Outdoor Resort Palm Springs

Quorum Article - December 2000

Outdoor Resort Palm Springs (known as ORPS) is situated on 137 acres on Ramon Road in Cathedral City. It is a recreational vehicle resort and country club and is a 5-star premier destination for RV’ers around the world. 

ORPS is a very substantial country club.  In fact it is a kind of Del Webb on wheels.  At ORPS the homeowners’ condos are their “rigs.”  When one understands that ORPS members will pay up to $1.5 million for their rigs and up to $137,000 for their lots, any notion that this is some kind of “campground” quickly vanishes. 

The rigs at ORPS run the gamut from simple recreational vehicles trailers to luxuriously equipped buses. With 1,213 individually owned RV sites, prices start at about $40,000 for a standard interior location.  The RV sites are located on lots set among the golf course fairways and greens. The premium lots are large and command golf course or lake views.

The developer of ORPS was Outdoor Resorts of America and work on site commenced in 1984.  However, the developer no longer has any affiliation with the property, which is owned entirely by the homeowners association.

Facilities and amenities at ORPS include seven lakes, two large multi-functional clubhouses, eight heated pools, 11 Jacuzzi spas, 27 holes of challenging par 3 golf, 14 lighted first class tennis courts, six satellite accommodations with restrooms and laundry facilities, a convenience store, and restaurant.

The clubhouses are surprisingly large. Both have ballrooms and between them they accommodate a fitness center, card room, billiards room, libraries, big screen TV theater seating, club lounges, bars, espresso/snack bar, hair salon, and convenience store. The convenience store has an extensive inventory of practical groceries, supplies, and parts necessary to support the RV life.

While ORPS may be compared to Del Webb for its range of facilities and activities, there is no age restriction on owners or residents.  Members include young travelers and retirees alike. While there are 1,213 lots, there are as many as 3,000 or so members because of dual member/owner arrangements. 

ORPS is a place for the young at heart. Owners and visitors enjoy the camaraderie engendered by enthusiastically shared activities, clubs, and programs, including extensive fitness and aerobic classes. There is golf, tennis, computer club, crochet class, movies, bingo, line dancing, bridge, flea market, card nights, special events, and trips. A non-denominational chapel service is held on Sundays during the season.

Operations at ORPS require a fairly large organization. The staff is employed in-house. A general manager heads up 38 groundskeepers, 20 in security, 14 in housekeeping, 5 “activity” personnel (including an activities director), 4 office/bookkeeping staff and a part-time CPA.

A 7-member board of directors governs the homeowner association. Directors serve three-year terms. A roster of active standing committees supports the Board. These include Communications, Safety & Security, Golf, Tennis, Fitness Center, Activities, Finance, Aesthetics & Improvements, and Emergency Response.

The Aesthetics Committee reviews and approves all lot improvements. Some of these are quite elaborate and include landscaping arrangements, barbecue pits, garden walls, lot lighting, and paving. The Communications Committee is responsible for a professionally produced newsletter, the “Oracle.” They also publish a web site, with the help of a computer club representative. It may be seen at www.orps.com. The Safety & Security Committee includes emergency preparedness within its purview.

While different in that it focuses on RVs, ORPS faces the same challenge as every homeowner association - preserving and enhancing property values.  Although only 16 years old, ORPS is already focusing on renewal projects.  Recent improvements include a new and larger security gatehouse and a remodeled restaurant. ORPS is meticulously maintained and has received the Desert Beautiful Award for its outstanding appearance.

Dues at ORPS are $190 per month and include the use of the golf, tennis and other facilities. There are no “extras” other than involved with some of the more specialized activities.