Jack Ivey Ranch

Quorum Article - March 2002

Jack Ivey Ranch is situated on Varner Road in Thousand Palms. It is a "55 and over" gated community laid out around a golf course, which occupies 45 acres of a total 130 acres. The land was originally part of a cattle ranch, which once accommodated 10,000 head of cattle and hosted the biggest meat packing plant in the western United States. For its new residents, this location is handy for the existing Home Depot and Costco and the future super Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club at Monterey Avenue and I-10. Fast food restaurants are close by and it is only a little further to the new Agua Caliente Casino.

In 1979 Jack Ivey sold the land to Holstein, who started the development. Holstein eventually fell on financial hard times and Champagne Partners, which included Lawrence Welk and Robert Holland, assumed control of the project in 1985-86. However, it was Holstein who designed the community, its 10-hole golf course, and lakes.

The course is actually only played as 9 holes, with the 10^th in reserve for use if one of the other holes gets shut down for repair or maintenance. This is a regulation course not an executive course. It also has a driving range. The golf course is owned by Jack Ivey Ranch Golf and Country Club Inc., which is comprised of about 120 of the owners at Jack Ivey Ranch. The course is semi-private and memberships are still available.

The golf course is centered on a 9,500sf clubhouse, which features a restaurant run by an outside entity. Facilities include four pools, two spas, two shuffleboard courts, a tennis court, and a 600 square foot exercise room.

The Jack Ivey Ranch Homeowners Association comprises 399 PUD lots of which 340 have been built out. The home sites are laid out around the golf course fairways. Construction started in 1980. There remain 59 units until build-out is complete. Homes range in size from 1,250 to 3,000 square feet, Prices range from approximately $90,000 to $250,000. Homeowner association dues are a modest $127.00 per month and include 70 cable channels, HBO, and trash pick-up.

Although it is a mature community, Jack Ivey Ranch stays up to date and competitive with new development in the Coachella Valley because it is still building out. The landscaping of the common areas is kept in excellent shape. The only outstanding issue arising out of age is some diseased and overgrown eucalyptus trees on the golf course. These will be addressed this year.

Aside from the normal five-member board of directors, and architectural and compliance committees, the Association has, for its size, a surprising number of active clubs. The Helping Hands club offers rides to and from the doctor and brings meals to the sick in the community. Pre-cooked meals are kept in the clubhouse. The Women’s Club raises money for needed items for the clubhouse, such as tablecloths. The Disaster Awareness club maintains an inventory of swamp coolers, generators, 2-way radios, and two 400-gallon buffalos (water tanks), all for emergency use and kept in the clubhouse. In addition there is a bridge club, men’s golf club, women’s golf club, men’s card club, and an arts and crafts club.

What the homeowners like best about Jack Ivey Ranch and what they think makes it so different are its privacy and the friendly atmosphere within the community. John Harding, who has been the on-site Association Manager since 1991 agrees with this assessment. Says John, "I get bursitis from waving all the time. The people here are so friendly."