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Forty years have gone by since the first bulldozer began paving the way for the Sunol Valley Golf Club.
Since then, the palm and cypress trees have grown to their full size, three generations of golfers have putted on the green and thousands of brides and grooms have said “I do” before their family and friends.
There have been a few wrinkles that come with age. The gas-powered golf carts will soon need replacing with electric carts (a state mandate), all of the banquet areas have been renovated, and an outdated sprinkler system will need an upgrade.
A lot has changed since the club opened in 1968, offering two 18-hole championship golf courses. For one, the sheer popularity of golf has grown to include more youth and female players–something the club attributes to the celebrity of pro golfer Tiger Woods.
“Golf wasn’t half as popular as it is now,” said Perry Lee, the director of food and beverage.
“We have mostly the same mix as back then, but now there are more youths and women,” added Brett Townley, golf shop manager and tournament director. “We have three clubs–Sunol Valley Players Club, a men’s and a women’s club.”
The high schools in nearby Fremont practice on the courses three times a week and Sunol Valley Golf Club is home to a number of tournaments.
A total of 95,000 rounds of golf are played a year. While the club still attracts a sizeable number, some factors have affected that.
For one, competition courses such as the new Callippe Preserve Golf Course, a city-owned course in Pleasanton and other newer courses in the Tri-Valley have made a mark. Lee said he’s also noticed a decline since Sept. 11, 2001, with customers spending less discretionary income, as well as the recent downturn in the economy.
But what other new courses can’t offer are a nostalgic golfing experience and family ownership.
“A lot of people grew up here playing with their parents,” Townley, who is a Foothill High School graduate, said.
Lee, who was raised in Fremont and now calls Pleasanton home, said players like Sunol Valley Golf Club because it’s a playable course and it’s centrally located to both the Silicon Valley and the Tri-Valley.
The club has been owned by the Ivaldi family since its inception. According to the history of the courses, Frank Ivaldi, who died in 1995, started a construction business with just two shovels and a dump truck and later, the club. He was also a former part-owner of the Oakland Raiders football team.
Another advantage Sunol Valley Golf Club has over other area courses is that it can host events for up to 288 players and a large banquet room can serve up to 500 people. Pleasanton tournaments held there include the GASIT (George A. Spiliotopoulos Invitational Tournament) and the Tri-Valley Special Needs Annual Tournament. They also host a number of events for Fremont and Union City, who don’t have golf courses in town.
For more information about the Sunol Valley Golf Club, located at 6900 Mission Road in Sunol, visit www.sunolvalley.com.
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A golfer practices putting at the practice green at Sunol Valley Golf Club. -
A few Canada geese watch as a group of golfers make their shots. -
The Sunol Valley Golf Club opened in 1968 and continues to be owned by the Ivaldi family, something that is unique to area golf courses. -
When the golf club first opened, the palm trees were waist-high and the golf carts were without tops. Soon, electric golf carts will replace gas-powered ones to meet state standards.
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