Founded in 1960 as the Palm Springs Golf Classic, the tournament evolved from the
Thunderbird Invitational that was held in Palm Springs the previous six years, from 1954 to 1959, but with a much smaller purse. The event was renamed the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1965 and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 1986. Until 2012, its format remained unique among PGA Tour events, being played over five days and four different courses. In its first three years, the tournament was played at
Thunderbird Country Club and
Tamarisk Country Club, both in
Rancho Mirage; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in
Bermuda Dunes; and Indian Wells Country Club in
Indian Wells. Bermuda Dunes was used through 2009 and Indian Wells through 2005. In 1963 Eldorado Country Club, also in Indian Wells, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. From 1964 until 1968 La Quinta Country Club in
La Quinta, replaced Tamarisk Country Club, but in 1969 Tamarisk Country Club rejoined the event and alternated annually with Eldorado Country Club until 1986 (Tamarisk Country Club's last turn being in 1985). An evolution towards courses more suited to modern professionals began in
1987. From 1987 until 1994, and again from 1998 to the present, a course at PGA West in La Quinta, (the TPC Stadium Golf Course in 1987 and the Arnold Palmer Private Course thereafter) became a permanent member of the roster; from 1995–97, Indian Ridge Country Club in
Palm Desert replaced PGA West. To make room for a new permanent member, Eldorado Country Club and La Quinta Country Club alternated from 1987–89 (Eldorado being used in 87 and 89), after which Eldorado Country Club was dropped from the roster. From 1990–2003 Tamarisk Country Club and La Quinta Country Club followed a "1–2" alternating arrangement, where Tamarisk was played the first year and La Quinta CC the next two; this pattern was deviated from when Tamarisk was used in 2004 (a La Quinta CC year by the pattern), although the 2005, 2006 and 2007 events were then played at La Quinta CC. In early 2005 a local charitable foundation gave its new course, The Classic Club in Palm Desert (an
Arnold Palmer-designed track) to the tournament, making the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the only event on the PGA Tour that owns its own facility. The Classic Club took the place of Indian Wells in 2006, but the course was dropped from the Hope course field after the 2008 event, citing players concerns over high winds. The 2009 course rotation consisted of the Arnold Palmer Private Course and the Nicklaus Private Course (both at PGA West in La Quinta), SilverRock Resort (in La Quinta), and the Bermuda Dunes Country Club. The tradition of choosing the tournament's "Classic Girls" from among the area's collegians began in those early years, with the earliest tournaments having a celebrity dubbed "Classic Queen." The earliest titleholders included
Debbie Reynolds,
Jane Powell, and
Jill St. John. The queens of the 1970s included
Barbara Eden and
Lynda Carter. The Classic's biggest draw, both then and now, has been the celebrity
pro-am competition which has attracted some of the era's biggest celebrities. According to the official website, those celebrities have included: •
Bing Crosby •
Burt Lancaster •
Kirk Douglas •
Phil Harris •
Desi Arnaz (one of the founders of the aforementioned Indian Wells Country Club) •
Ray Bolger •
Hoagy Carmichael •
Glen Campbell •
Don Adams •
Dwight Eisenhower (the first
U.S. President to play in the pro-am) The first edition in 1960 was won by Arnold Palmer at 338 (–22), making him the second former president to play in the tournament. More recently celebrities such as
Jimmy Fallon,
Don Cheadle, and
Samuel L. Jackson have competed in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, before its subsequent renames. History was made at the tournament in 1995 when the pro-am team of
Bill Clinton,
George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Bob Hope and defending champion
Scott Hoch teed up for the tournament's opening round. The event marked the first time a sitting president – Clinton – had played during a PGA Tour event and perhaps the first time three presidents had ever played together. Its long history has made the event synonymous with golf in the Coachella Valley. Additionally, the allure of Hope's name, even after his death, has convinced the Hope estate, tournament organizers and corporate sponsor Chrysler to include the legendary entertainer's name on the tournament for as long as a substantial portion of its proceeds are given to charities. Before 2012, the tournament's five-round format was a "tough sell" for many players, such as
Tiger Woods, who has never played there. It took place over five days, four of which include celebrity players. That meant rounds take far longer and the presence of so many spectators out to catch a glimpse of their favorite TV, film or music star, can turn even an early round into a far more informal endeavor, which many golfers did not enjoy. Starting in 2012, the tournament was narrowed to a four-round event played on three courses with a 54-hole cut. The tournament is the first continental stop of the calendar year, but is still a hard sell because network television coverage of the PGA Tour starts the ensuing week. The tournament was called the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic until the 2009 tournament, when
George Lopez was let go as host and Chrysler dropped their name from the tournament's name, but continued to sponsor the tournament. Instead, the tournament was hosted by the only 5-time winner of the event,
Arnold Palmer, for the tournament's 50th anniversary. In 2010,
baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra served as the first "Classic Ambassador". ==Professional field==