Mission Hills Country Club Explained

Golf Facility Name:Mission Hills Country Club
Location:Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Establishment:1971 [1]
Type:Private
Owner:ClubCorp
Pushpin Map:USA#California
Pushpin Relief:1
Coordinates:33.798°N -116.433°W
Holes:54
Tournaments:Chevron Championship
Galleri Classic
Website:missionhills.com
Course1:Dinah Shore Tournament Course
Designer1:Desmond Muirhead
Par1:72
Length1:7250yd [2]
Rating1:75.2
Slope1:140 [3]
Course2:Arnold Palmer Course
Designer2:Arnold Palmer
Par2:72
Length2: [4]
Rating2:72.6
Slope2:131 [5]
Course3:Pete Dye Challenge Course
Designer3:Pete Dye
Par3:72
Rating3:74.2
Slope3:143 [6]

The Mission Hills Country Club is a country club in the western United States, located in Rancho Mirage, California, southeast of Palm Springs.

Overview

Among the facilities at the club are 3 championship golf courses (54 holes), 27 tennis courts of various surfaces, a spa and sports center. It has been owned by ClubCorp since 1993. The tennis venue of the club hosted finals of the Davis Cup in 1978.

Golf

The first course at Mission Hills was designed by Desmond Muirhead and opened in 1971.[1] It is over this course, now known as the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, that the Chevron Championship, one of the five major championships in women's professional golf, was played. It debuted in April 1972 as the "Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle," the richest event on the LPGA Tour, and became a major in 1983 through 2022.

The second course was designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 1979. A third course was added in 1988, and originally called the Dinah Shore Course, but with Dinah Shore's name being transferred to the old course after her death in 1994, it was renamed as the Pete Dye Challenge Course.

From 1988 to 2022, the Chevron Championship winner took the traditional jump into Poppie's Pond, next to the bridge at the 18th green. Amy Alcott was the first in 1988, and it had been an annual ritual from 1994 to 2022, when Jennifer Kupcho became the final winner to do it.[7] [8]

In 2023, the PGA Tour Champions will host the Galleri Classic on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course. David Toms won but did not take "the plunge".

Notes and References

  1. Bracing for a rich breakthrough . Sports Illustrated. McDermott . Barry . April 24, 1972 . 26.
  2. Web site: Dinah Shore Tournament Course scorecard. PGA of America. June 4, 2012.
  3. Web site: Course Rating and Slope Database™: Mission Hills Country Club - Dinah Shore Tournament Course. USGA. June 4, 2012.
  4. Web site: Arnold Palmer Course scorecard. PGA of America. June 4, 2012.
  5. Web site: Course Rating and Slope Database™: Mission Hills Country Club - Arnold Palmer Course. USGA. June 4, 2012.
  6. Web site: Course Rating and Slope Database™: Mission Hills Country Club - Pete Dye Challenge Course. USGA. June 4, 2012.
  7. News: At women’s Masters, plunge in Poppie’s Pond is victory lap . New York Times . Crouse . Karen . April 2, 2011 . April 16, 2018.
  8. Web site: Jennifer Kupcho makes major first win, takes final leap into Poppie's Pond . Golf Channel . Associated Press . April 24, 2022 . April 3, 2022.