The 18-hole golf course and clubhouse sits on 139 acres in Aptos, Calif. The asking price for the golf course, which opened in 1926 and survived closure during World War II when it was turned into a “victory garden,” is down from the $13.77 million paid in 1993. The property is zoned for open space.
Seascape Golf Club in Aptos, Calif., is for sale, with owner AGC Realty asking $12 million for the 18-hole course and clubhouse that sits on 139 acres, the Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel reported.
The asking price for the golf course, which opened in 1926 and survived closure during World War II when it was turned into a “victory garden,” is down from the $13.77 million paid in 1993, which may reflect the nationwide decline in golfing. However, it is not clear why this particular golf course property is on the market, the Sentinel reported.
General Manager Gary Nelson referred queries to the owner, AGC, an affiliate of American Golf, which could not be reached to comment, the Sentinel reported.
Cushman & Wakefield has an exclusive listing for the property, informing investors that 2017 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization was $891,000 and that the seller will consider a management agreement “to ensure operational continuity,” the Sentinel reported.
Seascape Golf has been the home club for golfers at Aptos High, a training ground for state champion Eddie Olson, 30, who now plays professionally, the Sentinel reported.
“The management has been 100 percent behind junior golf,” said Jamie Townsend, who has coached Aptos High School boys’ golf for 15 years. “They’ve gone out of their way to help us raise money for uniforms and equipment.”
Seascape Golf, which is zoned for open space, has been the site of many benefit golf tournaments including the May 23 benefit for the Aptos Chamber of Commerce. “Our biggest concern is if it becomes privatized, it might affect things like fundraisers for nonprofit Aptos Sports Foundation,” said John Hibble of the Aptos chamber.
Back in the 1980s, then-supervisor Robley Levy successfully fought a proposal to build housing on the golf course property, Hibble said. Nowadays one of the top issues for elected officials is the housing crisis—not enough homes built and a record median price in March of $935,100, the Sentinel reported.
New groups such as Santa Cruz Yes in My Back Yard and Affordable Housing Santa Cruz County are lobbying in favor of housing development, the Sentinel reported.
Hibble questioned whether the Seascape property has enough water to supply a housing development. Seascape Golf has an irrigation well for the greens and its clubhouse banquet rooms and snack bar are served by Soquel Creek Water District, according to Taj Dufour, engineering manager at the water district.
“The well would not be allowed to serve any new development,” Dufour said, adding that if anything new were proposed, the water district would evaluate whether the change would mean more or less use of water, the Sentinel reported.
Additional use of water would require compliance with the district’s water demand offset program, which requires funding of conservation or supply projects to offset two times the expected use. The offset program began in 2003 due to overpumping of groundwater and seawater intrusion, the Sentinel reported.
To build housing at Seascape, the property also would have to be rezoned by the county supervisors. “We’re not sure if county would support or oppose it,” said Dufour.
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