Dairy Creek Golf Course

Favorite Hole

No. 8, par 5, 491 yards

One of the design flaws of Dairy Creek is its redundant green contours. Almost every green features a similar central spine that creates two sections. The eighth is one of two holes deviating from this pattern. A short par 5, it begins on a ridge, descends into a valley, then rises to a green perched on a second ridge. Attempting to reach the green in two shots poses a formidable challenge, given the shallow green with a central knob. I particularly like the back pin position here, which is on a section that runs away from players. A layup to the right establishes the optimal angle for approaching the green.

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Overall Thoughts

San Luis Obispo County in Central California [ed. note: I do not endorse this nomenclature] is home to a strong collection of municipal golf facilities. Dairy Creek Golf Course is part of a system that includes the extremely popular Morro Bay and Chalk Mountain courses. The county’s golf offerings are affordable and diverse, with no course charging green fees over $60. While none qualify as architectural masterpieces, they are well-maintained and set against stunning scenery. All three are managed expertly and operate as successful businesses. Despite all of these advantages, however, Dairy Creek has gone through tumultuous times recently, including a forced reduction from 18 to nine holes and now a potential closing. The reason: the California water crisis.

Dairy Creek Golf Course uses recycled water to irrigate its fairways and greens, a common practice in California that helps many courses avoid public criticism for their resource consumption. For years, this was a sound solution for Dairy Creek—until its supply of recycled water became compromised.

In the mid-2010s, Proposition 47 ordered the state of California to reduce its prison populations. The majority of the state’s prisons were operating over capacity, and the California Men’s Colony was no exception. Located just down the road from Dairy Creek, the Men’s Colony was the source of Dairy Creek Golf Course’s water. Until 2016, this prison was operating at 200% of capacity. This overcrowding was a dire situation for the incarcerated people, but it provided Dairy Creek with a plentiful water supply.

In 2017, with the prison population reduced to capacity and the area in extreme drought, Dairy Creek struggled. The golf course didn’t have enough water to keep grass on its fairways, and as a result business dwindled. The staff at Dairy Creek told me that the fairways were so baked out that 5-irons would sometimes go 300+ yards.

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Eventually, the county made the tough decision to repurpose nine of the golf holes. Dairy Creek reinvented itself, and county superintendent Josh Heptig believes it’s now a better facility than ever. In consultation with architect Andy Staples, the decision was made to shut down the original back nine, repurposing it as a practice facility for the golf team at nearby Cal Poly as well as a Toptracer range for the public called “Swing Time.” Swing Time has become a local hotspot, offering food, drinks, and the virtual experience of playing some of the world’s best courses. Heptig believes the Toptracer range has attracted a new generation of golfers to Dairy Creek, initially drawing people in as a social activity, and later encouraging them to head out to the course.

In addition to these facilities, the course has developed some mixed-use functions, converting part of its land into a camping site. This aligns well with Andy Staples’s Community Links concept and represents an emerging trend in public golf. There is no reason beautiful places like Dairy Creek can’t accommodate other activities in addition to golf. Municipalities all over the country would do well to consider this approach, as issues like water scarcity and a lack of affordable housing increasingly affect golf courses. Golf needs non-golfing friends, and Dairy Creek shows how that can be done.

With its reduction to nine holes, Dairy Creek has evolved, and so has its clientele. The course is busiest in the afternoons, when local golfers go out to sneak in a quick round after school or work. All of this makes me think that Dairy Creek’s struggles, as unfortunate as they are, have ultimately benefited the San Luis Obispo golf system as a whole. Golfers now have access to nine-hole option among two other 18-hole courses, and with increased revenue from Swing Time, Dairy Creek is financially stronger than ever.

The tough times may not be over, however. Recently, Dairy Creek was dealt another blow: the state of California is considering reducing the population of the Men’s Colony further, or perhaps shutting it down entirely. A closure would leave Dairy Creek searching for a new water source, a change that could jeopardize the remaining nine-hole facility. -AJ

0 Eggs

Dairy Creek provides a fantastic setting for golf and a wonderful place to walk nine holes. Unfortunately, John Harbottle III over-shaped the course and relied on repetitive, uninspired bunker and green concepts. That said, the setting and land make Dairy Creek well worth the $25 price of admission, and the course’s array of offerings—from concerts to camping to a Toptracer range—is admirable. Every community would benefit from a golf facility like it.

Course Tour

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