ABOUT

Desert Legends is a weekend of events and activities catering to middle-aged lesbians, and will draw hundreds of women to the desert this Spring. The iconic "Dinah Shore Golf Tournament" has been happening in April since 1972, and became a special place for lesbians to connect over Spring Break for many years. In 2023, the LPGA moved the tournament to a new location, and could have been the end of an era, but promoter and performer Corday and crew seized the opportunity to create a weekend of events and activities that catered to the middle-aged female demographic. Corday and friends are excited about the 3rd annual event which will be bigger and better than ever! Hosted at Hotel Zoso, the 2025 Legends Weekend promises an unforgettable weekend of memories for 40+ aged lesbians and friends. "I have been performing in Palm Springs for decades," says Corday, "and my friends and I have so many great memories of going out to Dinah Shore every April. But we're not in our 20's anymore and we've outgrown the younger parties and activities. We want a different experience now. I knew someone needed to bring in a new scene to cater to women like us." From the type of music to the type of events, DL has brought in a fresh new playground for active, more mature women-- they may be older, but they are still ready to party! In fact, most are retired, empty nesters with double income and nothing but time to play. From Cocktail Parties to Dance Parties and NCAA Watch Parties, you're in for a weekend of action-packed fun. New for 2025 will be the Pool Party, featuring a synchronized swim show! The Golf Tournament happens Friday April 4th at Indian Canyons South Course and the Pickleball Tournament takes place Saturday April 5th at Mission Hills pickleball courts. Fantastic musical talent and national headliners will be announced soon for the Friday and Saturday main events. There will also be a Speakeasy night and Sunday Brunch.

DL donates a portion of the profit to charitable organizations, last year benefiting The Center and the L-Fund. They also honor an out-and-proud lesbian trend-setter every year with the annual Desert Legend Award. Kathy Miller was the first recipient of the 2023 Desert Legend Award and Caroline Haines, founder of Lina Shore Golf Tournament, was honored in 2024. The 2025 Recipient will be announced soon! 

Event capacities range from 200 to 2,000, depending on the event and we expect to sell out in 2025. We welcome you to join us as a sponsor, and are confident you will receive great and valuable exposure to this loyal and lucrative market. Although we are open to all allies attending, our primary demographic is 40-75 year old active lesbians, w/double income, no kids or adult kids, often retired, who enjoy golf, pickleball, live music and dancing, traveling, shopping, eating good food, and drinking.  Corday and her team have years of collective experience under their belts and a proven track record of producing top-notch events that are the talk of the town, bringing in amazing talent at both the local and national level. From musicians to comics to synchronized swimmers, Desert Legends presents a true unique weekend experience that is sure to go viral.  We look forward to welcoming you to the DESERT LEGENDS team and thank you for keeping the LEGEND alive!

Long long ago, singer and TV personality Dinah Shore originated the Ladies Professional Golf Association event called the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winners Circle Tournament when it debuted in 1972 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Shore, who died in 1994, was a golfer and a supporter of women’s professional golf. Since 1983, it has been one of the four major championships of women’s golf! The tournament became a 72-hole event in 1973. The name was changed to the Nabisco Championship in 2000, then the Kraft Nabisco Championship which it has been since 2002.

Although Shore’s name no longer graces the tournament’s marquee, the champion still receives the Dinah Shore Trophy. Alcott, King and Sorenstam have all won the tournament three times. As of 2012, the event has a purse of $2 million, with a $300,000 winner’s share. After winning the 1988 tournament, then known as the Nabisco Dinah Shore, Amy Alcott leaped into the lake near the 18th green; that lake is now called “Champion’s Lake.” Alcott won again in 1991, after which she and Shore both jumped into the lake. The leap has since become traditional, with golf legends such as Patty Sheehan, Betsy King and Annika Sorenstam taking the plunge.

-- Reference: SportsRec.com

Well, back in these olden days, lesbians flocked to the desert to watch the tournament. Because, you know, lots of lesbos golf. Plus, it was always a nice time to visit Palm Springs, the first week of April, and a nice spring break! Times were different then, and not everyone could be as out and proud as they are today, even the pro golfers. But word spread and secret parties emerged. Kathy Miller, now 79, was one of the first promoters to throw a Dinah Shore party! Many promoters came to town and the parties grew every year in production and attendance. A lesbian tradition had spontaneously begun! Sadly, the golf tournament stopped happening in Palm Springs in 2023, but the parties continue. Desert Legends promoters are excited to keep the tradition alive, and promise your Desert Legends vacation will be a weekend you won't forget! 

Kathy Miller, pictured right, was the first recipient of the 2023 Desert Legends Award! We will celebrate more of these amazing trend-setters every year. 

Our 2024 Desert Legend Recipient Caroline Haines, founder of the Lina Shore Golf Tournament!

Caroline nicknamed “Lina,” started the Lina Shore Golf Tournament as a fun safe place for women to play golf over the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament Weekend.

Her first tournament was in 1989 and was simply a BBQ and fun gathering with 35 friends. The attendance doubled and then tripled, with over 220 golfers playing in 1998! 

“I never advertised it, it was all word of mouth,” says Haines “That was when a lot of us were in the closet and didn’t want to be outed. We just wanted to feel comfortable." 

Haines raised thousands of dollars for charity and made a two-year commitment to each cause. Lina Shore gave to several organizations including  Project Newhope, Caring for Babies With Aids, Susan G Koman, HRC, The American Cancer Society and The American Heart Association. “It wasn’t a money maker,” Caroline explains, “it was about having a wonderful time with a group of women. We raised a lot of money for wonderful causes.

Our board of directors and volunteers accepts any nomination all year long, and votes on an annual recipient, based on the following criteria:

- self-identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community

​- has contributed to the gay community