Staples Golf Design to work with San Luis Obispo County on water-stricken course

San Luis Obispo County is working with Andy Staples, of Staples Golf Design, to create a plan to incorporate the community and provide solutions to a recent decrease in water availability to Dairy Creek Golf Course, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Dairy Creek, an 18-hole public golf course originally designed by John Harbottle in 1995, is set inside El Chorro Regional Park, and is adjacent to other community uses such as a botanical garden, ball fields, dog park, playground, and campgrounds. Based on current drought conditions and the reduced availability of reclaimed water, the golf course is set to receive only 35 acres worth of irrigation, a 60 percent loss of irrigation water for the golf course.

“This project should further spotlight just how serious the drought is in California,” says Andy Staples, owner of Staples Golf Design and lead golf architect for the project. “Our intention however is to turn this negative into a positive by looking for innovative approaches in continuing to provide a quality golf product, but with a much smaller overall footprint.”

The planning process will revolve around ideas to reinvent and evolve the golf course towards a unique, fun experience; one that will attract beginner golfers, serious golfers looking to play in less time, as well as non-golfers, according to a press release.

“As an avid user of the park myself, I know firsthand what this place means to our community; we all have a vested interest in making sure this plan turns out to be a success,” says Nick Franco director of Parks and Recreation for the county. “I’d love to see how Dairy Creek can evolve to create a new experience for our current golfers while also attracting non-golfers within our community.”

The master planning process began in December of 2016, and a proposed plan is estimated to be finalized in time for a Board of Supervisors presentation in June of 2017. Staples has already begun talking to the community through workshops and town hall meetings in order to gather feedback from residents on what they ultimately want to see included into the plan, according to Staples Golf Design.

Staples is relying on his recent experience working with municipal facilities across the country, including integration of his Community Links vision, to look for ways Dairy Creek can work to continue to attract golfers, but also look for ways to expand its reach into the non-golfing community. Creating a plan that reaches 100 percent of the community is critical to its success.

“We have an outstanding team, and I’m looking forward to coming up with a plan that really pushes the envelope,” says Staples. “We’re looking to address the current issues, but we’re also looking towards Dairy Creek’s sustainable future. We’re really in unchartered waters, but we’re excited for all the possibilities.”