By Crystal Harrell
Shadow Mountain Club was originally the vision of developer Cliff Henderson, known as the “Father of Palm Desert”. Starting with the purchase of 620 acres in 1946, the Club was conceived as a planned community for those wanting to enjoy the club’s planned tennis, golf, swimming, horseback riding, dinner, and dancing amenities.
In 2010, the City of Palm Desert proclaimed Shadow Mountain Golf Club as a Historic Landmark with the distinction of being the first golf course in the City of Palm Desert. Shadow Mountain Golf Club found itself in financial distress with endless looming deferred maintenance issues that caused it to be facing bankruptcy, and that’s when Lindi Biggi purchased the 63-acre course with plans to make the necessary investment to bring it back to its original glory as the hot spot for golf and social activities that are a proud part of Palm Desert.
In April of 2022, the club opened a massive 18-hole “Let’s Flamingo” Putting Course. During the Fall 2022, a Party Pavilion was added as a place to relax with a drink before or after enjoying the available activities. The newest addition to the club is an outside bar being built to honor Geno Biggi. The clubhouse is currently being remodeled to be a state-of-the-art facility.
“The projects we have worked on this past year are too numerous to list, as it seemed like anything that could go wrong—did… The worst was when the old well just up and quit in November, leaving us without adequate water all season. The second worst was the Hilary Storm that, among other things, blew down the new Pavilion. Some of the best things that happened were all the encouragement and help we received from friends and neighbors,” shared Biggi.
To Lindi, Shadow Mountain Gold Club’s tagline, “Where the Community Comes to Play,” simply describes its place in the 40’s, which was the beginning of Palm Desert—a period when the pool at the resort next door was the “Gathering Place” for every community event. The golf course, designed by the famous Gene Sarazen, two-time winner of the National Open Championship, was opened in 1958. It was the very first course built in Palm Desert which was still in its infancy as a city.
“We are looking forward to next season when these same people will enjoy the new 18-Hole putting green, new bathrooms, new Pavilion, Geno’s Bar and the remodeled club house with Game Room, Event Room, Birdy Bar & Grill and elegant Conference Room. The decor is mid-century tropical with a casual and friendly atmosphere,” shared Biggi.
The friendly department heads at Shadow Mountain Golf Club are also an integral part of its success:
Judith Donahue is the Event Coordinator for all the golf tournaments, special events, club activities, and private parties. Judith Anne is a professional in the industry who plans and coordinates all the events, offering guests a variety of choices to accommodate their budget, providing five different venues to host your gathering!
Lucene Eligian is the Pro Shop Attendant who has been with the organization for over seven years. Lucene is a professional when it comes to golf fashion, with over ten years of merchandising experience. The newly remodeled golf shop will meet all your golf needs as well as providing golfing and desert casual attire. The brand-new fashion line for 2023-2024 will be above and beyond expectations.
Harry Cook has taken a position with Shadow Mountain Golf Club with the Outside Services Department. Harry has joined for the upcoming 2023-2024 season and will be a familiar face on the course. He comes with vast experience in the golf and service industry. He relocated to this area, and he will be a great asset to the club.
Nick Mesrobian is the General Manager at Shadow Mountain Golf Club. Nick was at Shadow Mountain Golf Club from 2004 to 2016 and decided to come back on October 31 of 2023. Nick provides customer service to the members and non-members on a daily basis— doing everything in his capabilities to have every individual enjoy their experience at Shadow Mountain Golf Club.
Joel Pino is our newly appointed Director of Food and Beverage for Shadow Mountain Golf Club as we welcome our 2023-2024 season. Mr. Pino comes to us with vast experience in the hospitality industry. He is responsible for the daily operation of our Birdy Bar and Grill and our other event venues, to assure our guests of excellent customer service, along with exciting menu choices.
The next big event that Shadow Mountain Gold Club will be inviting the public out for is the After Parade After Party on October 29—following immediately after the Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary. There will be no host bar, food sampling local restaurants, and much more.
“It’s just an important historical location and we need to all love it. We encourage anyone considering joining Shadow Mountain to do so prior to the first of the year as the initiation fee is waived until January 1, 2024. Please check our website as we have the perfect membership for you,” recommended Biggi.
To learn about memberships or upcoming events, visit www.golfshadowmountain.com.
