Sea Ranch Golf Links, Gualala, California

[Wayne_Freedman]

Kindly follow links for views of the par-3, 8th, and then the course.
These are higher resolution than we could post on Photobucket.


https://www.facebook.com/WayneFreedmanABC7/posts/1068852919837179


https://www.facebook.com/WayneFreedmanABC7/posts/1068860006503137


Thanks.


w. 

[David_Tepper]

Wayne -

When were you last there? What sort of shape was the course in?

One of my favorite NorCal spots.

DT

[Mark Fedeli]

Funny. Wayne, my pics of Sea Ranch also have a lot of shots of deer staring right at me. They let you get quite close.

[Wayne_Freedman]

David, thanks for looking.
I made those photos in late April.
As for conditioning....good bones, and needs some TLC.


The inward routing baffles me with all of those cliffs nearby.


Still, worth the trip.

[David_Tepper]

"The inward routing baffles me with all of those cliffs nearby."

Wayne -

If you asking why more of the golf holes were not routed along the cliffs (on what is the original nine), my guess is that portion of the property was more valuable being sold as lots for houses rather than being made available for the golf course.

My guess is the course struggles to generate enough revenue to support better TLC.

I used to go up there once or twice a year, but have not been in at least 10 years.

DT     

[Joel_Stewart]

"The inward routing baffles me with all of those cliffs nearby."


If you asking why more of the golf holes were not routed along the cliffs (on what is the original nine), my guess is that portion of the property was more valuable being sold as lots for houses rather than being made available for the golf course.
 

Agreed and this was short term thinking that didn't pan out that well.  If they had built a few holes on those cliffs the property could have possibly rivaled Pebble Beach.  Hiring Robert Muir Graves as architect was also questionable.


I looked at the property to possibly buy it but didn't see the ROI. It's a shame because it's a nice place but its remote and the drive is tough.

[David_Tepper]

 "it's a nice place but its remote and the drive is tough."

Joel S. -

Before we bought our place in Dornoch, my wife and I were thinking of buying a place at Sea Ranch. We decided it was just about as easy to get from San Francisco to the former as it was to get from SF to the latter.

About 10 years ago, an upscale hotel/resort company had plans to buy the lodge at Sea Ranch and go upmarket with it (similar to the Post Ranch Inn at Big Sur), but the crash of 2008-09 put an end to that.

DT

[William_G]

Sea Ranch is fun

[Joel_Stewart]

"it's a nice place but its remote and the drive is tough."

About 10 years ago, an upscale hotel/resort company had plans to buy the lodge at Sea Ranch and go upmarket with it (similar to the Post Ranch Inn at Big Sur), but the crash of 2008-09 put an end to that.

DT

That was squashed by some environmentalists as well as the home owners association.  Sea Ranch has half the homes available for rent. An upscale hotel (in their minds) would have hurt the rental market. 


I hope somebody buys the course and fixes it.  The current owner is a rich guy from Oklahoma who just likes to play golf and visit his vacation home.  He's been bankrolling the course for years. I just couldn't see a return if the course was fixed up. 

[David_Tepper]

Great Sea Ranch article ("Utopia by the Sea") from the NY Times, 12/12/2008:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/travel/14SeaRanch.html?_r=0

[David_Tepper]

I just got an email from Sea Ranch. Weekday (Mon-Thur) green fees are $35. Weekend green fees after 1pm at $45. That's pretty good!