Obama approves new drone rules, golfs in Rancho Mirage

President Barack Obama approved new federal drone rules on Sunday, the second day of his desert vacation, before teeing off at Porcupine Creek, a private golf course in Rancho Mirage.

Early Sunday, the White House announced a presidential memorandum, signed by Obama, codifying drone rules for all federal agencies. The drone memo is designed to ensure that agencies don't use drones in a way that violates the First Amendment, and requires them to publish policies about their drone use sometime over the next year.

"(Drones) are a potentially transformative technology in diverse fields such as agriculture, law enforcement, coastal security, military training, search and rescue, first responder medical support, critical infrastructure inspection, and many others," the White House news release stated.

"The administration is committed to promoting the responsible use of this technology, strengthening privacy safeguards and ensuring full protection of civil liberties."

The publication of Obama's memo corresponded with the release of the Federal Aviation Administration's long-awaited commercial drone rules proposal, which were also made public on Sunday.

The FAA proposal would require commercial drone pilots to be at least 17 years old, and limit drone flight to daylight hours only. Pilots would need to pass an aeronautics test and be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration. Drone hobbyists would be unaffected.

Obama, who vacationed in the desert for Presidents Day weekend, was staying at a private residence in Thunderbird Heights in Rancho Mirage. He flew into Palm Springs Saturday, and was scheduled to leave the valley at 2:30 p.m. Monday.

The president had no public events scheduled during his desert stay, but his visit did have some minor impacts on the general public. Residents were warned to expect roving road closures as the presidential motorcade moved through the valley, and a temporary no-fly zone was established in the skies above the desert during the duration of the president's stay.

That no-fly zone was briefly violated Sunday afternoon when a small plane flew too close to the area where the president was staying.

The aircraft was met by an F-15 fighter jet, then escorted to the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, where the pilot was met by law enforcement personnel, said Major Ruth Casto, a spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. No word on what action, if any, was taken against the pilot.

This was not the first time an airplane was forced to land after violating restricted airspace over the Coachella Valley during a presidential visit.

In 2014, during the president's summit at Sunnylands with Jordan's King Abdullah II, "several" airplanes had to be escorted from restricted airspace by fighter jets, NORAD stated at the time.

None of the airplanes had proper clearances or communications and each was met by an F-16 fighter jet and escorted out of the area, the agency said.

Back on the links

After approving the drone memo on Sunday, Obama headed to Porcupine Creek, a private estate owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, where he played golf with three frequent golf buddies — Bobby Titcomb, Greg Orme and Michael Ramos. Obama grew close to these men in his youth, when they were teenage classmates and basketball rivals at the Punahou School in Hawaii.

Obama arrived at Porcupine Creek at about 9:40 a.m., and left the estate shortly after 6 p.m., according to the White House pool report.

The Porcupine Creek course — named one of the best golf courses in California by Golf Digest magazine in 2011 — is known for its unique design. The course begins with desert landscaping, but the foliage transforms in its later holes, mimicking the appearance of courses in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.

The president has played on this course before. Obama teed off at Porcupine Creek twice last year, during his two prior trips to the desert. However, Sunday's visit felt more routine.

For example, the last time that Obama played this course, his presence drew a crowd. Dozens of curious neighbors gathered by the front gate of Porcupine Creek — some waited for hours — hoping to catch a glimpse of the presidential motorcade. In contrast, only four people sat outside the gate on Sunday, casually watching.

One of those few spectators was Viola Wyler, a Swedish immigrant who lives across the street from Porcupine Creek. She sat in her front yard, waving American and Swedish flags.

Wyler said she was glad the crowds had dispersed — and that the Coachella Valley was "respecting Obama's privacy — but said she was determined to welcome the president back to the desert.

"I appreciate the privilege to be this close to the most important person in the whole wide world," she said.

(VIDEO: Check out this footage of the president's massive motorcade leaving Porcupine Creek last June)

This is Obama's fourth trip to the Coachella Valley in two years, including consecutive trips on Valentine's Day weekend. Although these trips began with a landmark summit, each visit has grown more recreational than the last, and the past two have been for vacations.

Obama's first trip was in June 2013 when he held a summit with President Xi Jinping of China at Sunnylands. Obama returned to the desert seven months later, in February 2014, to host a dinner for King Abdullah II of Jordan, also at Sunnylands.

Obama's third trip occurred this past June. The president stayed in Thunderbird Heights and spent most of his time golfing, just like this trip.

USA Today contributed to this story.