By Dana Sternthal
News Editor
In order to raise income for El Segundo, the El Segundo City Council voted on Tuesday to approve plans to change The Lakes of El Segundo into an enlarged, entertainment-oriented course, called TopGolf.
The council has been negotiating with TopGolf since August of 2012. The renovations include an additional 48 driving range tees and the destruction of the first hole to make room for 200 parking spaces.
“This is a huge amenity for El Segundo,” Mayor Bill Fisher said after the vote. “This will be a facility that all of El Segundo will be proud of for years to come.”
The Mira Costa golf teams previously used The Lakes as their practice facility, and these changes will force them to look for alternate practice locations.
“The Lakes was a great practice facility,” boys golf coach Ryan Branning said. “It’s unfortunate that it has to remodel, but I have already been in search of locations to accommodate our practice needs.”
The approval of a design plan and a California Environmental Quality Act analysis of the proposal are expected to be completed by next December, when the construction is planned to begin.
“It’s not easy to practice golf,” Branning said. “It’s difficult to find a high quality, accessible facility.”
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