Johnny Dawson's unusual career of golf and development in the desert

Special to The Desert Sun

Golfer Johnny Dawson arrived on the desert when it offered little more than stretches of sand dunes, two modest nine-hole golf courses and space to dream. By the time of his death in 1986, he had been a major force in transforming the region into the winter golf capital of the world.

The 1975 Encyclopedia of Golf credited Dawson with developing Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley into a first-rate golf destination known throughout the world. Dawson didn’t merely develop golf courses — he invented the modern desert country club and, in doing so, created an entirely new model for how Americans would live, retire and play the sport.