INTRODUCTION
There is no community in the Coachella Valley, or arguably in the world, quite like Marrakesh Country Club. Described as the only Hollywood Regency colony of homes in existence, Marrakesh is a private gated golf club community on 155 acres in Palm Desert that stands apart from every other desert address through the sheer power of its architectural vision and the singular beauty of its setting.
The story begins with two extraordinary men. Cliff Henderson, founder of Palm Desert, had served under General Patton in World War II and never forgot the sight of the setting sun turning the walls of Morocco's fabled city a dazzling shade of pink. When Henderson described that vision to Johnny Dawson, the legendary golf community developer who had already created Thunderbird Country Club (1951) and Eldorado Country Club (1957), Dawson immediately saw the possibility. In 1967 he acquired a 155-acre parcel in Palm Desert with spectacular views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and set about creating something the desert had never seen.
Dawson commissioned John Elgin Woolf, the master of Hollywood Regency architecture whose homes were prized by designers, studio executives, and celebrities throughout the hills above Sunset Boulevard, to design what would become his final and most expansive project. Woolf personally designed the 364 residences, the 14 pools and pavilions, the sales office, the clubhouse, and the community's signature curvaceous serpentine pink brick wall that winds along Portola Avenue and immediately signals that something extraordinary lies within. He personally designed the community's 154 signature streetlights. At Dawson's request, every home was painted the color that would become known as "Marrakesh Pink."
Ground was broken in 1967 with the community opening in 1969. The golf course was designed by Ted Robinson,consistently rated as one of the finest executive 18-hole courses in the country. In 1971, Woolf was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and architect Richard Harrison of modernist firm Wexler and Harrison was brought in to complete the design of the clubhouse, though Woolf's signature water feature at the heart of the clubhouse was preserved.
Today Marrakesh Country Club is a private, member-owned club known as one of the desert's most exceptional and architecturally significant communities. The newly renovated clubhouse, reimagined by acclaimed interior designer Tom Scheerer who blended Woolf's original concept with modern warmth and elegance, active social calendar, and one of the friendliest and most engaged memberships in Palm Desert make Marrakesh far more than a museum piece. It is a living, thriving community unlike anything else in the Coachella Valley.
Billy and Stacy Thoman of Billy Thoman Real Estate are your Coachella Valley specialists for Marrakesh Country Club real estate. Call today or visit MyHomeInTheDesert.com.
THE COURSE
Ted Robinson Executive Golf Course
18 holes | Par 62
Designed by Ted Robinson | Opened 1969
The golf course at Marrakesh Country Club was designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1969 alongside the community itself. Consistently rated as one of the finest executive 18-hole courses in the country, the course features challenging approaches, impeccable greens, and sweeping views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains from every hole. Tight fairways and well-placed sand bunkers require precision and strategy rather than raw distance, making it ideal for golfers of all skill levels.
The course is adjoined by a golf simulator room, putting greens, and a dedicated practice area. The newly redesigned pro shop is stocked with exclusive golf merchandise and equipment. Year-round golf programs and tournaments are led by PGA professionals on site. Active Ladies Golf Association and Men's Golf programs run throughout the season.
Golf membership at Marrakesh is mandatory for all buyers. A Full Club Membership including golf and social privileges is required, with an affiliation fee of approximately $40,000 to $50,000 paid at the close of escrow. Unlimited golf membership dues are approximately $2,700/year.
THE RESIDENCES
Marrakesh Country Club offers 364 single-family homes built between 1968 and 1976 on 155 acres of Palm Desert. Every home is a detached single-family property with no shared walls, designed by John Elgin Woolf in the Hollywood Regency style as his final and most expansive project. No condos. No attached units. Just 364 spacious, individually distinctive villas set across 14 intimate neighborhoods of approximately 24 homes each, every neighborhood anchored by its own private pool, spa, and pavilion.
Every home features 10-foot ceilings, atriums, courtyards, and large glass windows that offer spectacular views of the golf course, the mountains, or the community pools. Homes were painted in the signature "Marrakesh Pink" by Johnny Dawson's directive and remain one of the most recognizable and photographed streetscapes in the California desert.
Homes are offered in four models ranging in size from approximately 1,500 to 3,000 sq ft with 1 to 4 bedrooms. Many homes have been completely and beautifully renovated with contemporary interiors while preserving the original Hollywood Regency architectural character. The community has attracted a growing wave of design-forward buyers and architecture enthusiasts from Los Angeles and beyond who are drawn to Woolf's singular vision.
