KENNETH E. HORN, San Clemente
I read with great interest Christine Lampert’s most interesting article regarding Ole’s planning of our city. Having first moved to San Clemente in 1949, when I was 10 years old, I saw a great deal of what she was addressing, particularly the things that aren’t here anymore.
But I was amazed that she omitted the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course. The golf course, which will be 100 years old in a few years, was given to the citizens of San Clemente by Ole in what can only be considered a very generous gift, indeed.
Today, I believe the golf course is the biggest cash cow the city has in its arsenal of cash cows. Originally, a nine-hole layout, it was designed by the highly respected golf course architect William P. Bell.
What is today the “back nine” of the 18-hole course was laid out by Bell in 1928, but never completed. When it was eventually finished in 1956, the total cost of the work was approximately $60,000. A cost unheard of today, and mainly attributable to Bell’s work in 1927-28.
Truly, a priceless gem in the city’s crown.