Tecolote Canyon Golf Course is quiet this winter, but it is not staying that way for long. The City of San Diego is now taking proposals from private operators to lease, renovate and run the course after crews shut down the fairways to replace a major sewer line. Proposals are due April 14, and city officials say they are looking for a partner that can tackle major repairs without trampling on the canyon’s natural character.
What the City Is Asking For
In its formal City of San Diego Request for Proposals, the city spells out a hefty to-do list for whoever gets the keys. The future lessee must replace bridges that span Tecolote Creek, completely overhaul the aging irrigation system and upgrade the clubhouse, including the pro shop and food-and-beverage areas.
The document describes Tecolote as a 71-acre golf course and driving range, and it does not give much room to procrastinate. Many of those capital projects are expected to be completed within the first two years of any new lease.
Lease History and Neighborhood Concerns
The city ended its long-running lease with American Golf Corporation on January 30, 2026, and the course went fully offline in February while crews continued a 4.7-mile trunk sewer replacement, according to local reporting. That pause has given neighbors and members of the Tecolote Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee time to speak up about what they want to see next.
Top of their list is protecting the habitat that surrounds the fairways. There are ways to run a course that respects the canyon, they argue, and they want the next operator to prove it. “There are a lot of ways that you can run a bio-conscious golf course and set an example for the rest of San Diego,” Tecolote chair Darrell Madison told 10News.
Budget Pressure and the Audit
While neighbors talk habitat, city budget watchers are eyeing the bottom line. A recent audit of San Diego’s leased golf courses found that private operators collectively generated about $34.7 million in gross revenue, while the city collected roughly $3.7 million in lease payments. Auditors flagged that gap as a chance to bring more money into city coffers, according to Times of San Diego.
The report specifically called out Fairbanks Ranch as one lease where adjusting the rent could deliver “material” new funds for municipal services that are already feeling the strain.
Timeline for Bidders
City staff hosted on-site walk-throughs for would-be operators on March 23 and 24. Anyone planning to throw their hat in the ring must submit a proposal by 5 p.m. on April 14. Interviews with shortlisted teams are scheduled for the week of April 27, and any lease that comes out of that process will still need City Council approval, according to a City of San Diego announcement.
City officials say the sewer project that shut the course is expected to wrap up this summer. After that, they are planning a multi-year vegetation restoration effort to repair the construction scars in Tecolote Canyon.
Legal and Environmental Rules
Any future operator will be signing up for more than tee times and range buckets. City materials build environmental protections directly into the lease terms. The lessee will be required to control specific invasive plant species, keep nets and waterways clear of wayward golf balls and other debris, and comply with the city’s Zero Emissions Municipal Buildings & Operations Policy, according to local reporting.
Those rules are intended to keep golf operations in line with the Tecolote Canyon Natural Park Master Plan and other environmental regulations cited by officials in coverage for 10News.
For golfers, nearby residents and budget hawks at City Hall, the Tecolote RFP is an early test: can San Diego land a tenant willing to pour money into bridges, irrigation and club facilities while still protecting the canyon’s ecology. The outcome, and any follow-up lease talks at other city courses, is likely to resurface as officials fine-tune revenue plans this spring.