Land situation: There is a land encumbrance fee of approximately $265 to $335/month paid until 2042. Verify current land status directly with the club or escrow.
2025-2026 market snapshot: Home values range from approximately $595,000 to $1,400,000+. Average community price approximately $720,000. Average days on market approximately 47 days. Approximately 27 homes sell per year.Approximately 22% of homes sell furnished.
REAL ESTATE AT A GLANCE
AMENITIES
Golf
Clubhouse and Dining
Recreation
HISTORY
Marrakesh Country Club was conceived in 1967 when developer Johnny Dawson acquired a 155-acre parcel in Palm Desert and began planning his most ambitious project. Dawson was already legendary in the Coachella Valley having developed Thunderbird Country Club in 1951 and Eldorado Country Club in 1957, and had also developed La Quinta Country Club and Seven Lakes Country Club. He was inducted into the SCGA Hall of Fame in 2007.
The name was suggested by Cliff Henderson, founder of Palm Desert, who recalled the sight of the setting sun turning the walls of Marrakesh, Morocco a dazzling shade of pink during his World War II service under General Patton. Dawson embraced the vision entirely, commissioning John Elgin Woolf, the master of Hollywood Regency architecture, to design every residence and public space within the community in what would become Woolf's final and most expansive project.
Woolf infused a cohesive design sensibility into every detail. He organized the 364 homes into 14 intimate neighborhoods of approximately 24 homes each, every one anchored by its own private pool, spa, and pavilion. He personally designed the community's 154 signature streetlights and the curvaceous serpentine pink brick perimeter wall that became the community's most recognizable exterior feature. At Dawson's instruction, every home was painted the color now known as "Marrakesh Pink."
Ground was broken in 1967 and the community opened in 1969. The golf course was designed by Ted Robinson. In 1971, when Woolf was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, architect Richard Harrison of Wexler and Harrison was brought in to complete the clubhouse design, though Woolf's signature water feature was preserved as the centerpiece of the entrance.
The community celebrated its 50th anniversary to considerable attention, with Palm Springs Life magazine dedicating a major feature to its enduring architectural significance. The clubhouse was subsequently reimagined by acclaimed interior designer Tom Scheerer, who blended the splendor of Woolf's original concept with modern warmth and elegance in a renovation that honors the past while embracing the present.
Today Marrakesh Country Club is recognized as one of the desert's most exceptional and architecturally significant private clubs, attracting a new generation of design-forward buyers alongside the loyal multigenerational membership that has called it home for decades.
LOCATION
Marrakesh Country Club is located at 47000 Marrakesh Drive in Palm Desert, California, west of Portola Avenuenear The Living Desert zoo and gardens.
El Paseo, the Rodeo Drive of the desert, is minutes away with world-class dining, shopping, and galleries. The Living Desert is just a short walk away. Eisenhower Medical Center is nearby. The BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is a short drive. Highway 111 and Interstate 10 connect residents to Indian Wells, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Springs. Palm Springs International Airport is approximately 20 to 25 minutes away.
The community's pink perimeter wall along Portola Avenue is one of the most photographed and recognizable streetscapes in the California desert, making Marrakesh Country Club as much a cultural landmark as a residential community.
WHY WORK WITH BILLY AND STACY THOMAN
Marrakesh Country Club is one of the most architecturally distinctive and genuinely unique private club communities in the United States. Buyers who discover Marrakesh tend to fall in love with it immediately. Understanding the land encumbrance fee structure, the mandatory affiliation fee, and the nuances of Woolf's four home models requires genuine local expertise.
Billy and Stacy Thoman of Billy Thoman Real Estate specialize in Coachella Valley luxury real estate with deep knowledge of Marrakesh Country Club, Bighorn Golf Club, Indian Ridge Country Club, Ironwood Country Club, The Lakes Country Club, and the full range of desert country club communities.
Whether you are searching for a pristine original Woolf villa, a beautifully renovated Hollywood Regency masterpiece, or a turnkey Marrakesh Pink retreat unlike anything else in the desert, Billy and Stacy bring the expertise and local relationships to find exactly the right fit.
Call Billy and Stacy Thoman at Billy Thoman Real Estate today or visit MyHomeInTheDesert.com to explore current Marrakesh Country Club listings.
