Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Army Corps Says Altadena Golf Course Restoration on Track for Year-End Completion

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed debris removal from private properties in Altadena and is moving on to the restoration of the Altadena Golf Course, with a projected handover to Los Angeles County by the end.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared property of wildfire debris in the wake of the deadly Eaton Fire.

The fire, one of the deadliest in the state’s history, decimated Altadena, killing 19 people, destroying more than 9,000 structures and scorching more than 14,000 acres.

Major Todd Ober told community members at an Aug. 18 meeting that the Corps has finished the private parcel debris removal program and has only two special inclusion parcels left before the cleanup effort concludes.

At the golf course, where crews had used the site for debris processing, Ober said all reduction operations have ceased, equipment has been removed, and soil potentially affected by the work has already been replaced.

“We have begun work on restoring the golf course to playability,” Ober said, adding that new soil is being trucked in and installed with guidance from a golf professional.

According to the timeline, earthwork should be completed by mid-October, sod will be placed by the end of October, and the driving range is scheduled to reopen by mid-November. The Corps expects to return the property to the Parks and Recreation Department before the end of the calendar year.

Ober emphasized that occupational safety specialists and engineers will continue overseeing the restoration to ensure it complies with plans developed in coordination with the Parks and Recreation Department.