Golf Course Reality Check

Golf Course Reality Check
Editorial staff

Here’s a summary of what Mission Viejo residents should and shouldn’t believe about a developer’s proposal to build housing on the Casta del Sol golf course. False statements have come from Sunrise and/or city council members, and most of them defy logic.

True: Sunrise intends to build a 300-unit assisted-living project where the Casta del Sol golf course clubhouse now stands.
False: The 18-hole golf course will be preserved, although maybe “somewhat shortened,” after Sunrise gets the parcel rezoned for high-density housing.

True: The city council passed a sham moratorium to delay a formal discussion of Sunrise’s proposal until after the election.
False: The council extended a moratorium to 10 1/2 months to protect the golf course from being dismantled by a developer.

True: If Sunrise buys the Casta del Sol golf course, it will very likely keep only the area where the clubhouse now stands and sell the rest to another developer of housing projects.
False: The remaining acres (minus the housing development) will be purchased from Sunrise and preserved as a golf course, which will be paid for by Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy, or Sunrise will give the property away.

True: Casta del Sol golf course changed hands in 2003, and the purchase price was $7.8 million for 73.341 acres. That’s $100,000/acre without subtracting the value of the clubhouse. Sunrise hasn’t disclosed the price they’ve offered to pay, but the value has likely gone up since 2003.
False: Sunrise can’t figure out how to make money by buying recreational space valued at approximately $100,000/acre in 2003, having it rezoned, keeping a relatively small portion for an assisted-care project, and selling the rest at the going rate of $1 million/acre for residential property (rounding the number for the sake of comparison). Sunrise can’t do the math, and they don’t know they could make a fortune by selling the remaining acres. They just have deep concern for Mission Viejo residents and want to make everyone happy.