Two Ryder Cups in the 1950s established the Coachella Valley as a golf destination

With the Ryder Cup being played this week at Bethpage Black outside of New York City, it's a good time to recall when the Ryder Cup was played in the Coachella Valley.

Yes, it was a long time ago, but the desert was the home to not one by two Ryder Cups in the span of just four years. It seems strange now, given that the desert golf scene was so young in the 1950s and the East Coast or even some areas on the West Coast had more established and celebrated golf courses. But in hosting the matches in 1955 and 1959, the desert cemented itself as a worldwide golf destination. Combined with the Thunderbird Invitational tournament on the PGA Tour in the 1950s, the desert was growing in respect and exposure for golf fans.