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Rancho Mirage, CA
Thunderbird Country Club
Frank Bogert opened Thunderbird as a dude ranch in 1946, with cabins and horse stalls on a large desert property. Seasonal closures and the lack of golf limited the venture’s appeal.
- Course
- 18 holes · par 71 · Opened 1951
- Original architect
- Lawrence Hughes
- Club website
- Visit website
The course
Course design
Thunderbird Country Club history
Johnny Dawson led its conversion into a country club with investors including entertainment and business figures. Construction began in 1950, and Dawson and architect Lawrence Hughes struck ceremonial shots on January 9, 1951.
Championships
Results and dates 1 edition
Ryder Cup
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United States (Ryder Cup)
In the archive
Sources and editorial notes5 references
Sources for this story
- Thunderbird Ranch Thunderbird Country Club
Institutional history and course description.
Consulted 2026-09-21
Record sources
- Club mark source
- Thunderbird Country Club
- Ryder Cup official history The official Ryder Cup history data records the 1955 course and result.
- Thunderbird Country Club: The Ryder Cup The current owner’s Ryder Cup history identifies Thunderbird as the 1955 host. This binds the existing sole physical course, without changing its current par 71 to the historical competition par 72 or resolving conflicting historical yardage accounts.