The owners of the scenic Sandpiper Golf Club are seeking to replace its 50-year-old clubhouse and cart barn with an ultra-modern-designed facility that simulates the rolling hills of the course, the bluff it sits on and the ocean.
Sandpiper Golf Trust and Ty Warner have submitted schematic design plans, elevations, landscape and renderings to the City of Goleta’s Design Review Board for a conceptual design review. The DRB is expected to discuss the elements at its meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The existing 9,305-square-foot clubhouse and cart barn were constructed in 1971 by course developer Ken Hunter Jr.
The proposed new facility is an approximately 24,000-square-foot, two-story building that features with a rooftop covered in similar turf and grasses found on the course. The concept mirrors the contours of the land.
The unique design of the clubhouse is inspired by “the natural landscape and site conditions of the grassy rolling hills of the course, the bluff and the ocean,” according to Santa Barbara-based architectural firm Barry Winick Architects.
“Understanding that Sandpiper Golf Course serves as a significant gateway to Goleta, Ty Warner’s overachieving goal is to honor the location with a design that is both iconic and timeless while seamlessly fitting in with the natural surroundings and setting,” Warner representative Bill Medel said. “Warner contracted Winick Architects to achieve that vision.”
The firm was commissioned to explore premier clubhouse designs in the United States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The final inspiration for the design came from studding the natural earth forms, sand dunes, rolling fairways and the flanking ocean of the golf course.
Clubhouse improvements include a pro shop, retail, enlarged dining facilities, a rooftop oceanview bar, an event lawn and golf cart storage. The parking area will be redesigned, and there will be a new entrance at the Hollister Avenue and Cathedral Oaks overpass.
The clubhouse would remain open to the public and golf guests.
The City of Goleta said no formal land use applications have been filed yet.
The city noted that “if the applicant chooses to move forward after the Conceptual Design Review hearing is held, then the applicant would need to submit, at a minimum, Development Plan and Coastal Development Plan applications for review.”
If the application moves forward, a California Environmental Quality Act analysis would also need to be conducted.
Additionally, as the site is located in the Coastal Zone, California Coastal Commission approval would be required.
The live virtual DRB meeting can be seen on Cox Cable Channel 19. A rebroadcast of the meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday. DRB meetings also can be viewed live or recorded on the City of Goleta website.
Written submittals concerning agenda items may be emailed to the Design Review Board secretary at mchang@cityofgoleta.org. Written information must be submitted no later than 24 hours before the Design Review Board meeting.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.