Against a dramatic background of desert mountains, the sparkling green fairways of the Coachella Valley have attracted world-class golf tournaments, athletes and dignitaries for decades. In the 1920s, enterprising oil tycoon Tom O'Donnell built one of the first nine-hole courses in Palm Springs, and the area was a hangout for Hollywood's elite by the 1940s and '50s. Bob Hope's namesake PGA Tour event became a mainstay, while Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, the Marx Brothers, Marilyn Monroe and more frequented over the years. Today, the valley is a renowned perennial golf destination boasting over 120 courses and exceptional resorts. Follow award-winning local golf columnist Larry Bohannan as he recounts the storied history of the game under the desert palms.

Larry Bohannan has been the golf writer and columnist for the Desert Sun newspaper and desertsun.com since 1986, covering the PGA Tour, LPGA and Champions Tour events in the Coachella Valley. A 1982 graduate from Cal State Fullerton with a BA degree in communications, he was named the 2011 Media Person of the Year by the California Golf Writers and Broadcasters Association. He has previously authored 50 Years of Hope, a history of the Bob Hope Classic. He lives in Indio.