What was once a pair of 18-hole courses—the Diablo and Gabilan—became one 18-hole layout in the first week of July, months after it became clear that the club could no longer support two courses from an economic standpoint. Although painful at first, Ridgemark PGA Head Professional Alex Rodriguez said all of the members involved with the club are finally getting their groove back.
A new era has arrived at Ridgemark Golf and Country Club.
What was once a pair of 18-hole courses—the Diablo and Gabilan—became one 18-hole layout in the first week of July, months after it became clear that the club could no longer support two courses from an economic standpoint.
Although painful at first, Ridgemark PGA Head Professional Alex Rodriguez said all of the members involved with the club are finally getting their groove back. Ridgemark is hosting a course record tournament on Aug. 31, with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. There will be some on-course contests and spiffy prizes, to go along with a raffle ticket and drink ticket.
Fees to play are as follows: The general public, $65; Hollister Golf Club associate members, $49; five-day cardholders, $35; and seven-day cardholders, $10. Rodriguez hopes the new course record tournament—appropriately named because there are new records meant to be set and broken at the new layout—jump starts a new and productive era at Ridgemark.
“As golfers, we were all crushed at first at having to close 18 holes, but there’s a new feeling now and things are starting to fall into place,” Rodriguez said. “A couple of people have gone out on the new course and put a good number up, but we’re kind of setting the table for what could be a longstanding record or something that could be broken in a couple of weeks.”
Ridgemark’s new layout includes 10 holes from the former Diablo course and eight from the Gabilan. In a perfect world, Ridgemark would’ve closed 18 holes and immediately transitioned to a new 18 with little trouble.
However, due to water restrictions, obligations to the Ridgemark community and a host of other factors, the change has been anything but easy. But Rodriguez sees things taking shape, as the course gets greener—“You will see brown out there, but it will be in areas where people don’t hit many balls,” he said—with the maintenance crew working long and hard to beautify the course.
“We can’t just flood the greens when the surrounding community is cutting back on water,” Rodriguez said. “So we’re focusing our watering efforts in high traffic areas, or where players walk around the most.”
The new layout has led to numerous changes, including new maps, cart paths, scorecards and course rating. Rodriguez said there are marshals on the course to help golfers navigate their way around the area and make sure no one goes to the wrong hole.
“Longtime members are digging the new layout because it’s something new and first-timers like it because they don’t know what they’re seeing, which makes it a great experience,” Rodriguez said.
