An unofficial list of California courses that are closed (9th update)

[Brian Finn]

Salt Creek in Chula Vista has announced it will close 3/18. I never played it, but I heard it had a fun linksy feel.

Wow.  That's a shame.  It was a pretty fun course, and always played extremely firm, which was nice.  I only played it a handful of times, as I was living in North County when I was out there.  There are plenty of much lower quality courses that I'd rather see close before this one, but obviously that is not how it works.  Website suggests they were never profitable.

[David_Tepper]

Langtry Farms in Lake County.

[Joel_Stewart]

The list has been updated adding the following;


Aetna Springs
San Geronimo
Langtry Farms
Stoneridge in Poway
Oak Patch in Visalia
Sun Valley in LA Mesa

[Jeff Schley]

Robinson Ranch was renamed Sand Canyon and is now 27 holes.

[Jeff Schley]

When I lived in So Cal 98-08 these courses had just been built from the building boom and were considered the best public courses in LA.

Aliso Viejo CC, 27 holes condensed to 18 holes (2001)
Empire Lakes, Rancho Cucamonga
Lost Canyons (36 holes), Simi Valley
Robinson Ranch, Santa Clarita

Cascades, Sylmar (2013)

[Pete Lavallee]

Very sad to hear Salt Creek is closing on 3-18. This was our go to course when or normal Sunday venue was overseeding. As many have said one of the very few firm and fast courses here in San Diego Co. The only down side was you pretty much had to take a cart. I'm playing there next Saturday; golf, cart range balls and 2 beers for $45!

The Lakes course at Cottonwood, formerly Monte Vista in Rancho San Diego has been left fallow for months now. The Ivanhoe course there is barely hanging on by a thread.

[David_Tepper]

Hopefully San Geronimo will re-open within the next few months and operate for at least another couple of years. Fingers crossed.

News article on the possible future (short & long term) of San Geronimo:

http://www.marinij.com/general-news/20180215/marin-receives-proposals-to-run-san-geronimo-golf-course

 

[Bill Seitz]

The Lakes course at Cottonwood, formerly Monte Vista in Rancho San Diego has been left fallow for months now. The Ivanhoe course there is barely hanging on by a thread.

Hey, another college tournament course back in 1995.  I think we played 36 on the Ivanhoe course.  Weirdest thing I remember is that it was shortly after a pretty big rainstorm, and the river/wash that ran through the course destroyed one hole and the back half of one of the greens.  They had resodded an area in front of the green to move the complex forward to make up for the loss of the back half (it was a sheer drop to the water off the back edge).  And to make up for the hole that was destroyed, we played two balls on a different hole and scored them both separately (in a 36 hole event, it meant wed did this twice, effectively playing that hole four times).  It was a long time ago, but I'm sure that was just awesome for pace of play.  I also remember looking over the fence at one part of the course where we could see Steele Canyon, wishing that we were playing what appeared to be a more interesting and much better conditioned golf course.

[CJames]

With the recent thread highlighting the achievements of AV Macan, my fingers are all the more firmly crossed that San Geronimo can receive a temporary stay of execution from the ham-fisted land grab by Marin County and the Trust for Public Land. 

[Jeff Schley]

The Lakes course at Cottonwood, formerly Monte Vista in Rancho San Diego has been left fallow for months now. The Ivanhoe course there is barely hanging on by a thread.

Hey, another college tournament course back in 1995.  I think we played 36 on the Ivanhoe course.  Weirdest thing I remember is that it was shortly after a pretty big rainstorm, and the river/wash that ran through the course destroyed one hole and the back half of one of the greens.  They had resodded an area in front of the green to move the complex forward to make up for the loss of the back half (it was a sheer drop to the water off the back edge).  And to make up for the hole that was destroyed, we played two balls on a different hole and scored them both separately (in a 36 hole event, it meant wed did this twice, effectively playing that hole four times).  It was a long time ago, but I'm sure that was just awesome for pace of play.  I also remember looking over the fence at one part of the course where we could see Steele Canyon, wishing that we were playing what appeared to be a more interesting and much better conditioned golf course.

Wow that is a unique solution to making sure you fit in all 36.  I don't think I have heard of that in competitive golf.

[Greg Hohman]

I played Salt Creek once. Fun linksy sounds right, Mark. Nice SW views toward Mexico, iirc, and might have been better before housing sprawl. I would have supported it more if I could afford to get out more myself.

When I tried as a walker to join two cartballers on the 1st tee, I was rebuffed. That had not happened before.

Another reason to remember the place: My mother accompanied me as a spectator in a cart. She has done that twice.