INTRODUCTION
There is no community in the Coachella Valley, or arguably in the world, quite like Marrakesh Country Club. Described as the only Hollywood Regency colony of homes in existence, Marrakesh is a private gated golf club community on 155 acres in Palm Desert that stands apart from every other desert address through the sheer power of its architectural vision and the singular beauty of its setting.
The story begins with two extraordinary men. Cliff Henderson, founder of Palm Desert, had served under General Patton in World War II and never forgot the sight of the setting sun turning the walls of Morocco's fabled city a dazzling shade of pink. When Henderson described that vision to Johnny Dawson, the legendary golf community developer who had already created Thunderbird Country Club (1951) and Eldorado Country Club (1957), Dawson immediately saw the possibility. In 1967 he acquired a 155-acre parcel in Palm Desert with spectacular views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and set about creating something the desert had never seen.
Dawson commissioned John Elgin Woolf, the master of Hollywood Regency architecture whose homes were prized by designers, studio executives, and celebrities throughout the hills above Sunset Boulevard, to design what would become his final and most expansive project. Woolf personally designed the 364 residences, the 14 pools and pavilions, the sales office, the clubhouse, and the community's signature curvaceous serpentine pink brick wall that winds along Portola Avenue and immediately signals that something extraordinary lies within. He personally designed the community's 154 signature streetlights. At Dawson's request, every home was painted the color that would become known as "Marrakesh Pink."
Ground was broken in 1967 with the community opening in 1969. The golf course was designed by Ted Robinson,consistently rated as one of the finest executive 18-hole courses in the country. In 1971, Woolf was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and architect Richard Harrison of modernist firm Wexler and Harrison was brought in to complete the design of the clubhouse, though Woolf's signature water feature at the heart of the clubhouse was preserved.
Today Marrakesh Country Club is a private, member-owned club known as one of the desert's most exceptional and architecturally significant communities. The newly renovated clubhouse, reimagined by acclaimed interior designer Tom Scheerer who blended Woolf's original concept with modern warmth and elegance, active social calendar, and one of the friendliest and most engaged memberships in Palm Desert make Marrakesh far more than a museum piece. It is a living, thriving community unlike anything else in the Coachella Valley.
Billy and Stacy Thoman of Billy Thoman Real Estate are your Coachella Valley specialists for Marrakesh Country Club real estate. Call today or visit MyHomeInTheDesert.com.
THE COURSE
Ted Robinson Executive Golf Course
18 holes | Par 62
Designed by Ted Robinson | Opened 1969
The golf course at Marrakesh Country Club was designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1969 alongside the community itself. Consistently rated as one of the finest executive 18-hole courses in the country, the course features challenging approaches, impeccable greens, and sweeping views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains from every hole. Tight fairways and well-placed sand bunkers require precision and strategy rather than raw distance, making it ideal for golfers of all skill levels.
The course is adjoined by a golf simulator room, putting greens, and a dedicated practice area. The newly redesigned pro shop is stocked with exclusive golf merchandise and equipment. Year-round golf programs and tournaments are led by PGA professionals on site. Active Ladies Golf Association and Men's Golf programs run throughout the season.
Golf membership at Marrakesh is mandatory for all buyers. A Full Club Membership including golf and social privileges is required, with an affiliation fee of approximately $40,000 to $50,000 paid at the close of escrow. Unlimited golf membership dues are approximately $2,700/year.
THE RESIDENCES
Marrakesh Country Club offers 364 single-family homes built between 1968 and 1976 on 155 acres of Palm Desert. Every home is a detached single-family property with no shared walls, designed by John Elgin Woolf in the Hollywood Regency style as his final and most expansive project. No condos. No attached units. Just 364 spacious, individually distinctive villas set across 14 intimate neighborhoods of approximately 24 homes each, every neighborhood anchored by its own private pool, spa, and pavilion.
Every home features 10-foot ceilings, atriums, courtyards, and large glass windows that offer spectacular views of the golf course, the mountains, or the community pools. Homes were painted in the signature "Marrakesh Pink" by Johnny Dawson's directive and remain one of the most recognizable and photographed streetscapes in the California desert.
Homes are offered in four models ranging in size from approximately 1,500 to 3,000 sq ft with 1 to 4 bedrooms. Many homes have been completely and beautifully renovated with contemporary interiors while preserving the original Hollywood Regency architectural character. The community has attracted a growing wave of design-forward buyers and architecture enthusiasts from Los Angeles and beyond who are drawn to Woolf's singular vision.
