Adobe Creek GC (Petaluma, CA) To Close

[David_Tepper]

Adobe Creek GC was designed by RT Jones, Jr. and opened in 1990. It was one of the early "faux" links courses built in the SF Bay Area. The front-9 got choked by housing, but the back-9 was not too bad. The course had been in bankruptcy for a brief period 4-5 years ago.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/6288869-181/adobe-creek-golf-course-to?artslide=0

[Tom_Doak]

I was being interviewed for a story on course closures the other day by someone doing a story for the NGF, and I asked him how many courses HAD closed since the recession.  He got back to me with a number of just under 1,000, which I think is 18-hole equivalents, over the last ten years.


It sounded like a lot, but that's only 7% of the courses in the U.S. ... probably not enough yet.

[Jon Wiggett]

Tom,


then there is the question of how many new courses opened in that time which is always more than we think as many go under the national radar. On top of this how many courses that have closed then reopen under another name and how many of them close that have not gone bankrupt. The figure is not as big as many would like us to think and in the end some courses will close even in the boom times.


Jon

[Forrest Richardson]

Many years ago I rebuild the range at Adobe Creek and added a practice short game green. It was a poorly built course to begin with...all sorts of drainage compromises. It had been an RTC era project, so those of you who lived through that time will understand. The developer ran off with most of the investment money, etc.


What I will never forget is Art Strain, the step son of Homer Flint, doing the shaping on the range. I showed up one day and there were several piles of rocks that had been picked from the newly formed target greens and range "bowl". One did not look normal...upon closer inspection it was a 6-ft high pile of old range balls! Art had separated them after rock picking and the owner actual re-used many.


Recycling at its finest.


This course is a perfect candidate to be re-imagined into an executive, or even a par-3. My recollection is that there are some areas that could be carved out for residential development without backing new homes up to existing homes. This is always the issue...re-tooling courses without taking away the 'backyards' of those who paid the premiums.

[Joel_Stewart]

Does anyone have a list of courses that have closed in California?

[David_Tepper]

"Does anyone have a list of courses that have closed in California?"

Joel S. -

I don't, but listening to John Abendroth on KNBR yesterday morning, he mentioned that 20-25 courses in Northern California have closed or will be closing soon.

DT