[Joel_Stewart]

I've updated the list with two new closures and the finality that the 2nd course at Rancho Canada closed last year.


Horse Thief CC in Tehachapi has closed.


Also, Delta View in Pittsburg which was linked to Alister MacKenzie but later to his associate Jack Fleming has suddenly closed under mysterious circumstances. 


https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/02/26/famed-delta-view-golf-course-to-close-city-scrambles-to-find-operator/

[Jeff Schley]

Thanks Joel, never played HT CC but sad to see that go as there isn't much around that area at all.

[Greg Chambers]

StoneRidge CC in Poway
Champions Club at the Retreat in Corona

[Jeff Schley]

StoneRidge CC in Poway
Champions Club at the Retreat in Corona

What is the Champions Club at the Retreat?  Did this used to be another course name?  I lived in the area and don't remember it 10 years ago.

[Mark Kiely]

Jeff: I believe it went by that name for its entire existence. It was a rather extreme Nicklaus Design that later got toned down somewhat. Still not the type of course you'd want to play everyday, but I found it pretty fun every once in a while. GolfAdvisor.com says it opened in 2006. Originally private, it then went public. It's along the I-15 Corridor in Corona and overlooked Eagle Glen, if you recall that course.


Here's my Flickr album of it: https://flic.kr/s/aHskvuwi1U

[Jeff Schley]

Jeff: I believe it went by that name for its entire existence. It was a rather extreme Nicklaus Design that later got toned down somewhat. Still not the type of course you'd want to play everyday, but I found it pretty fun every once in a while. GolfAdvisor.com says it opened in 2006. Originally private, it then went public. It's along the I-15 Corridor in Corona and overlooked Eagle Glen, if you recall that course.


Here's my Flickr album of it: https://flic.kr/s/aHskvuwi1U

Maybe I'm thinking of Trilogy, what happened to that track?  Wasn't there a course part of a retirement community up there that was built in the early/mid 2000's?  Maybe that what this Champions Club is.
I used to live in Temecula/Murrieta.

[Mark Kiely]

Trilogy is still there, but is now known as Glen Ivy Golf Club.

[Kalen Braley]

I've updated the list with two new closures and the finality that the 2nd course at Rancho Canada closed last year.


Horse Thief CC in Tehachapi has closed.


Also, Delta View in Pittsburg which was linked to Alister MacKenzie but later to his associate Jack Fleming has suddenly closed under mysterious circumstances. 


https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/02/26/famed-delta-view-golf-course-to-close-city-scrambles-to-find-operator/

Joel,


Say it ain't so.  This was one of my absolute faves from my bay area days.  I would have played it more but the drive from Hayward to Pittsburg was a bit long.


Back 9 was fantastic with some terrific greens.  It seemed totally plausible that it was designed by Dr. MacK even if it was never "proved"

[David Stamm]

Riverwalk in San Diego is supposed to be closed within the year, so that will add to the list.


Keep in mind, an additional element that contributed to why business went down for these places that closed is the opening of all the military courses to public play in the last decade. The city "gained" 4 courses, IIRC. This combined with a drastically changed paradigm from 20 years ago and I'll wager we lose a few more before everything is said and done.

[Pat Burke]

The retreat was designed Nicklaus design under the name of Jack Jr.
It started as a private course anchoring anreasonable high end community in Corona, just north of Eagle Glen
It fell prey to the real estate crash and quickly became a public course surrounded by a rapidly declining priced development.


IMO it was a miserable course on a crap piece of land.  For quite awhile, it's only redeeming quality was conditioning, but that started to slide too in all the struggles.


Last I heard a couple months ago, it was being kept alive but closed to play...has it officially shut down now??

[Joel_Stewart]

StoneRidge CC in Poway
Champions Club at the Retreat in Corona

Thanks, I already had Stoneridge. Added Champions Club.

[Matt_Cohn]

Riverwalk in San Diego is supposed to be closed within the year, so that will add to the list.

I don't want to see courses go, but it's hard to argue against 4,000 housing units and an 80-acre park in the middle of a densely populated area near downtown. Oh well.

[Jeff Schley]

I think this is natural attrition.  It will be expensive to keep golf courses in populated areas when you look at the alternatives.

Any predictions for more 2018 closures?

[Joel_Stewart]

I think this is natural attrition.  It will be expensive to keep golf courses in populated areas when you look at the alternatives.

Any predictions for more 2018 closures?

Even more so in less densely populated areas with limited play.


As for 2018, if a course can't survive in this economy it probably should shut down.