Aetna Springs to Close This Sunday

[Brett Hochstein]

As reported by Kyle Surlow of Bay Area based Golfguide.net.  Link to his podcast discussing it can be found here:  http://golfguide.libsyn.com/aetna-springs-closing-and-looking-ahead-to-tiger-on-the-west-coast-swing


He gets into the Aetna news at about the 12 minute mark.


This is a massive bummer.  I was just singing the praises of Aetna on my site too, as I finally made the trip up there last May.  Needless to say, I was very impressed.  The routing moves perfectly through the landscape, bringing you to different corners of the property at different times, utilizing the features present, and fitting seamlessly on the ground.  The golf holes are strategic and compelling, and each offers a little something different. 


On top of just the golf itself, it has a great "sense of place."  There is no feeling of a golf course being imposed upon the countryside landscape.  There are no planted outside trees--just the old, native valley oaks.  There are no fake water hazards--just drain ditches/creeks that run dry for most of the year.  There are no obviously shaped contours--just golf holes and greens that sit upon the land.  All man made elements are kept simple and rustic to fit the rural setting, and the cart barn is a repurposed old cattle barn.  The overall experience is pure, and if you spend your time living amongst the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area, it is a welcome, peaceful escape.  Certainly one that I wish I had utilized more often.


...


The changing ownership is still in escrow, and there is no indication of what they may or may not want to do with the course.  For now, they just want to stop the bleeding of costs to keep it up.  I'm going to hold out hope that it can eventually be re-opened and re-vitalized, but we will just have to see. 


For anyone in NorCal, head on up there and get in a last round or two.

[David_Tepper]

Bummer, this is the 4th North Bay course (with Adobe Creek, Langtry Farms and San Geronimo) to close in the last couple of years.

For what it is worth, it never looked like the operators of the course were seriously committed to making the course a going concern. You could say the same thing about Langtry Farms.

[Matthew Petersen]

That's a shame. I have long hoped to make it up there.

[DFarron]

Wow I am incredibly sad.....when I needed to take a ride, clear my head and refresh my golf values, that was the place for me. That being said every time I played there it was two other groups and me no matter what time of the year. The location was also horrible, not "the end of the world" but you could see it from there 

[Mark Kiely]

This article says the new owner plans to develop the land into home sites:
http://napavalleyregister.com/sports/aetna-springs-golf-course-to-cease-operations-on-sunday/article_b8522de8-b66c-5c4b-ab78

[JBovay]

Wow, this is really too bad. Aetna Springs was a model of sustainable and enjoyable golf, and the game would be growing if more courses like it were in urban areas (especially at that price point).


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,50717.msg1424754.html#msg1424754

[Peter Galea]

Was first off yesterday at this wonderful nine (for the last time?). Greens were dewed off but not mowed, it wasn't a problem, they rolled fine. We were only able to play nine. Birdied 8 & 9, a thrill and great way to say goodbye.
I really enjoy everything about this course, even the drive up to get there, its 40 minutes from my house. It is a destination, you know that you are going there only to play golf. Surrounded by vineyards and meadows, with no houses, really out in the county, great land, great layout with many options and short grass around the greens. Bunkers are visually interesting with rough edges, but not frilly card wreckers. From what I heard today the new owner has been given a 90 day extension to close. The course will be maintained during this time, so who knows?
#5 from about 130

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Sad news. Was up there at the end of 2016. I wonder if the new developer is going to get the needed permits for homes seeing as the proposed resort that would have saved Aetna Springs failed.

[Tom_Doak]

I've been wondering if this sale will go through.  The land is not zoned for housing now and Napa County has had a moratorium on zoning changes since the late 1970's ... when our client tried to do the project years ago, development was limited to the existing footprints of the buildings in the old resort, and there just wasn't enough critical mass to make the resort work. 


So I have no idea how they could develop the golf land itself.  They could develop the rest within limits, and maybe just have no interest in keeping the golf going.


The really sad part is that the project I've been doing planning work on is close enough that I was looking forward to having one of my own courses close enough for an emergency nine in the evening.

