Thunderbird Country Club
Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California · Rancho Mirage golf market
- Access
- invitation only
- Holes
- 18
Thinking About Living in Thunderbird Country Club?
Get connected with a local real-estate specialist who understands Thunderbird Country Club and the surrounding Rancho Mirage golf market.
Thunderbird Country Club, founded in 1954 by Johnny Dawson and Desi Arnaz, was the Coachella Valley's first 18-hole golf course. Early investors included Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. It remains a private club today, admitting members through an invitation/nominee process, with Golf and Social membership tiers. Several named residential neighborhoods (Thunderbird Heights, Thunderbird Terrace, Thunderbird Villas, Thunderbird North, Thunderbird Palms East, Thunderbird West, and Thunderbird Cove) surround the course, with homes reported in the roughly $995,000-$4.5 million range and HOA dues around $230/month.
Golf & Course
An 18-hole private course, historically significant as the Valley's first 18-hole layout; detailed architect/yardage data was not independently confirmed this session.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Membership is by invitation, with prospective members applying as nominees through an established process. The club and secondary sources are explicit that golf memberships are 'entirely non-residential' -- homeownership in the surrounding neighborhoods neither includes nor eases club access, a clean proximity-does-not-equal-access example.
Living in Thunderbird Country Club
Several distinctly named residential neighborhoods (Heights, Terrace, Villas, North, Palms East, West, Cove) ring the course, each with its own character but a shared HOA-fee tier around $230/month; homes range roughly $995,000-$4.5 million.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Golf membership initiation
Historical — as of 2026-09-22$50,000
Golf Membership initiation fee, per a private-club aggregator site; not the club's own published rate sheet.
Initiation (range low)
Historical — as of 2026-09-22$10,000
Social Membership initiation fee.
Initiation (range high)
Historical — as of 2026-09-22$50,000
Golf Membership initiation fee.
Annual dues
Historical — as of 2026-09-22$22,440
Golf Membership annual dues; Social Membership dues reported separately at approximately $10,715/year.
Interested in Homes in Thunderbird Country Club?
We can connect you with a local real-estate specialist who knows the community, nearby golf communities, and the Rancho Mirage market.
What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm current initiation fees and dues directly with the club -- figures here come from a private-club aggregator site, not Thunderbird's own rate sheet.
Notable
- Founded in 1954 by Johnny Dawson and Desi Arnaz -- the Coachella Valley's first 18-hole golf course.
- Early investors included Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
- Golf memberships are explicitly non-residential -- homeownership in the surrounding neighborhoods does not include or ease club access.
Considering a Move to Thunderbird Country Club?
Whether you're comparing Thunderbird Country Club with another Rancho Mirage golf community or you're ready to start looking at homes, US Golf Living can connect you with a local real-estate specialist.
US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.