New owners hoping to restore luster to Grayson Woods

DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

A shuttered golf course tucked away in a quiet neighborhood may be getting a new lease on life.

But to quote a single by the late great George Harrison, before Grayson Woods Golf Course is ready to play again, it is going to take money, patience and time by the new owners.

And, plenty of each, sang Harrison, “to do it right, child.”

New owners Kyin Chiou and Na Li plan to operate the golf course in the same manner as the previous owners, Jim and Denise Hamm.

The city’s Planning Department approved a zoning permit application on March 15 for the couple, who are envisioning a two-phase approach for bringing the facility back to life.

Phase 1 work would begin as soon as possible and involve reopening the club house (including a pro shop and eating facilities), two of the nine holes (1 and 9) and the 18-hole putting course so it would available this summer.

Phase 2 would focus on the remaining seven holes, so it would be ready for use in approximately one year’s time. Both the golf course and putting course require long overdue maintenance. However, refurbishment of the golf course and putting course will not involve any grading, excavation or new layout; rather, the plans will utilize the existing, approved layout.

Also planned for the golf facility are new indoor practice bays with golf simulators for practice and instruction.

As the couple started efforts to get the course and putting greens back in playing shape, they also had to contend with unexpected vandalism – including a broken window to the snack bar and pro shop building. On April 4, two suspects cut the front gate lock to gain access to the course. Prior to that, a youngster riding a dirt bike damaged a putting green.

While disheartened by the setback, Chiou removed the damaged window, swept up the glass and took the necessary steps to temporarily secure the building.

Exterior cameras filmed the masked individuals, with footage turned over to the Pleasant Hill Police Department. So, Chiou is hopeful those responsible might be caught.

“You can’t build Fort Knox,” said Chiou. “No matter what you put up, people will break in if that’s what they are determined to do.”

After purchasing the property for $2.1 million, Chiou acknowledged he didn’t embark on this venture intending to make a profit.

“We bought it as a place for our kids to play golf and for other kids to improve their games,” said Chiou. “It’s peaceful out here.”

He anticipates it will take about $1 million to do all 9 holes. Right now, they are shuffling funds to make improvements.

The 9-hole, par 3 golf course originally opened in 2001 on a 26-acre site. After it closed for play in 2015, media accounts a year later indicated the business had struggled to gain traction from its early days.

Talk of the property being used for home construction has come up periodically. But such an alternative use has never taken off due to the significant challenges that a project would have to navigate and overcome as it moved through the planning process.

The idea of a new housing subdivision also has not set well with the surrounding neighbors, especially those whose longstanding, priceless views across the golf course would be obliterated by such construction.

The recent buzz of activity and efforts to restore the property to its former luster have not gone unnoticed, with surrounding residents sharing good wishes on the social media app Nextdoor.

Amid the unfortunate distractions, Grayson Woods’ new owners are appreciative of the support expressed by their neighbors and undeterred about moving forward with their short- and long-term plans for the golf course.

Author and illustrator launch colorful kids’ book about feelings

TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer

In local author Kara Navolio’s new book, “Maggie Discovers the Rainbow,” a cautious girl finds the courage to jump out of her comfort zone. She is rewarded with a magical ride through all the colors of the rainbow, experiencing the emotions the colors evoke along the way.

“I wrote this book to encourage kids who might be hesitant to try new things and to help kids express their emotions through color,” Navolio says. “Kids are fascinated by rainbows, and it’s the perfect way to help them build a vocab-

Five gorgeous gardens await on Clayton tour

The 31st Clayton Gardens Tour will feature five beautiful yards available to visit 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 19 and 20.

Visitors will find a native garden, another with an aviary pond and one with a whimsical vintage setting “full of something to see everywhere you turn,” noted Linda Cruz of the Clayton Historical Society, which sponsors the event.

“Debbie is super creative, and Joe collects vintage items beautifully arranged,” Cruz added about the Ortegas’ design. “The garden was so perfectly clean – who knows how she keeps it up.”

All proceeds from the tour support the Clayton Museum, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Tickets can be purchased for $35 at www.claytonhistory.org or at R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens, 6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton. Tourday tickets will be $40. ulary of emotion words.”

Artfully placed antiques accent one of the gardens on this year’s Clayton Gardens Tour, May 19-20.

The Historical Society is also in need of docents to For more information, call JoAnn Caspar at 925-5676079, or Joan Bergum at 925-672-0240 or email mueum@claytonhistory.org.

Navolio, a frequent Pioneer contributor, teamed up with local illustrator Tracie Timmer for the picture book. Timmer, who grew up in Concord and still lives in the Bay Area, used watercolors to render Maggie’s magical world.

“My favorite part of illustrating this book was how imaginative Maggie is. I got to put myself in the shoes of a child and soar through a world where the possibilities are endless, and every color is a brand-new discovery and adventure,” says Timmer. “As an illustrator, this type of imaginative world is the best possible scenario as it allows me to fully embrace my creativity with very few boundaries. It was a true honor to be asked to illustrate this wonderful and unique story.”

“I just love the way Tracie imagined Maggie’s adventure and added her own personal touches,” notes Navolio, who has been working on this story for 27 years, off and on, starting when her children were small. Many revisions later, she finally found a publisher in 2021 and Belle Isle Books released it last month.

“Something about this story made me keep going. I just needed to tell this story because kids can relate to the feelings Maggie experiences, and there is a special relationship between Maggie and her grandma that is modeled after my grandmother.”

“Maggie Discover the Rainbow” is the second book published for each. Navolio’s “Everybody Can Dance!” (Brandylane Publishers, 2019) has a message of diversity and shows how dance can bring us all together. It has received popularity internationally as well as locally and was included on the BBC’s bedtime stories show “CBeebies” in December 2022. It featured a reading by actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who won “Strictly Come Dancing” –Britain’s version of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Concord resident Susan Pace-Koch wrote Timmer’s first book, “The Mermaid and the Moon” (Get Out Books, 2014).

“I grew up in a quiet cul-desac in Concord that was entirely families with kids my own age, so there was always plenty of time for creativity and makebelieve on our block,” says Timmer, who attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and works at the Disney Family Museum. All the books can be ordered online. Visit www.karanavolio.com for more information and upcoming events.

April 21, 2023