June  2022

Have We Saved Bennett Valley Golf Course?

During the pandemic there was a movement to build homeless housing on the Bennett Valley Golf Course.  The community fought against this idea.  Starting in July the Golf Course will be under new management. Hopefully, this will keep the course open for the forseeable future. 

Santa Rosa City Council voted 6-1 to approve a three-year contract with Berkeley based Touchstone Golf to operate the150 acre site and also reopen the restaurant which closed in 2020.  The contract stipulates that Santa Rosa will pay Touchstone $96,000 a year plus an annual incentive based on performance.  This period of time gives the city time to develop a plan for how to fund $6.8 Million in needed capital investments at the 53 year old facility.  Bennett Valley is projected to bring in $3.4 million in the first year of the contract and $4.6 Million in the third year.  Touchstone is expected to open the restaurant and event center by mid-July.  The City listened to the thousands of residents who fought to save the course.  This is an example of voters being involved and speaking up when they do not support a plan put forth by government.