Senior golfers teed off at pace of repairs on closed Buenaventura Golf Course in Ventura
Frustrated golfers swung from their heels at a Ventura City Council meeting Tuesday.
More than 50 of them, most seniors decked out in golf shirts or pullovers, filled the council chambers. Filing up to the podium one after another, they urged city leaders to ramp up repairs of the 92-year-old Buenaventura Golf Course that has been closed for 15 months because of flooding from January 2023 storms.
They pushed for more spending on facility improvements at the city’s other course, Olivas Links. One golfer used the overhead screen to show the dilapidated bathroom housed in a temporary building. He envisioned new golfers venturing into the restroom before their first-ever time on the links.
“Their first impression is this,” said Richard Lopez, suggesting the young golfers may never play again.
Initially, golfers in the audience cheered and applauded the calls for action. After being told such reactions weren’t allowed, they started pantomiming their applause.
Ted Alan, a member of senior golf clubs at both courses, told city leaders the massive flooding damage to Buenaventura Golf Course is not likely to happen again. He blamed much of it on debris and other materials that plugged a roadway overpass near the course during the Jan. 9, 2023, rainstorm. He noted the course has drained exceptionally well in the string of storms that has doused the county this year.
“What happened on Jan. 9 was a phenomenon,” he said.
Others called for improvements to infrastructure at the courses, including more maintenance and better storage facilities to protect city investments in golf carts. Kevin Rennie, once Ventura’s city fire chief and now a golfer who plays on courses across the state, said the council needs at least a five-year strategy.
“You possess two of the best golf courses. The amenities are terrible,” he said, referring to the modular buildings at Olivas. “These are supposed to be for six months. It’s been 18 years.”
Because the protests came during public comments, City Council members could not react or debate the issues. But Mayor Joe Schroeder noted he and City Manager Bill Ayub have met with the golfers.
“We heard what you have to say,” Schroeder said. “The facilities need to get better.”
Ventura's Buenaventura Golf Course remains closed due to repair costs
The biggest uncertainties surround Buenaventura Golf Course, the course that opened in 1932 and has gained a following of older, inexperienced and youth golfers because of its shorter, more forgiving design. The damage from the flooding would take more than $10 million to repair.
The price is far more than the city can pay on its own. It is seeking help from insurance as well as state and federal agencies.
"We're still in negotiations with FEMA," Deputy City Manager Brad "Brick" Conners said Wednesday. "Nothing has been approved."
City officials worry the flooding could happen again unless they take steps to reduce the risks.
“Any investment would be potentially wasteful and probably uninsurable unless the course was properly protected from future flood events,” Conners said in an email.
Steps aimed at reducing the chances of future course damage from flooding appear to be possible. A drainage study and an architect design plan are in the early stages. Then the city could submit a final funding application to FEMA, ushering in a review stage that could take up to six months.
The process will also involve input from the golf community, Conners said. Several of the golfers at the podium focused on the revenue golf generated for the city, about $6 million annually before the flood. That amount fell sharply because of Buenaventura’s closure and the golfers contended more investment in the courses would boost profits.
City officials want to recoup lost revenue, too. Conners said it’s possible the closed 18-hole course could temporarily reopen by the end of June with a 9- or 10-hole layout.
“We think this is a workable, temporary solution, but the details are still being flushed out,” he said.
Some of the golfers worried the city might permanently settle for a partial opening of the course. Others want the opening to happen quickly but are concerned about the lack of details provided.
“Something is better than nothing,” said Todd Stork, a member of the Buenaventura Senior Men's Golf Club. “Our members need hope.”
Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Senior golfers want repairs, improvements at Ventura city courses
