The Madison Club

The course is a classically styled Tom Fazio design, one of many Fazio and Discovery Land have built together, and the club calls it the crown jewel of that partnership. It opened in 2006 and sits on more than 150 acres, with about 120 acres of landscaping around the 18 holes, so fairways feel separated from the homes and from each other. Third-party course guides put it at roughly 7,400 yards from the back tees. Practice facilities include a range, short game area and putting green, and caddies are available. Discovery's signature on-course comfort stations, which began as a way for chairman Mike Meldman to keep his young sons entertained, serve tacos, snacks and ice cream sandwiches along the way.

The clubhouse is an old-world style compound of about 48,600 square feet, designed by BAR Architects of San Francisco and built by Lusardi Construction, which put its cost at $26 million. It is arranged as several buildings: a main building with dining room, sushi bar, lounge and theater; a men's building with lockers and hot and cold plunge pools; and a women's building with lounge, spa and fitness center. Outside there is a large pool with an outdoor bar. The club also offers tennis and pickleball, an 18-hole putting course, a day spa and a lifestyle and wellness team, plus casual stops on the course such as Madison Place and the Dog House overlooking the ninth and 18th holes.

Membership at The Madison Club is private and by invitation, and local brokerage guides report that golf membership is limited to property owners, so the usual path is to buy a home or homesite and then go through the club's approval process. The club keeps its membership deliberately small, which is a large part of the appeal: tee times are easy to come by and the clubhouse rarely feels busy. Fees are not published. Local brokerage guides have reported an initiation of around $500,000, with annual dues quoted anywhere from the tens of thousands upward, and those figures change. Expect the club to share current terms privately once you are a serious buyer.

Real estate at The Madison Club is built around large custom estates. Homesites range from about half an acre to an acre and a half, with views across the Fazio fairways to the Santa Rosa Mountains, and owners have commissioned architect-designed houses, including an Olson Kundig home with retractable walls that open fully to the views. A cluster of villas near the center of the community offers a smaller, lower-maintenance option, and five privately owned one-bedroom clubhouse suites of about 1,000 square feet each give members a concierge-serviced pied-a-terre. One local brokerage counts about 193 homes and 19 villas at build-out. Prices are among the highest in the Coachella Valley; a one acre homesite owned by Phil Knight was once listed at $2.5 million, and estate homes now trade far higher.

Life at The Madison Club follows Discovery Land's formula: high service, an unhurried pace and an emphasis on families, with a lifestyle and wellness team programming activities for members, children and grandchildren as well as golfers. The gates are discreet and security is tight, which has made the club a favorite with executives and public figures who want privacy. Many owners use their homes seasonally during the cooler months, and the club's own materials pitch short flight times from San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas and beyond. The location in south La Quinta puts Old Town La Quinta, the La Quinta Resort and Highway 111 shopping within a short drive, while the club itself is designed so that you rarely need to leave.