Holly Kennedy was once a walk-on golfer at UCLA.
Now she can’t walk away from making Oceanside’s Emerald Isle Golf Course a gem for local duffers with its nuanced approach.
“I say this with all respect,” Kennedy said. “But we are the anti-country club.”
Instead, it’s a slice of golf that appeals to the masses and doesn’t cost millions. Fun, smiles and levity abound on the course, where one is as apt to see a dogleg left shot with their dog’s legs resting in their cart.
When Kennedy and her husband, John, were scratching their heads on what they wanted Emerald Isle to become when taking ownership nearly nine years ago, it was definitely a line seldom taken.
“Let’s not be traditional and let’s figure out what this community is really all about, what the golfers want and at what price point,” she said. “Let’s not try to make it something that the community isn’t.”
Meaning that dress codes are for other places, pricey membership dues don’t apply, junior golfers are welcomed and embraced and doggone it, if you want Fido to ride along with you, then have at it.
“A golf course for everyone is one of their mottoes and that is exactly what it is,” said Chris Wilson, a frequent player at Emerald Isle. “Where else can you take your dog golfing?”
Fittingly, the 2,452-yard, par-56 track does have some bite.
“It’s a challenging course,” said Jay Reeder, another regular.
The Kennedys have set up the course for success, with reasonable fees: $20 to walk 18 holes and $18 for seniors.
Like most every other golf facility, Emerald Isle saw a surge of players during the COVID-19 pandemic. But unlike other spots, the 41-acre Emerald Isle didn’t inflate its prices to accommodate the fresh swingers.
“COVID gave some golf places a big head because people would pay anything,” Holly Kennedy said. “I saw that, I understand that and I get it.
“I’m not knocking it, but we just wanted to figure out a way to keep doing what we are doing better, without jacking up our rates. It’s nice to be able to sleep at night by giving it back instead of shoving it all in our pockets.”
Kennedy has deep roots in the county, participating in San Diego Junior Golf as a kid and a teenager. But she didn’t play with an intensity that had her skipping around the globe playing in events.
“We never did the travel or tours for golf,” she said. “I played during the normal season and then we would go on vacation in the summer. My parents never had to deal with all the travel and expenses. It is such a different world today.”
Oddly, Kennedy is knee-deep in that world once a year when the Junior World Golf Championships are played throughout San Diego County. She helps run the event for youngsters, ages 6-10, at the Singing Hills Golf Resort in El Cajon.
It’s a place close to her heart as she worked there for 16 years, and it’s where Cupid brought her and her husband together. Her love for junior golf never dissipated.
“There were about 230 kids, but when you get all those parents for that age group, it feels like 10,000 people,” Kennedy said with a hearty laugh. “It’s cool and I would never not do that event. It’s like my pride and joy, and I would never walk away from it.”
A round at Emerald Isle is far from a walk spoiled. Instead, it presents golf minus the pretentious cloud that often hangs overhead.
“Great food, drinks, no dress code and the course is always well maintained,” Wilson said.
Sounds like an ace of a place.
“There is a way to provide and maintain a quality golf course with good playing conditions,” Kennedy said. “But have it be affordable.”
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected] and follow him @jparis_sports.
