2025 Most Improved Golf Course: Dos Osos Golf Club

A Remarkable Grand Opening Marks a New Era for San Diego Golf

ESCONDIDO, CA – May 27, 2025 – What was once a fallow landscape has been transformed into a vibrant golf destination. Dos Osos Golf Club, formerly known as Eagle Crest Golf Club, is celebrating a remarkable year-long revitalization with its Grand Opening in May 2025. Nestled in the picturesque San Pasqual Valley, just minutes from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, this restored course is welcoming golfers and guests to a completely refreshed experience. The Grand Opening festivities, including a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and the City of Escondido, and a charity golf tournament benefiting the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center, signify the culmination of an ambitious project that revitalized every corner of the property.
New course owners awarded JC Resorts management of the golf course in May 2024 and shortly after, temporarily closed the facility for a major revitalization project. The goal was to recover the golf course and clubhouse from years of neglect and bring it back to its original state of operating as a great San Diego golf course. Encouraging feedback from past guests provided motivation to deliver an exceptional recovery for golfers who used to play often and love the course design. Under the expert leadership of Jon Christenson, Director of Golf Course Maintenance at JC Resorts, and dedicated crews, Dos Osos has reached this accomplishment.
Major updates include the clearing and restoration of three critical tunnels on holes #1, #9, and #10, ensuring proper water drainage and cart path access. The entire course irrigation system has been rebuilt from pipes to sprinkler heads for efficient watering and healthy turf. Extensive tree and shrub maintenance has expanded play areas and improved sight lines, while bunkers have been reshaped with corrected drainage and fresh sand. The iconic waterfall at hole #6 has been restored with a new pond liner, enhancing aesthetics and water conservation. Years of soil damage have been reversed, and drought-tolerant Bermuda grass now thrives across all play areas. Leveled and sodded par-3 tee boxes now provide consistent playing surfaces.
Beyond the course, the clubhouse received significant upgrades. The outdoor deck was completely renovated with new decking, overhead sails, and comfortable furniture, creating a communal space with stunning views of the 18th hole. Around the clubhouse and course, new signage was installed for improved navigation and new driving range hitting bays offer enhanced practice facilities.
"The transformation here is truly remarkable," states Mike Skala, the General Manager at Dos Osos. "The course conditions are good, and we strongly encourage golfers to come back and experience it for themselves."
Prior to re-opening, the course was completely rebranded by JC Resorts’ marketing team, and a new logo was created to commemorate the change. The new name, Dos Osos, was inspired by a local story by the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center where two California black bear siblings were released back into the wild after ten months growing up in the center. Dos Osos translates to two bears in Spanish.
Looking ahead, Dos Osos Golf Club has entered an exciting new era with a full event calendar, refreshed facilities, and a passionate team. For locals and golfers, specialty nights and tournaments are scheduled each month including Resident Happy Hour, Pizza Night, Wine Wednesday, Bingo Brunch and Friday Night Live. A new daily menu was created to serve guests as they head out to golf or enjoy at the clubhouse and with variety of drinks, breakfast and lunch options, including the "Back 9 Sandwich," "El Oso Burrito," and "Para Uno Golfista" pizza options.
“We’ve seen tremendous support from residents and golfers returning to rediscover the facility after so many years of decline,” says Tony Zeimet, Director of Golf Revenue and Food Beverage at JC Resorts. “They have supported our new programming and have great ideas. Our team looks forward to rolling out summer camps and more fun programs for both golfers and non-golfers this year.”
For avid golfers, Dos Osos is included in the JC Players Card loyalty card program, as well as the JC 20/30 Club and JC Junior program.
Recent guest reviews echo the turnaround sentiment, and the overwhelming consensus is clear: Dos Osos Golf Club is many times better than it was before managed by JC Resorts, promising a bright future for golf in San Diego.