If you've had breakfast at Terrace on the Green or walked the trail by Casta del Sol lately, has anyone told you the clubhouse might be replaced? On September 8, 2026, the Mission Viejo City Council voted 4–1 to adopt Resolution 26-46. Mayor Bucknum, Mayor Pro Tem Goodell and Council Members Kelley and Ruesch voted yes. Council Member Vasquez voted no.
The resolution's title says it moves the Oso Creek Vision Plan into its "4–6 year phase." The study it actually orders covers the biggest items in the plan, which the resolution's own text places in a later 6–10 year window. Meanwhile, some of the smallest promises from 2021 still are not listed as done. If you use the course, its restaurants or the trail next door, the next few weeks matter more than the label suggests.
What the resolution says, in its own words
The city bought the former Casta del Sol course in October 2019 and renamed it Oso Creek Golf Course. A city staff report says the goals were to keep the course and its public space and to control what happens there in the future. The OC Register reported in 2021 that the purchase price was $13 million, which covered the course plus another 35 acres to the south. Part of the reason for the extra land was to close a missing link in the Oso Creek Trail.
Here is the part of the resolution that does the work, as printed in the September 8 agenda packet:
- Advance the Oso Creek Vision Plan into the 4-6 year phase.
- Initiate a PPP feasibility study for the Clubhouse, event venue, food and beverage operations, hospitality, and parking structure.
- Conduct market outreach through ENA processes.
- Return to Council within 60 days with findings and recommendations.
PPP stands for public-private partnership. ENA stands for exclusive negotiating agreement, the step where a city talks with one prospective partner at a time. Just above those four directives, a "whereas" clause says the 6–10 year phase includes possibly building a new golf course clubhouse, a banquet/event venue, food and beverage operations, and a three-story parking structure with about 344 spaces. Those 6–10 year pieces are the list the feasibility study is told to examine.
The same "4–6 year" label, two very different projects
The 2021 Vision Plan already had a 4–6 year concept for the golf course, and it was far more modest. Put the 2021 version next to what the 2026 study covers and the difference in scale is obvious.
| Element | 2021 plan, 4–6 year concept | 2026 feasibility study scope |
|---|---|---|
| Clubhouse | 6,000-square-foot expansion of the existing building | New golf course clubhouse |
| Parking | Parking deck with 90 net new stalls | Three-story structure, about 344 spaces |
| Events | Permanent 15,000-square-foot outdoor event space at Hole 9 | Banquet/event venue |
| Hospitality | Explored as a complementary use; the 2020 resident survey backed banquet facilities and an upscale restaurant within a clubhouse expansion | Food and beverage operations, potential hospitality |
| Other | Trail extension through the course, new practice amenities | Not listed in the study directive |
The 2021 concept would have expanded the clubhouse you know now. The 2026 study looks at replacing it, with nearly four times the net new parking the old deck proposed. The 2021 course concept also included a trail extension through the course, and that extension does not appear in the 2026 study directive.
Two things this vote did not do. It did not approve construction. And it came with no price tag. The staff report's fiscal impact section says the feasibility study itself will identify capital costs, the potential for private financing, revenue projections and net revenue to the city.
What the first phase left on the ground
To see how the city handles a phase of this plan, look at the last one. The council approved the near-term 2–4 year elements on November 9, 2021. The course had already reopened in June 2021. The city's EnvisionMV Northern Recreation Core page lists this progress:
- August 2022: Phase one of the pedestrian crossing from the north open space across Casta del Sol was completed.
- December 2022: Phase one of Oso Creek Trail surface and amenity work was completed.
- February 2023: The Jeronimo tunnel art mural was completed.
- February 11, 2023: Garden + Grille, an outdoor eatery on the 10th tee, opened.
- April 2023: Phase two of trail work was completed.
Patch covered Garden + Grille's opening in February 2023 and placed it near the 10th tee. That spot fits the 2021 plan, which proposed a temporary 18,000-square-foot outdoor event area at Hole 10, along with shortening Hole 10 and re-striping 50 staff and valet spaces.
The same status page also lists three short-term items for the north open space without marking them complete: improved drive access, a Trails Café and restroom building, and a 40-car lot. That 42-acre Casta del Sol–Jeronimo parcel was meant to link the Oso Creek Trail to the golf course and the Lake Loop Trail. So far the city describes early gravel-trail clearing, safety grading and asphalt on the steeper sections.
The trail and the 10th-tee eatery got done. The restroom, café and parking for trail users are the pieces still waiting, and they are also the pieces people use without ever playing a round. The September vote takes the plan straight to its largest building projects while those smaller amenities remain on the list.
Why a private partner is part of the plan
The staff report gives the reasoning in two sentences. The 4–6 year phase includes major capital improvements that need long-range planning and possibly private investment, and a PPP structure "may reduce upfront City costs while delivering high-quality amenities and generating ongoing revenue."
If a partner is going to lower the city's upfront costs and still produce ongoing revenue, the money has to come from what the site earns. That puts the event venue and hospitality pieces at the center of the math. A banquet hall and a 344-space structure go together, because events bring the crowds that pay for the parking.
The proposal came up before September. At the May 12, 2026 meeting, public speakers raised concerns about a tight city budget. They asked about a reported $300,000 consultant contract and where a reported $6 million would come from. Some argued that a multi-million-dollar parking garage could create debt and would mostly serve visitors from outside the city. Others asked the council to coordinate with the planned parking expansion at the neighboring Marguerite Recreation Center, and some urged leaving the decision to a new council. Those figures came from speakers, not from staff cost estimates. The council voted 4–1 that night to continue the item until after budget discussions, with Goodell dissenting. At the September 8 meeting, four residents spoke against the item before the vote.
What to watch through November
The minutes say staff would "endeavor within 60 days" to return with a consultant-developed feasibility report, a fiscal analysis, a procurement strategy and a draft PPP term sheet. Sixty days from September 8 lands on November 7. That is a staff goal, not a scheduled agenda date, so watch the council agendas posted on the city's OnBase agenda portal. That report will be the first time a dollar figure and a financing structure are attached to the new clubhouse.
In the meantime, the course works the way it has since the reopening. The city lists Terrace on the Green as the clubhouse restaurant. The course's menu page shows breakfast, lunch and sunset menus and lists hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. That page has been up for several years, so call ahead before planning around those hours.
Next on the course events calendar is a public Glow Golf tournament on Saturday, November 14, from 6 to 11 p.m. Entry is $120 per person and includes a cart, glow balls and a buffet dinner. If the feasibility report arrives on time, that evening will come about a week after the council receives it.
If you live near Casta del Sol and want to know how a new clubhouse, an event venue or a parking structure could affect homes around the course, Molly Mentaberry follows Oso Creek council items as they move forward. She can also go over what recent sales near the course show. Start with an instant home valuation, then reach out when the feasibility report comes out.
