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Presidio Hills: San Diego’s cradle of golf since 1932
Presidio Hills: San Diego’s cradle of golf since 1932
Presidio Hills Golf Course has been a San Diego institution since 1932 and is one of the oldest par-3 courses in the United States. The clubhouse (Casa de Carrillo), built in 1802, is the oldest adobe dwelling in San Diego. The course was opened by George Marston, a key figure in San Diego history who supported Balboa Park, founded the San Diego History Center and saved the surrounding Presidio area from development. Marston was also a golfer and played the first round at Presidio Hills.
In the second foursome behind Marston was Al Abrego, the first head pro at Presidio. The Abrego family would go on to run Presidio Hills for over 70 years. Abrego’s focus was always children. He started a Tiny Tots program beginning at 4 years old in the 1930s. He taught many who went on to become professional golfers, including Billy Casper (51 PGA Tour wins; three major championships) and Gene Littler (1955 US Open winner).
In the early 1950s, kids from Presidio played in tournaments throughout Los Angeles. John Brown, a driver for these tournaments, went on to start the San Diego Junior Golf Association in 1952. From 1968-2002 Presidio Hills would test the skills of some of the best junior golfers in the world via the World Junior Golf Championships. Winners at Presidio Hills include: William “Billy” Mayfair (1976), Phil Mickelson (1980), Tiger Woods (1984, 1985) and Lorena Ochoa (1990–1992). Mickelson in particular spent a lot of time at the course and says, “My parents would drop me off there every day around eight o’clock and pick me up around six or seven. I loved it, I just loved it!”
Despite this impressive legacy, Presidio Hills, which is owned by the City of San Diego, is on its way to becoming a vacant dirt lot. Underfunding and drought have led this crown jewel of San Diego to instead become an eyesore.
It’s a vicious cycle. Few people want to play in this environment, income from the leased property declines further and the course looks worse and worse.
Spurred by a series of columns by Logan Jenkins of the San Diego Union Tribune in 2016-2017, a group called the Friends of Presidio Hills Golf has formed. This group is diverse - neighbors, gardeners, golfers, golf historians, many who played the course as children and some who still play today. We envision a beautifully landscaped course, vibrant children’s programs, connections to area restaurants, hotels, elementary schools and more. This course could once again become an asset to Old Town, expanding opportunities for tourists and locals and perhaps once again drawing in visitors through its own programs.
We are investigating several strategies to achieve this vision, including research on the cost of the restoration of the course, encouraging the City to consider managing the course as it does Torrey Pines and Balboa golf courses, forming a non-profit to lease and manage Presidio Hills, attracting donors, involving the community in landscaping and restoration, working with area businesses and partnering with existing organizations with established records of operating courses and top notch programs for kids.
References:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2012/oct/31/feature-head-hills/#
http://blog.sandiego.org/2011/04/presidio-provides-a-little-history-lesson-a-lot-of-fun/
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/columnists/logan-jenkins/sd-me-jenkins20170215-story.html
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/columnists/sd-me-jenkins20161125-story.html
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/columnists/sd-me-jenkins20161130-story.html
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