Business is brisk at the new city-owned The Crossings at Carlsbad golf course, and feedback from players is positive, according to course managers.
Celebrations were held Sept. 26-28 to commemorate the official grand opening of the course. City leaders, media representatives, tourism officials and golf industry executives were invited to play the course. The third hole, which was damaged July 3 as a result of a plane crash, is back in play.
The $63.3 million course opened to the public Aug. 11. Over the first week of play, tee times were fully booked every day from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. That translates into about 250 rounds of golf per day, or six foursomes each hour, teeing off at 10-minute intervals.
“It's going great, it's really nice to be open,” said The Crossings General Manager Jeff Perry.
Before the course opened there was a perception that the hilly topography in some areas would make The Crossings formidable for all but the most experienced golfers, Perry said. Happily, he said, people are finding that once they play a round, The Crossings is actually quite accommodating to all skill levels.
“It looks a lot tougher than it plays,” he said, quoting a phrase he has heard from a number of golfers.
The 18-hole course sits on a 400-acre property once slated for industrial development, said Skip Hammann, the city of Carlsbad's special projects director. The course itself takes up about 180 acres, with the rest of the land set aside as permanent open space.
During construction of the golf course, a three-mile walking path was created for fitness buffs and more than 60 acres of land was restored as natural habitat. The project also included construction of a 28,000-square-foot clubhouse, where Canyons restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch.
The dining room, which will be rented out for meetings, weddings and other special events, features floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the course and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The facility also includes a practice center with a driving range, chipping area, putting green and practice sand bunker. Once lights are installed, the driving range will be open every day until 9 p.m.
City officials hope non-golfers will enjoy such amenities as the walking trails and restaurant. Hammann said the city expects the restaurant to generate as much or more income than the golf course, which will be used to pay off the project's construction and development costs.
The lunch menu will be geared to entice workers from nearby offices and industrial parks, offering reasonable prices, about $10 to $15 per plate, and a spectacular view.
“We are truly a city amenity,” not just a golf course, Perry said.
Carlsbad residents will enjoy the lowest fees, followed by San Diego County residents and then those who don't reside in the county. Green fees will include use of a golf cart equipped with global positioning system (GPS) technology.
The carts are needed because of the expansive size of the course and the rolling terrain, which features sweeping views of the ocean and nearby hills.
“No two holes are the same,” Hammann said.
The GPS display shows the distance to a hole from wherever the golfer's cart is positioned and the location of other golf carts, along with tips specific to each of the 18 holes. Each hole was designed with five tee areas, at various lengths from the green, to accommodate golfers of different skill levels.
The course is located about a mile east of Interstate 5, and can be accessed from Palomar Airport Road via The Crossings Drive, which was formerly Hidden Valley Road.
For more information, visit www.thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com
Celebrations were held Sept. 26-28 to commemorate the official grand opening of the course. City leaders, media representatives, tourism officials and golf industry executives were invited to play the course. The third hole, which was damaged July 3 as a result of a plane crash, is back in play.
The $63.3 million course opened to the public Aug. 11. Over the first week of play, tee times were fully booked every day from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. That translates into about 250 rounds of golf per day, or six foursomes each hour, teeing off at 10-minute intervals.
“It's going great, it's really nice to be open,” said The Crossings General Manager Jeff Perry.
Before the course opened there was a perception that the hilly topography in some areas would make The Crossings formidable for all but the most experienced golfers, Perry said. Happily, he said, people are finding that once they play a round, The Crossings is actually quite accommodating to all skill levels.
“It looks a lot tougher than it plays,” he said, quoting a phrase he has heard from a number of golfers.
The 18-hole course sits on a 400-acre property once slated for industrial development, said Skip Hammann, the city of Carlsbad's special projects director. The course itself takes up about 180 acres, with the rest of the land set aside as permanent open space.
During construction of the golf course, a three-mile walking path was created for fitness buffs and more than 60 acres of land was restored as natural habitat. The project also included construction of a 28,000-square-foot clubhouse, where Canyons restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch.
The dining room, which will be rented out for meetings, weddings and other special events, features floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the course and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The facility also includes a practice center with a driving range, chipping area, putting green and practice sand bunker. Once lights are installed, the driving range will be open every day until 9 p.m.
City officials hope non-golfers will enjoy such amenities as the walking trails and restaurant. Hammann said the city expects the restaurant to generate as much or more income than the golf course, which will be used to pay off the project's construction and development costs.
The lunch menu will be geared to entice workers from nearby offices and industrial parks, offering reasonable prices, about $10 to $15 per plate, and a spectacular view.
“We are truly a city amenity,” not just a golf course, Perry said.
Carlsbad residents will enjoy the lowest fees, followed by San Diego County residents and then those who don't reside in the county. Green fees will include use of a golf cart equipped with global positioning system (GPS) technology.
The carts are needed because of the expansive size of the course and the rolling terrain, which features sweeping views of the ocean and nearby hills.
“No two holes are the same,” Hammann said.
The GPS display shows the distance to a hole from wherever the golfer's cart is positioned and the location of other golf carts, along with tips specific to each of the 18 holes. Each hole was designed with five tee areas, at various lengths from the green, to accommodate golfers of different skill levels.
The course is located about a mile east of Interstate 5, and can be accessed from Palomar Airport Road via The Crossings Drive, which was formerly Hidden Valley Road.
For more information, visit www.thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com