While golfers lament the recent loss of nine holes at Dairy Creek Golf Course, families can look forward to new activities, like go-karting and miniature golf, at El Chorro Regional Park.
SLO County officials are in the process of obtaining permits and bids for a new electric go-kart racing track and 18-hole miniature golf course at the park off of Highway 1.
SLO County Parks and Recreation Director Nick Franco told New Times that he expects the facilities to open this summer.
“Miniature golf will be a designed course of 18 holes with cows, windmills—the Dairy Creek theme,” Franco said.
Both projects are key pieces to the county’s reinvention of El Chorro Park, which was spurred by a water crisis at the Dairy Creek Golf Course. Dairy Creek, which draws water from the neighboring California Men’s Colony, saw a dramatic reduction in its allocation due to a declining prison population. That shortage forced the county to close nine holes of the course in May 2018.
Years of decline in the course’s condition led to a reduction in play as well as major financial issues for the county. The county golf fund currently draws about $485,000 annually from the general fund to stay afloat.
“We were faced with a financial issue,” Franco said. “Our challenge was what services are not provided in this area, that are still parks and recreation, that can generate revenue? Two of the low-hanging fruit were go-karts and miniature golf.”
The go-kart track and miniature golf course will be located in an area just south of the golf clubhouse. Other new activities planned for the park include a Toptracer Range (a simulated driving range), batting cages, a mountain bike course, a disc golf course, and cabin camping sites.
Franco said the hope is that the park will be more inclusive to the community and financially sustainable. He noted that Dairy Creek playership has recovered since they downsized the course.
“Since we’ve gone to nine holes and have been able to keep it green, our rounds have reached the same levels we had a few years before,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to need no assistance [from the general fund].” Δ
This article appears in Health and Beauty 2019.
This article leaves several questions unanswered: How will the new facilities get their water? – How will the increased usage of water for bathroom facilities and maintenance be less that the water that would have been needed to maintain the nine holes of golf that were closed. What will be the development cost and projected revenue for the county? If the 3 course in the country draw 465,000 from the general fund. How much will it cost the county to develop the facilities listed in the article? Will there be an EIR performed to access the impact on an environmentally sensitive area that also includes a botanical garden and hiking trails? – Please report the full story not just the press release.
I am not impressed with the County’s efforts with regard to use of this facility. By my count more than $14 million has been invested in this golf course. If the issue is really water, it should still be possible to provide golf related activities (e.g. a 9 hole putting course that would actually be useful for practice, using either actual grass or even artificial turf, but set up like a series of real golf greens instead of a side show), or even other activities (e.g. hiking and or biking trails) that utilize the property and encourage healthy exercise while using less water. I hate the idea of seeing this facility turned into a carnival. This is just short sighted, bad, public policy. The public comment “effort” with regard to this facility has been bogus from the start. County staff never had any intention of really considering input from the public.