Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Myrtle Creek buys SLRD property

Ever since the San Luis Rey Downs Golf & Country Club closed in August of 2014, the property has drawn the ire of homeowners in the area.

Run-down buildings, graffiti and no landscaping maintenance to be found – the property has seen better days.

But thanks to Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens & Nursery, the property will undergo a renaissance in the coming months to become the company's second location in the area. They plan to open in early 2019.

"Myrtle Creek's vision is to bring back the golf club's prior allure," Kent Harvey, general manager, said in a press release. "Myrtle Creek hopes that the renovation of the currently dormant golf course property will be a relief to the residents in the neighboring homes. The property will be in good hands and will once again be a jewel for our community to enjoy."

The project is unofficially called Myrtle Creek at San Luis Rey until a permanent name is chosen for the project at 31474 Golf Club Drive in Bonsall. Already, there are signs up announcing what can be expected at the opening of the project.

According to a press release, the landscape plan for the San Luis Rey property will include the planting of ornamental gardens throughout the grounds with drought-tolerant, native plants and water-wise edibles like Rosemary and French Lavender.

The property will be an expansion of its current retail garden gift operations at the Fallbrook location.

The press release also mentioned a gift shop and "an indoor/outdoor European-style cafe and restaurant featuring a farm-to-table inspired menu."

"Imagine you are sitting inside a living art cafe enjoying a healthy meal and sipping a glass of wine with a friend," Harvey said. "We will bring the outdoors inside with the same peaceful feel and design elements you experience at Myrtle Creek."

Myrtle Creek at San Luis Rey said in the press release that it will not be "a typical plant nursery or nursery growing grounds." They said it would offer pre-planted houseplants, air plants and colorful hanging flower baskets along with home and garden-inspired gifts.

Plans include revamping the existing banquet hall to serve a space for special and community events and weddings.

Myrtle Creek has plans for the 23-room hotel as well. They plan to open a boutique hotel experience, with "a fresh, modern interior design" remodel in each room, which is already underway.

The San Luis Rey Downs golf course was originally built by C. Arnholdt Smith, whose financial problems in the 1970s led to a federal prison term as well as the liquidation of his assets.

During the mid-1960s the course hosted the Mickey Wright Invitational tournament which was part of the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour.

The Vessels family bought the country club from receivership in 1981 and re-opened the course the following year. The golf course was closed in the late 1970s before being re-opened in 1982.

The closing of the golf course in 2014 was a loss to the community and area golfers because it was designed by the legendary William Bell, who also designed many other famous golf courses such as Torrey Pines, La Jolla Country Club and Camp Pendleton Memorial Golf Course.

A nonprofit group, Save the Downs, attempted for several years to keep the club and course open and stop the development of a wetlands mitigation bank on the property.

They couldn't save the golf club from closing down, but the wetlands mitigation bank was not developed. The County of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department has subsequently purchased most of the property (approximately 182 acres) while six commercial acres were purchased by a real estate developer from Arizona.

Details of the sale of the golf and country club buildings to Myrtle Creek were not made available before press time.

 

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