San Clemente golf-course master plan returned to subcommittee after resident safety and irrigation concerns

At a special meeting, the San Clemente golf committee reviewed a revised master plan for the municipal golf course and voted to send the plan back to the subcommittee for additional work after residents raised safety concerns and committee members stressed that irrigation and infrastructure must be prioritized.

The master-plan presentation by staff and consultant emphasized irrigation upgrades and infrastructure work as the largest budget items, along with greens and bunker renovations. Samantha (Recreation staff) told the committee, "The irrigation system is an absolute priority. We have to fix the infrastructure on the course for any level of sustainability, and irrigation is the priority." Josh, a consultant with Staples Golf Design, said the design team had kept the course's par‑72 configuration and tried to address safety and maintenance needs: "I think the main thing is to really look at this on the broader... goals that we had and whether or not these are being met."

Why it matters: Committee and public speakers said the course hosts a very high volume of play and that infrastructure and safety fixes affect both operations and neighbors. Samantha said the course logged 114,000 rounds…