Repair Plan Rejected for Slide-Plagued Golf Course

In another setback for a luxury golf course that lost half its 18th hole to a landslide into the ocean, the California Coastal Commission has rejected a key repair plan.

The commission, which had previously approved two other phases in the repair plan for the Ocean Trails golf course, said Tuesday that a proposal to insert sheer pins into the slide area might provide only a temporary solution. The commission told golf course owners it needed to see a complete, permanent and more thoroughly detailed plan.

Course co-owner Kenneth Zuckerman said it will be at least January before he can try to comply and bring an expanded plan to the commission. In the meantime, he said he is worried that doing nothing before the rainy season begins will further jeopardize the area, which includes public hiking trails and a restored wildlife habitat.

The commission’s denial of the repair plan came one day after the course owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court. Zuckerman said owners took the action to try to protect their investment during a dispute with their lender. The lender has claimed slide insurance proceeds that the owners want to use for repairs and is holding up the sale of 18 home sites, Zuckerman said.

A landslide sent part of the 18th hole into the ocean in June, just weeks before the luxury course was to open. The latest setback means the course could not open until late May at the earliest, Zuckerman said.