The City Council will consider whether to temporarily close the entire Earl Fry North Course at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex for renovation at its Dec. 17 meeting.

Greenway Golf, the golf maintenance and restoration company that operates the Chuck Corica Golf Complex, has been renovating the Earl Fry Course for more than a year. The original plan was to close the front-nine holes of the course for renovation. Then, once renovation was complete, open the front-nine holes and temporarily close the back-nine holes. However, due to unexpected rainy weather last winter, renovation fell behind schedule.

To combat this Greenway asked the Golf Commission to close three more holes in April to expedite restoration project. The Commission unanimously approved Greenway’s proposal on April 29, according to a city of Alameda report. 

Greenway asked the commission to approve a temporary shutdown of the entire course months later. The commission granted Greenway’s proposal on Nov. 14, however, the City Attorney’s office deemed a “full closure of the course is enough of a material change to the lease provisions that the City Council must authorize this change,” the report stated.

Greenway plans to work on installing an irrigation system with individualized sprinkler heads and sand cap over the winter months. 

Greenway will then plant hybrid Bermuda grass on all fairway surfaces in late April on the front nine. Bermuda grass utilizes less water and requires less fertilizer and chemicals than regular grass. Planting the grass in April is imperative because the grass best grows in warmer temperatures. The grass will take about three to four months to grow, according to the report. Once it grows-in and matures the front nine will then be open to the public.

There will be no reopening date for the course if the plan is passed.