2026 is shaping up to be a year of big changes for the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club campus. As demolition is currently underway inside the Ranch Clubhouse as part of the RSF Association’s restaurant renovation project, the golf club is preparing to begin its own project in the coming months, a remodel of the course snack bar.

At the RSF Association board’s Feb. 5 meeting, the board approved the $3.3 million renovation, fully funded by the club.

“We think it’s a project that’s not only going to benefit the golf club membership, it’s going to benefit the entire community and we’re really excited about that,” RSF Golf Club Manager Shanon McCarthy said.

According to McCarthy, the club aims to begin construction by April and the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The existing building is located between the two golf club clubhouses, just off the cart path near the short game practice area. McCarthy said the upgrade is long overdue: the building is dated and in disrepair, the restroom facilities are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the kitchen is “tiny,” leaving the snack bar very limited in what they can prepare.

“It’s just not adequate to serve the whole community,” McCarthy said.

The planned renovation includes enhancing the kitchen, expanding and enhancing the outdoor patio space, upgrading the bathrooms to be ADA-compliant and adding a small upper patio deck that will boast a “beautiful view, one of the best views of the golf course for everyone to come and enjoy,” McCarthy said.

It’s not intended to be a huge party space at night but a nice place to visit, she said, adding that they are hoping to offer some fun breakfast and coffee options on the upper deck.

Part of the project will also be expanding a portion of the cart path to accommodate the new service window and to provide ADA access.

Throughout the planning process, McCarthy said the club worked closely with the Association—the project was approved by the Art Jury and last month, was approved by the RSF Golf Club Board of Directors and both the golf club and Association’s finance committees. The club went out to bid for the contractor services and selected Bycor, which provided the lowest bid and is also doing the clubhouse renovation.

While the Ranch Clubhouse is under construction, the snack bar has picked up member food service and has started doing to-go orders. The snack bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

A food trailer has been set up in the parking lot, although the club is still awaiting permitting through the county. They also put in a small kitchen in the Player’s Clubhouse for Chef Tommy DiMella to continue serving members.

“We’re going to do as much as we can,” McCarthy said.  “This process is not easy…doing it all at once is a hard decision, but I think it’s the right decision…to do it all at once and get it over with. The results are going to be beautiful and I hope will be something the whole community enjoys.”

During his financial update, Association Chief Financial Officer Chris Lake said the golf club will likely experience some challenging months ahead because they will not be  generating the same amount of restaurant revenue. He said the Association and golf club boards will keep a close eye on the situation as the club will be on the hook for the losses above the annual $500,000 the Association contributes to run the restaurant amenity for all members.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a $900,000 golf club expenditure request for a turf renovation project, converting the current cool-season grass to warm-season Bermuda grass.

Tom Huesgen, the golf club’s director of agronomy, said the club is undertaking the effort in order to provide a consistent playing experience—the gras say-grade will also improve irrigation efficiency. The scope of the work is about 12.5 acres not all in one location, spread throughout the property, not down the middle of the fairways but to the left and right. The work is expected to take about eight weeks but Huesgen does not expect it to significantly interrupt play.