[Brett Hochstein]

I've been wondering if this sale will go through.  The land is not zoned for housing now and Napa County has had a moratorium on zoning changes since the late 1970's ... when our client tried to do the project years ago, development was limited to the existing footprints of the buildings in the old resort, and there just wasn't enough critical mass to make the resort work. 


So I have no idea how they could develop the golf land itself.  They could develop the rest within limits, and maybe just have no interest in keeping the golf going.


The really sad part is that the project I've been doing planning work on is close enough that I was looking forward to having one of my own courses close enough for an emergency nine in the evening.

I went back up there on Friday for a final round.  By the sound of it, the golf land would get used more for an access road to get to homes rather than the homes themselves.  Seems hard to believe that they would need to go through there when you have 4000 acres or whatever it is, and I don't know why you would want to lose one of your attracting assets in selling these homes.  I'm remaining optimistically skeptical about this particular deal, but they would also need a different buyer in favor of the golf to reopen.  I think the current ownership has had enough trying to keep it alive.

[David_Tepper]

A "last rounds" article in the Napa Register:

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/players-make-last-visits-to-napa-valley-s-highly-praised/article_4886341c-65cb-5df1-8e61-28be6f0ebc4d.html

[Connor Dougherty]

My dad and I had been planning a two-day trip up to Napa to play Aetna, Northwood, and sneak in Meadow Club. After re-injuring my collarbone Christmas Day snowboarding (I broke it in August), we postponed the trip. It was only lucky that I happened to catch Brett's Instagram post, so I called up two friends of mine, newer players to the game, and my dad to make our way up. Collarbone be damned, I had to check it out.


I'm glad we did. It was awesome. However, it was heartbreaking being there knowing what was going to happen to it. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th holes were truly outstanding, and it's a real testament to the quality of the design that the course felt so different playing it from two tee boxes (blue's first round, white's second) while still retaining options and strategy from each set. Had I known how good it was, I'd have made it up there more often.


Instead, I'll be left with the memory of two great loops with three great people. Even the two duffers could appreciate how good it was.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From http://worldgolfreport.blogspot.com/




Alchemy Resorts has acquired the time-worn Aetna Springs resort, a 672-acre spread in Pope Valley, California that boasts one of America’s top-rated nine-hole golf courses. Alchemy believes the resort, despite its remote location, can become pure gold, as it’s pledged to transform the historic property into “a world-class luxury resort that showcases Napa’s food and wine combined with leading wellness programs.” Aetna Springs’ course, a 125-year-old layout that was redesigned a decade ago by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina, has been described as “fun and formidable, without being brutish.” Alchemy hasn’t specifically stated that the course will be reopened, but it’s hard to imagine Aetna Springs being restored to “its original grandeur” without it.

https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-county-s-famed-aetna-springs-has-new-owner-with/article_e829c28e-85e6-5293-8e84-20bbe91b3688.html

[David_Tepper]

Steve -

Thanks very much for spotting this news. It remains to be seen how much the political/planning climate has changed in Napa County regarding development in that area beyond what was approved in 2012. Good luck to the new owners. They may need some.

DT 

[Tom_Doak]

It would be lovely if they brought back the golf course, but I have not heard from them at all, so I don't know if that's part of the plan.  We would be happy to help them.


If they get the resort back up and running, it will make sense, but it's been hard to attract enough play to make it pay for itself with no other facilities there.

[Lou_Duran]

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2018/12/30/dallas-police-fire-pension-system-sells-napa-county-resort-property-big-loss

Bought it for $111 Million, sold it for $22 Million.  I guess that the Dallas cops and firefighters are going to make it up in volume!

[Kevin_Reilly]

There is undoubtedly a long way to go with this project.  Aetna isn't exactly in the heart of the Wine Country, so it will be a bit of a destination point.  And if completed, the resort will be high dollar for sure...not for the faint of wallet.

[Tom_Doak]

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2018/12/30/dallas-police-fire-pension-system-sells-napa-county-resort-property-big-loss

Bought it for $111 Million, sold it for $22 Million.  I guess that the Dallas cops and firefighters are going to make it up in volume!

Their previous "alternative investment" before the resort project was American Idol.  They probably did better with that one.