coral Mountain Desert Club?

Representing David McLay Kidd's first desert-style links course and his inaugural design in the Coachella Valley, Coral Mountain Desert Club offers a rare opportunity to experience a major contemporary architect's work in one of America's most celebrated golf regions. The routing preserves panoramic views of Coral Mountain and the surrounding Santa Rosa range while integrating natural desert terrain throughout.

History of Coral Mountain Desert Club

The 384-acre land parcel was acquired by developer Meriwether Companies in mid-2019, with the Coachella Valley site identified for its landscape qualities and position adjacent to nearly 20,000 acres of public land. The project was approved by La Quinta City Council following a revised planning process, with the current scheme centred on approximately 300 private homesites and an 18-hole golf course as the community's primary amenity. Meriwether Companies officially broke ground in April 2026, with David McLay Kidd confirmed as architect. Completion of the first amenities, golf course and wave basin is slated for 2028.

Course Layout & Playing Experience

The released course routing shows a layout stretching to over 7,100 yards, described as a desert-style links with water features on only two holes — the 440-yard seventh sharing a pond hazard with the 140-yard eighth. The design is intended to follow the site's natural topography, preserving sightlines to Coral Mountain and the Santa Rosa range across the routing. Phase one of development will also include a driving range and two elevated comfort stations.

Kidd's approach at Coral Mountain draws on his experience at open, landscape-led sites. His portfolio includes Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Gamble Sands in Washington, and the Castle Course at St Andrews, Scotland — all courses where terrain rather than artificial shaping drives the design philosophy. The Coral Mountain layout is expected to continue in that tradition, with a minimalist approach to water hazards and an emphasis on ground-game strategy across the desert floor.

The Verdict

Coral Mountain Desert Club arrives as one of the most anticipated new private golf projects in the American West, bringing a major international architect to a region with an established pedigree for high-quality inland desert golf. With a released routing exceeding 7,100 yards, a terrain-led design ethos, and a site abutting one of the last undeveloped Coachella Valley land parcels, the golf course has the foundations to become a significant addition to Southern California's private club landscape when it opens in 2028.

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