Early morning blaze at Bolado linked to electrical problems
A pinnacle of history in San Benito County is a shell of its
former self after a fire early Saturday morning left the clubhouse
at Bolado Park Golf Club in ruins.
Damage from the fire was estimated to be around $1 million and
the golfers who showed up at the course on Monday could hardly
believe what they saw.
Early morning blaze at Bolado linked to electrical problems
A pinnacle of history in San Benito County is a shell of its former self after a fire early Saturday morning left the clubhouse at Bolado Park Golf Club in ruins.
Damage from the fire was estimated to be around $1 million and the golfers who showed up at the course on Monday could hardly believe what they saw.
Bolado or – the San Benito Country Club as it was once known – opened its doors for the first time in 1928. It was the first course in San Benito County. The two-story clubhouse came later, in 1950, when it became the hub of the public 18-hole golf course. It contained administrative offices, a bar and grill, a lounge area and guest lockers.
The course has been meticulously kept by its members and supporters. When. Julia Bolado donated the land that the golf course sits on, she specifically indicated that she was donating it with the specific purpose that it be dedicated as a golf course for the citizens of this county and course Manager Dan Holt says that’s exactly what they’ve always done.
The members and non-members have always felt at home at Bolado. According to course Board Secretary Herman Fehl the course was put together with a “hell of a lot” of volunteer work. Fehl remembered that during World War II, when the Navy was stationed at the airport, one of the commanders was a golfer and would have his troops help put the course together when they didn’t have much to do.
“This course was dedicated with the specific purpose of serving the community at large. Since it was built two more courses have gone up, but it’s the only one that’s still reasonably priced,” Fehl said. “A lot of the old-timers, this is the only place they’ll play, they can afford to play.”
The fire is believed to have started around 2 a.m., but Hollister and California Department of Forestry firefighters weren’t called to the public golf course until almost an hour later when a passerby spotted the blaze and called emergency officials, Fire Chief Cliff William said. Firefighters arrived around 3:03 a.m., but by that point the fire had a good foothold on the building.
An electrical malfunction is believed to have been the cause of the fire, but the exact cause of the malfunction is unknown.
Nothing survived the fire’s wrath. Golf clubs, safes, restaurant equipment all the records and documents, even the strongbox containing the club’s insurance papers melted. Additionally there was a lot of irreplaceable history lost. Items such as trophies, hole-in-one lists and club champion plaques.
The fire burned so hot that it completely melted half of Bolado’s fleet of golf carts parked near the clubhouse. Chief William speculated that at its core, the fire likely burned at a temperature of 2,000 to 4,500 degrees. He further explained that another problem with the fire was that there was a gas line that was venting and the fire department had to wait for Pacific Gas & Electric to shut it off.
“We were just at the point where we were starting to turn things around, we’d recently remodeled and then this happens,” Holt said.
The community has done much in supporting the course over the years and in fact, Holt said that the flames hadn’t even stopped smoldering when some of their long-time supporters were in the parking lot asking what they could do to help.
The golf course is operating at about fifty percent capacity, according to Holt. Payments and paperwork are handled out of a trailer volunteered by Bolado Park Manager Kelley Ferreira Saturday morning, but there are no concessions whatsoever. The trailer, which has no electricity, is being supported by a generator Fehl donated.
The course will certainly need some help. Fehl said that it would be wonderful if that relief could come from the 33rd Agricultural District, which they lease the land from. The public golf course annually pays the district $33,000 for use of the land, but Fehl speculated that the organization would need relief from that for a while.
“They’re a county-based entity too, so I think they should have some sympathy. Especially if we’re going to build a brand new building on the land for them,” Fehl said.
The board has been overwhelmed by all the support the community has shown. “We’ve been inundated with people who want to help us, we’re pretty confident we’ll get back on track,” Board Treasurer Phil Freeland said.
The members have put a lot of work in to Bolado. Four to five months ago, there was a Community Day where all the members came out and painted fences, pulled weeds and tended to the course.
Holt says that the club will overcome this setback and they will rebuild. Community support will certainly be accepted and appreciated, though it may be some time before they know everything that they will need.
“We’re definitely going to need golf carts, that’s probably our biggest need, that and support,” Holt said.
The course, which is home to 275 members, is open and operational and it can certainly use the revenue, and Holt is encouraging golfers to continue playing. Fund-raisers are planned in the coming months to help rebuild the club.
Ideally, once the insurance investigators have appraised the damages, Holt and course supporters can start to develop plans for a new building. Holt said that construction on a new clubhouse could come within 45 days, but may take up to a year to complete.
