California Drought Casualty: Diablo Grande Golf Course

For years we've heard from the USGA and GCSAA that water issues would come up in golf and Garth Stapley reports that the Jack Nicklaus/Gene Sarazen-designed Diablo Grande's Legends course will close due to the drought.

The Modesto course has a community of 437 homes and the homeowners urged that the Ranch course, nearer properties, stay open. They were notified of the closure last Friday.

Diablo Grande on Friday notified neighbors that watering has stopped at the Legends course, although some tournaments and booked rounds will continue for a few weeks. Some were not surprised at the bad news about the Legends course.

“We all need to suck it up,” said Bill Lindley. “I’d much rather they cut off water to a golf course and give it to a farmer.”

The 18-hole Legends course was designed by golf luminaries Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen. It opened in 1998 and has been one of the big draws for the community in dramatic hills west of Patterson, earning high praise from Golf Digest and discriminating golfers.

“Each course has great qualities,” said Philip Cybert, chief executive officer of Laurus Corp., which owns the project. “The Ranch course is the gateway. The first thing you see is the Ranch course,” and neighbors urged Laurus to keep it open, he said.