The Citrus Club

Pete Dye built the Citrus Course in 1987, and it remains the only fully private layout reserved for Citrus members. It plays to about 6,838 yards from the blue tees with a par of 72, and it feels more like parkland than desert: bold mounding, deep bunkers, plenty of water and orange trees along many fairways. Reviewers describe it as strategic rather than brutal, with interesting angles that reward a ground game, and the par 3 sixteenth is one of the few template holes Dye ever built. Golf members also get unlimited play on the Pete Dye Mountain and Dunes courses at La Quinta Resort, and the top Distinguished Desert tier opens all nine PGA WEST courses. A full range, short game area and putting green sit beside the first tee.

The clubhouse on Mandarina is a Spanish mission-style building with courtyards and cathedral ceilings, and the pro shop sits next to the range and first tee. Dining runs from casual breakfasts and lunches to cocktail gatherings, themed nights, private wine dinners and a la carte fine dining, served indoors or on a patio with course and mountain views. The club also offers tennis, pickleball, bocce and fitness, along with a year-round social calendar. Because Citrus belongs to the same family as La Quinta Resort & Club, members can use resort tennis, pickleball and fitness facilities and receive preferred pricing on the resort's dining, spa, salon and shopping.

Membership at The Citrus Club is optional for homeowners, which is unusual among the area's private clubs. There are four main tiers. The Citrus Golf Membership includes advance tee times and unlimited play on three Pete Dye courses. The Sport Membership trades the private course for unlimited play on five PGA WEST resort courses plus Sports Club access. The Social Membership covers dining, fitness and the events calendar. At the top, the Distinguished Desert Golf Membership adds all nine PGA WEST courses and access to both private clubs. A local real estate guide lists golf initiation at about $40,000 with monthly golf dues near $1,426, but the club sets current fees and shares them during the membership process.

About 625 homes surround the course, built in phases from the 1990s through the 2010s. The mix runs from attached residences to free-standing estates, with Santa Barbara-style designs alongside newer contemporary plans. Many homes back onto fairways or lakes, with the Santa Rosa Mountains rising beyond the course. Recent home values reported by a local real estate guide range from about $1.1 million to $3.6 million, with monthly HOA dues of roughly $499 to $844 depending on the neighborhood. Since membership is not required, buyers can choose a home first and decide on the club later.

Life at Citrus has a relaxed, resort-adjacent rhythm. Members can play their own private course in the morning and then use the resort's courts, pools and restaurants in the afternoon, with Old Town La Quinta a short drive away. The social calendar runs all year, with dinners, golf events and gatherings for a wide range of ages, and the club's setting inside a former grove gives it a greener, more shaded feel than many desert courses. It suits golfers who like variety, owners who split time between the desert and home, and buyers who want a gated community with flexible club ties.