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.

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