Featured Property: Southridge Club's Elrod House

By: Destination Club News
Date: December 26, 2009

Most known for its appearance in the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever, The Elrod House may be one of the most famous properties in the history of the destination club sector, and one of the most unused.

The flagship property for The Southridge Club, a Palm Springs focused club, The Elrod House has been profiled in multiple publications, exhibitions, and books for its ingenious design, incorporating the landscape into the structure.

Built in 1969 for Arthur Elrod, the famed residence sitting atop the gated Southridge community was designed by John Lautner. Featuring nearly 9,000 square feet of living space, five bedrooms, and five and one half baths, The Elrod House has seen its fair share of celebrities pass through the entrance, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

The Southridge Club would plan to be one of the most exclusive destination clubs in history, limited to just 18 total members. Unlike the more traditional destination club model where homes are purchased all over the world, The Southridge Club would include just three properties, all in the upscale Southridge community of Palm Springs. Members of the club would have ten days of access each year to all three properties in unison, designed primarily for large families seeking to travel together and businesses looking to hold retreats.

These 18 memberships would come at a price. Members wouldn't be required to pay a membership deposit to join, but would pay $100,000 in annual dues each year over a three year membership.

The young club would acquire their first member soon after their launch, a US billionaire, but the owner of the three properties would wish to move in a different direction. In November of 2009, The Southridge Club ceased operations.

The different direction that the property owner wished to proceed was in liquidating the club's assets. All three Southridge Club properties were listed for sale, with The Elrod House seeking nearly $14 million.

While The Southridge Club was only in operation for a few short months, plans to expand the club model to other regions are still in the works so check back frequently for more updates on these spin-off clubs.