The future of Coachella Valley golf may tell us if post-Baby Boomer generations can or will buy second homes, and if they'll do it in a place synonymous with retirement.
We've already seen signs of reinvention in the region, with the golf course no longer valued as a selling point. Making Bighorn's bet on a new clubhouse--all 79,000 square feet--another intriguing form of desert reinvention. Or, is it overkill?
Robb Report's Rebekah Bell paints quite the picture of the gleaming new structure.
Made from Champagne-painted fascia, steel, concrete, glass rails, and limestone floors imported from Peru, the clubhouse is a playful mix of fanciful swoops and curvaceous elements. “The clubhouse is built on curves,” says Carl Cardinalli, president of Bighorn. “There are very few right angles to be found throughout the entire building. Visually, there is a striking acknowledgement that the radial patterning reflects the signature Bighorn sheep’s valiant horns.”
Right!
More pertinent to Coachella Valley concerns, the Desert Sun's Larry Bohannan considers the thinking of Bighorn's R.D. Hubbard and asks if "the beauty of a clubhouse sell memberships to a private country club? Can that same clubhouse somehow assure an extended life span for that club?"
“Since we announced the new clubhouse (at the start of 2016), and we just had a (rendering) and the like, we have sold 56 membership in that time,” Hubbard said. “Absolutely it has paid off. But I anticipate this year, this golf season will be by far the biggest payoff for new members. We’ve got so many prospects who are waiting to see what it is going to be.”
The reaction of members Monday was positive both in terms of the building, estimated at $70 million when construction began, and what it means for the future of Bighorn.
“This was R.D.’s vision, and he put together a great team and pulled it off,” said James Gagan, one of the original investors in the group led by Hubbard that bought Bighorn in 1996. “When people see this clubhouse, what it offers, everyone will want to be a member – if they can afford it.”
Or, if they can afford it and therefore the ability to build their own trophy home, is this really where they will spend that much time compared to the golf course?