Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club turf replacement project a success

By Karen Billing

The Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club is getting rave reviews on its turf replacement project. At the RSF Association board’s Nov. 6 meeting, Rancho Santa Fe Association President Ann Boon said it looks beautiful from above and from the trails, and she has heard from a frequent golfer that it looks even better on the course and has enhanced the play.

“It’s coming together very well,” said RSF Golf Club Manager Al Castro, noting that work on the back nine is just about complete and the front nine work should be complete by Nov. 21. “We like the result; we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from members and guests.”

The club’s project included removing approximately 18.5 acres of turf and replacing it with lower-water-use native plantings. Also, 84 trees will be removed and 105 replacement trees planted.

The club is the first golf club in California that will receive a $1,620,000 rebate from the Metropolitan Water District for the water-saving project.

“We’re pretty excited. We’re proud to have been one of the trailblazers in this process,” Castro said.