Land situation: There is a land encumbrance fee of approximately $265 to $335/month paid until 2042. Verify current land status directly with the club or escrow.
2025-2026 market snapshot: Home values range from approximately $595,000 to $1,400,000+. Average community price approximately $720,000. Average days on market approximately 47 days. Approximately 27 homes sell per year.Approximately 22% of homes sell furnished.
REAL ESTATE AT A GLANCE
AMENITIES
Golf
Clubhouse and Dining
Recreation
HISTORY
Marrakesh Country Club was conceived in 1967 when developer Johnny Dawson acquired a 155-acre parcel in Palm Desert and began planning his most ambitious project. Dawson was already legendary in the Coachella Valley having developed Thunderbird Country Club in 1951 and Eldorado Country Club in 1957, and had also developed La Quinta Country Club and Seven Lakes Country Club. He was inducted into the SCGA Hall of Fame in 2007.
The name was suggested by Cliff Henderson, founder of Palm Desert, who recalled the sight of the setting sun turning the walls of Marrakesh, Morocco a dazzling shade of pink during his World War II service under General Patton. Dawson embraced the vision entirely, commissioning John Elgin Woolf, the master of Hollywood Regency architecture, to design every residence and public space within the community in what would become Woolf's final and most expansive project.
Woolf infused a cohesive design sensibility into every detail. He organized the 364 homes into 14 intimate neighborhoods of approximately 24 homes each, every one anchored by its own private pool, spa, and pavilion. He personally designed the community's 154 signature streetlights and the curvaceous serpentine pink brick perimeter wall that became the community's most recognizable exterior feature. At Dawson's instruction, every home was painted the color now known as "Marrakesh Pink."
Ground was broken in 1967 and the community opened in 1969. The golf course was designed by Ted Robinson. In 1971, when Woolf was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, architect Richard Harrison of Wexler and Harrison was brought in to complete the clubhouse design, though Woolf's signature water feature was preserved as the centerpiece of the entrance.
The community celebrated its 50th anniversary to considerable attention, with Palm Springs Life magazine dedicating a major feature to its enduring architectural significance. The clubhouse was subsequently reimagined by acclaimed interior designer Tom Scheerer, who blended the splendor of Woolf's original concept with modern warmth and elegance in a renovation that honors the past while embracing the present.
Today Marrakesh Country Club is recognized as one of the desert's most exceptional and architecturally significant private clubs, attracting a new generation of design-forward buyers alongside the loyal multigenerational membership that has called it home for decades.
LOCATION
Marrakesh Country Club is located at 47000 Marrakesh Drive in Palm Desert, California, west of Portola Avenuenear The Living Desert zoo and gardens.
El Paseo, the Rodeo Drive of the desert, is minutes away with world-class dining, shopping, and galleries. The Living Desert is just a short walk away. Eisenhower Medical Center is nearby. The BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is a short drive. Highway 111 and Interstate 10 connect residents to Indian Wells, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Springs. Palm Springs International Airport is approximately 20 to 25 minutes away.
The community's pink perimeter wall along Portola Avenue is one of the most photographed and recognizable streetscapes in the California desert, making Marrakesh Country Club as much a cultural landmark as a residential community.
WHY WORK WITH BILLY AND STACY THOMAN
Marrakesh Country Club is one of the most architecturally distinctive and genuinely unique private club communities in the United States. Buyers who discover Marrakesh tend to fall in love with it immediately. Understanding the land encumbrance fee structure, the mandatory affiliation fee, and the nuances of Woolf's four home models requires genuine local expertise.
Billy and Stacy Thoman of Billy Thoman Real Estate specialize in Coachella Valley luxury real estate with deep knowledge of Marrakesh Country Club, Bighorn Golf Club, Indian Ridge Country Club, Ironwood Country Club, The Lakes Country Club, and the full range of desert country club communities.
Whether you are searching for a pristine original Woolf villa, a beautifully renovated Hollywood Regency masterpiece, or a turnkey Marrakesh Pink retreat unlike anything else in the desert, Billy and Stacy bring the expertise and local relationships to find exactly the right fit.
Call Billy and Stacy Thoman at Billy Thoman Real Estate today or visit MyHomeInTheDesert.com to explore current Marrakesh Country Club listings.
We will be able to provide you with the most advantageous and up to date knowledge of the desert. Buyers and Sellers alike will tell you that they received the highest level of customer service and care.
