The late Arnold Palmer’s former home, nestled on the famed Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta, California , is hitting the market for $5 million after a modern overhaul by its current owner, Louise Bellisimo.
The legendary golfer’s onetime retreat, built in 1999, sits on less than half an acre — offering four bedrooms, 3.5 baths and an unbeatable location on a course designed by Palmer himself.
Bellisimo, who purchased the home in 2022, is reluctantly parting ways with the property due to family commitments — such as being near her grandkids.
“It’s just that things change with the family, and I can’t get them out here as much as I’d like. So I have to go to them.”
The opportunity to buy the house came about during a conversation Bellisimo had with her friend Kit, Palmer’s second wife. Kit mentioned that “nobody’s using it” and that Palmer’s daughters planned to sell.“I said, ‘Well, I’d like to buy it,’” Bellisimo recalled.Knowing the property’s historic charm and potential, she moved fast, locking in a deal the very next day. Initially left exactly as Palmer had lived in it — complete with his furniture and personal touches — Bellisimo saw the opportunity for a refresh.To bring the home “into the new century,” Bellisimo replaced the original wood floors with Saltillo tiles, widened rear doors to frame stunning views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, and revamped the bathrooms and cabinetry.While the home was exactly as Palmer left it, Bellisimo donated much of the original furniture to Palmer’s charity, kept select personal items, and undertook a thoughtful renovation to modernize the space while preserving its original character.Sotheby's International Realty
A few years after Arnold Palmer’s death in 2016, Louise Bellisimo purchased his home at the Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta, California, after learning from Palmer’s second wife, Kit, that his daughters intended to sell it.Sotheby's International Realty
While she updated the interior, Bellisimo made sure to preserve the charm that Palmer himself would recognize.
While the home was exactly as Palmer left it, Bellisimo donated much of the original furniture to Palmer’s charity and kept select personal items while undergoing a thoughtful renovation to modernize the space.
“I saved the style of the home. I left all the arches, and I left it so that he could walk in and like it,” she said.
The centerpiece of the 2,617-square-foot home is a spacious living room with 16-foot beamed ceilings, a relocated fireplace and ample natural light. Each of the four bedrooms is positioned on the corners of the house, ensuring privacy for guests.
The home isn’t just a golf lover’s dream — it’s a piece of Palmer’s legacy. Bellisimo found a box of photographs in the garage, including one of Palmer and his famed caddie Michael “Fluff” Cowan, inscribed, “To Arnold, It’s been a gas. — Fluff.”
These and other photos have been restored and mounted on the walls, adding to the home’s value. Bellisimo also kept two leather armchairs once used by Palmer, both of which are included in the sale.
“Whoever buys it will want those chairs, because they’re so emblematic of him,” she said.
For any avid golfer, the property’s location is unbeatable.
It sits directly on the second fairway of the short course Palmer designed to hone his short game.
“You walk out the door, and in 15, 20 steps you’re on the tee box,” Bellisimo said. The house is also just 167 steps from the clubhouse’s men’s locker room — though prospective buyers can verify that number for themselves.
The outdoors boasts views of the Santa Rosa Mountains.Sotheby's International Realty
Despite owning the house for only two years, Bellisimo said the joy came from seeing the finished renovation.
“The fun has really just been seeing how it came out,” she told Bloomberg.
Tamara Baron of Desert Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
Palmer was widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in golf’s history. Known as “The King,” he became golf’s first superstar during the rise of televised sports in the 1950s. Over his career, spanning more than six decades, Palmer won 62 PGA Tour titles, ranking fifth on the all-time victory list, and captured seven major championships between 1958 and 1964. He was a pioneer in popularizing golf and earned numerous accolades, including the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 and induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Palmer passed away on Sept. 25, 2016, at the age of 87, while awaiting heart surgery in Pittsburgh.
