The Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club will undergo a major upgrade this year.
On Jan. 7, the Rancho Santa Fe Association board approved a $5.9 million overhaul that includes the installation of a new irrigation system, fresh turf on the fairways, reshaped bunkers, and a renovation of the practice range and short-game areas.
The funds for the upgrade will come out of the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club’s reserves. Club members with voting rights also need to vote to approve the project before it moves forward.
The renovation is expected to take six months, and the goal is to have nine holes open most of the time. The front nine is anticipated to be closed from April through June, the back nine closed from July through September. A full course closure is expected for the last three weeks of the project. The targeted completion date is Oct. 15.
In 2019 the club hired world-renowned golf course architect David McLay-Kidd to help update the course’s master plan, which is redone every 10 years. McLay-Kidd is known for the design of Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Rolling Hills Country Club and courses throughout the world.
When the club gathered input from members about the course, some of the biggest complaints were frustrations with the turf on the fairways and the accessibility of the bunkers.
NORTH COUNTY; Rancho Santa Fe club renovating golf course
After studies with multiple vendors, the club selected a much better Bermuda turf that can thrive in Rancho Santa Fe’s micro-climate. The turf will increase drought resistance, improve color retention (not going as visibly dormant), better tolerate traffic and grow in the shade.
The bunkers, which are currently very hard to get into and out of, will be reshaped in the more user-friendly, traditional style of Max Behr the original course architect.
The short-game area and practice range will also see improvements, said Blair Nicholas, RSF Golf Club board president. He said practice areas are the No. 1 amenity at courses right now as many people use them if they don’t have the hours to devote to playing a full round.
U-T Community Press
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