The 18-hole Ranch course, part of a gated community in Patterson, Calif., will be closing October 19. The Legends course at Diablo Grande, designed by Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen, closed in 2014. The president of the Diablo Grande Homeowners Association’s Board was told that World International, which owns the property, will continue to water the course and perform minimal upkeep while “in the process of trying to sell the property.”
A gated community just outside of Patterson, Calif. has attracted people from the valley and the Bay Area but one of the neighborhood’s key selling points won’t be around for much longer, FOX40 out of Sacramento reported. If you go back five years, the community of Diablo Grande had two 18-hole golf courses. Come next month, they won’t have any.
In a letter sent to residents and obtained by FOX40, the Ranch Course’s parent company, World International, says the course will be closing October 19. For those who live in the area, the news is about their homes just as much as golf.
“I would imagine there is going to be serious impact on the values and may create difficulty for anyone willing to sell,” said Diablo Grande resident Jim Minnerly.
In the letter, World International says the closure is due to financial reasons, FOX40 reported, adding that it is temporary.
“I guess we’ll have to see about that,” said Steve Stockmal, who moved to the area in April. “I could see that going both ways.”
Stockmal told FOX40 it’s the “temporary” part of the statement that’s giving him hope. He added that the rumors around the community are that another company may be in the works to take the course over, and possibly reopen the other course that was shut down in 2014.
“It’s swirling in a lot of different directions,” Stockmal said.
FOX40 was unable to get a comment from the General Manager at the golf course.
Jose Perez, president of the Diablo Grande Homeowners Association board, said he was told that World International will continue to water the course and perform minimal upkeep, The Modesto Bee reported.
“I guess they are in the process of trying to sell the property,” Perez said. “They have no intention of letting [the course] dry out. Apparently, some investment groups are interested and one group is doing due diligence and is quite far into the process.”
World International said in the notice that the company has worked to maintain the amenities and services at Diablo Grande, The Bee reported, spending substantial capital to upgrade the clubhouse and improve the level of service.
“Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond our control, we can no longer offer these services and amenities to the community,” the company’s notice said. The decision to close the remaining golf course was made “in light of financial challenges associated with operating the golf courses … We understand this news is unsettling to the community.”
Mark Kovich, a Diablo Grande homeowner, told The Bee he received the notice from World International on September 23. He said it’s another disappointment for residents who have hoped the ownership would fulfill promises to homeowners.
“The golf course is a major part of the development that gives it appeal as a community,” Kovich said.
Several attempts by The Bee to reach World International representatives were not successful, and staff at the resort did not return messages from The Bee.
World International and a partner bought the Diablo Grande development months after the original developers declared bankruptcy in March 2008, The Bee reported. Originally approved in 1993 as a 29,500-acre development—with luxury golf courses, a hotel and convention center and thousands of homes—Diablo Grande ran into lawsuits and only the 2,300-acre first phase was authorized.
To the delight of golfers, two courses were built, as well as a few hundred homes, before the home-construction industry collapsed 12 years ago, The Bee reported.
In 2014, golf enthusiasts mourned the closure of the famed Legends course at Diablo Grande, The Bee reported. Water shortage was cited as the reason for closing the Legends course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen and gave prestige to Diablo Grande when it opened in 1998.
When the Legends course was taken out of service, it left the Ranch course as the primary golf attraction, The Bee reported.
Diablo Grande, with about 750 homes today, has struggled to realize its potential as a resort community, The Bee reported. Additional homes need to be built and sold to make water and other services viable for the community.
Perez said he is trying to stay positive about what appears is another setback for residents, The Bee reported. He said an on-site manager for World International provides him with some information on the latest developments.
“There is disappointment of course, because I play golf and enjoy playing,” Perez said. “It is a business for them, and it’s been a large investment for them. Right now, they are evaluating the financial situation and figuring out how much more to invest in this.”
It’s the second high-profile golf course closure in recent years, The Bee reported. Stevinson Ranch in Merced County closed in 2015 after several years of declining play and drought.
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