What’s Up with Hidden Oaks Golf Course? 

Since opening in 1969, Hidden Oaks Golf Course was where Santa Barbara residents went to learn golf, teach the sport to their kids, or just enjoy a brief nine-hole, par-three trip through the oak-lined outdoors near More Mesa. But the course has been closed for nine months now, and the new owners — who purchased the 12-acre property and on-site estate house in May 2022 — can’t yet predict when it will be reopened. 

“We are still temporarily closed as the golf course still needs a substantial amount of work, and with that comes the need for lots more capital for those improvements,” said owner Brook Fain, whose real estate and hospitality management firm is based in Agoura Hills. “So, at this stage, we’re doing our best to manage some of those maintenance and improvement challenges a little bit at a time. We cherish this little hidden gem, and felt it was worse to offer a sub-par — no pun intended — experience by opening back up prematurely, versus bringing it back to a more respectable standard.” 

The good news, at least for golf lovers, is that the idea of turning the 12-acre spread into housing — first floated by a previous owner but shot down by county planners since the property is zoned recreational — have not yet come back to life. “We are interested in keeping the golf course,” said Fain.

Meanwhile, the house, pool, and adjacent areas can be rented for special events. The 100-person venue, which is surrounded by a townhome development, was promoted during an open house held back in October 2022, around when the course was closed. 

While Fain could not provide an estimated reopening date, he did offer an apology: “We send our sincere regards to the people of Santa Barbara for their patience as we hope to enhance the property to a more acceptable experience.”