The most difficult golf courses in the Coachella Valley
Desert Sun reporter Larry Bohannan talks about some of the most difficult golf courses in the Coachella Valley
There was a time in the Coachella Valley – and perhaps this was true in golf across the country – when the head golf professional at a course would stay at their course for decades.
In the 1970s and 1980s, for instance, there were men like Bill Ogden at Bermuda Dunes Country Club, Don Fairfield at Eldorado Country Club, Ellsworth Vines at Tamarisk and Claude Harman at Thunderbird and Morningside who were at the same club for a decade, sometimes two decades. Sally Mahoney was at O’Donnell Golf Club in Palm Springs for three decades.
Even today, pros like Terry Beardsley at Eldorado, recently retired Mike Clifton at The Lakes Country Club and Nick DeKock at Thunderbird have been fixtures at desert clubs, even the very face of the clubs.
Davy Evans was one such pro. Evans, who died Nov. 14 at 88, was a fixture at La Quinta Country Club for six decades, first as a young assistant pro starting in 1966, then as the second head pro in the history of the course for 26 years starting in 1971, and then as an honorary member of the club for 34 years until his death.
Evans was one of only six people to hold the job as head pro at La Quinta. The fifth guy on that list, Chris Gilley, is now the general manager of the club that is still part of The American Express PGA Tour event. Gilley said the PGA of America has a 100 Club, a number for a pro’s combined age and PGA membership. A check is being made to see if Evans qualifies at 150 years combined.
In a memorial message to members that was put together in part by Evans’ son, Dave Evans III, the elder Evans’ impact on the game was beyond running the golf shop at La Quinta.
“He organized charity events that supported countless causes, mentored young PGA professionals into meaningful careers across the country, and even had the honor of teaching U.S. Presidents and foreign Prime Ministers,” the statement said. “His professional achievements were significant, including being the winner of the Southern California PGA Senior Championship, recipient of the SCPGA Heritage Award, and an inductee into the Southern California PGA Hall of Fame in 2019.”
After leaving La Quinta following 26 years a head pro, Evans had other ventures, including a golf course that was unfortunately washed out in the wash in Palm Desert during a particularly wet season and being the head pro at the ultra-private Porcupine Creek – now Sensei Resort in Rancho Mirage – when it first opened.
But he never really left La Qunita Country Club, being given an honorary membership 34 years ago that he kept active, Gilley said. Evans would hit balls, have friends to the club for lunch, talk to members and even help tee off a tournament named after him by the club.
“Dave Evans was the ambassador of La Quinta Country Club and preached its magnificence his entire life,” Gilley said.
Gilley recalled an early meeting with Evans when Gilley took over as head pro in October of 2015.
“Dave Evans was in the shop and in Davy’s way, he said, ‘Christopher, how old are you?’” Gilley said. “I said ‘Davy, I’m 35.’ He said ‘Damn it, you are going to beat my record.’”
All of which made Davy Evans a special person in the history of La Quinta Country Club and the history of desert golf. But Evans is not alone in that regard. There were other pros, and still are such pros today, who are the primary ambassadors for their clubs, who work hard for decades to improve the golf and country club experience for members, who see staying at the same club for years to be a great career.
That’s not to say that pros who move from one club to another every four or five years, like baseball managers or football coaches, are doing it the wrong way. Leaving after a few years might be the right move for a pro and even for the club.
But for a handful of pros, merging their lives and career at the same club for decades has the right thing, and it continues for a handful of pros now. And for pros like Davy Evans, Bill Ogden, Claude Harman and others, it made all the sense in the world.
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on X at @larry_bohannan.
