Restore Eaglemont Golf Course

Update on Effort to Restore Eaglemont Golf Course

August 22, 2025 Update

Dear Eaglemont Supporters:

The grass once again grows long on most of the fairways. The lack of irrigation has turned everything brown. The once beautiful clubhouse sits forlornly, encased in prison-like fencing, slowly aging. The community is asking: Is anything happening? Is there any hope for a return to golf and a community gathering place?

We can’t provide a positive answer to that, but we can update you on conversations with Eric Christensen from Romano.

Homeowner mowing

HOA president Darlene Andris has had conversations with Eric about the possibility of Romano providing a mower for homeowners to volunteer and mow fairways near their houses. Eric said that was something they had considered but had not moved forward on. He said they are reconsidering and will let Darlene know their decision. It certainly would seem to be to their advantage. It would reduce mowing cost, lower fire danger, and help those facing the golf course feel a little bit better about the condition they have to look at every day.

Sales agency listing

We’ve reported in the past that Romano has said they will list the property with a golf course sales agency. To date that has not happened. Kent and Gerald had a zoom call with Eric on Monday, August 18, and he assured us that the property would be listed by the end of August. We certainly hope that is the case.

Sales prospects

Romano’s intention, as conveyed by Eric, has always been to sell the property as a golf course, including the clubhouse and the limited amount of development property. At least that has been their intention since determining that developing it for other purposes, such as homes, was not feasible. He reassured us that they have not been sitting still but have been actively seeking potential buyers, as well as looking into the possibility of developing it themselves. That option is off the table because Mr. P.S. Lee has made it clear he has no desire or intention to sell the property that includes over 400 home sites as part of the master plan. The most feasible option for a developer would include that property, given the challenges of running the course profitably and the cost of the required Waugh Road extension. Without that option, the upside for potential buyers is much more limited. While a qualified golf course sales agency may be able to market it more aggressively, Romano is not overly optimistic that they will find buyers for the whole package.

Three-parcel consideration

Eric made it clear their first choice is to sell the property whole. But, given the difficulties, they are becoming open to the possibility of treating the property as three separate parcels. One would be the clubhouse, two would be the area just east of the clubhouse that is designated for hotel or townhome units, and three would be the 18-hole golf course. It is possible that selling the clubhouse and development property could make their investors whole, which is clearly their top priority. He assured us that if they did that, they would not sell those properties for uses incompatible with the golf course operation. If investors could be made whole by selling those, that leaves the golf course, which is by far the most difficult parcel, that could be sold or leased for little to no money. That may make it interesting to a golf course operator or even a private investment group to take it over, invest in the restoration, and operate it. This could be aided by a low-cost lease on the existing pro shop, which Eric mentioned. It may even be possible, we suggested, that proceeds from the sale of the other parcels could assist with restoration, making this option more feasible.

Waugh Road

The combination of P.S. Lee’s lack of cooperation with this process in asking an outrageous $20 million for the development property, and the requirement of the City that no further development beyond 21 new housing units will be allowed without the Waugh Road extension, makes selling the course as a whole exceedingly difficult. Our HOA leadership, led by Darlene Andris, has met with the City about the Waugh Road extension and reports discouraging news. The City’s study shows that the incline of the road would be impossible for fire trucks as originally planned, so a new route would be necessary. The estimated cost for the road extension is now $20 million. This seems an impossible sum, effectively locking up hundreds of acres of potential development land at a time when the City is placing a high priority on additional housing, especially affordable housing.

Creative solutions

If there was a theme to our friendly and positive conversation with Eric, it was that Romano is very open to creative solutions. They certainly are looking for a win-win, and Eric reports they have invested $300,000 to $400,000 in making repairs in the clubhouse. The Lee/Waugh Road problem looks intractable, but are there other options for access to the properties that would make at least some additional development more feasible? Is one of those through Burlingame? What about out to Mountain View Road? Would the community support these options, and most importantly, would the City and traffic laws permit it? We know that other property owners with adjacent properties have an interest in and are willing to work on potential solutions. Given the flexibility we sense from Romano, would reconfiguring some holes on the front nine allow for a better solution to road access and possibly open up significantly more development land on the course? We briefly discussed the nine-hole option, but the most feasible area for development is on the back nine where the homeowners would not want to see it. The front nine presents significant problems for development, so that option does not look very viable. The possibility of the golf course being available at little or no cost, or even supplemented by Romano, could open the door for a golf course operator, a local investment group, or even a public/private course with equity membership that allows public play.

Where next?

The fact that Romano is talking with us and expressing flexibility and openness to creative solutions is a positive step forward. They understand now, we believe, that HOA participation in this is simply impossible given the by-laws and the requirement of a ⅔ vote to make any changes. Now is the time for creative solutions. If any of you have ideas or are interested in exploring options, please let Kent or Gerald know.

The Eaglemont Restoration Committee

Contacts:

Kent Haberly kbgv.haberly@gmail.com, 360-202-0277

Gerald Baron gerald.baron@agincourt.us, 360-303-9123

Kent and Gretchen Haberly

Gerald and Lynne Baron

Jerry and Peggy Anderson

Karl and Louise Kirchgasler