Renovations Continuing at Goat Hill Park GC in California


Work is continuing on a $3.6 million renovation of the former Center City Golf Course in Oceanside, Calif. The public 18-hole, 5,000-yard layout was spared from the wrecking ball by local players and through the efforts of John Ashworth and his partners David Emerick and Geoff Cunningham.

Opened in 1952, the facility had, in recent years, fallen into disrepair. Despite its downtrodden state, the par-66 course was still a popular spot with local golfers because if offered quick, affordable rounds.

Owned by the city of Oceanside, the property is near Interstate 5 and Oceanside Boulevard. The 75-acre site was attractive to developers and as a possible revenue-generator for the city, which believed it should be put to more profitable uses. Among the considerations was a new stadium for the San Diego Chargers and a soccer academy run by a Major League Soccer team.

The site was designated as "public land" in the 1980s, meaning that any alterations to it could not take place without a public vote. The course's neighbors fought the various plans, the city ultimately rejected them as well, and now the renamed Goat Hill Park has a bright future as its intended use as a golf course.

After two years of negotiations, Ashworth - the founder of clothing brands Ashworth and Fidra and now the chief creative officer of apparel and footwear company Linksoul Golf, Emerick and Cunningham formed Goat Hill Partners LLC. The new group was recently approved by the Oceanside City Council to take over operations and make improvements.

"This is just the type of facility we need in this country - a place for kids, beginners and the working class that's affordable and fun and not intimidating," Ashworth told reporter Sean Dudley of Golf Course Architecture magazine.

"We have an uphill battle because the course was fairly neglected over the past few years and in order to get back to sustainability and profitability, we are in the process of raising money to make the necessary changes and enhancements to the course."

Goat Hill Partners LLC began the upgrades with a total makeover of the clubhouse, including the addition of a new bar. "It's just more comfortable. We just felt like this is a long-term approach and we wanted to have a comfortable environment," Ashworth told reporter Teri Figueroa of the UT San Diego.

Next up are upgrades to the course, which will be overseen by well-known golf architect Tom Doak. Ashworth told Figueroa that Goat Hill Park is "very sporty" and that the upcoming work would include the conversion of one of a par-4 into a par-3, thus changing its overall par to 65.

Ashworth said Doak was a natural choice to handle the renovation. "I've been friends with Tom Doak and his crew for many years," Ashworth told Dudley. "When I decided to take this on I knew the course needed a bit of a facelift in some areas. So I called Tom and his guys to see if they might lend a hand."

Among the changes will be to address the extended dry conditions in Southern California by replacing 25 acres of irrigated turf with drought-tolerant landscaping.

The course is being kept open during the various projects, which should be completed later in 2015.