Planners Back 2nd Sherwood Golf Course, Luxury Homes

Ventura County planners gave the green light Thursday to a $100-million Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course studded with luxury homes in the county’s swankiest neighborhood.

The plan, originally approved in 1992, calls for an 18-hole par 3 golf course and 101 lots for multimillion-dollar homes as part of the Sherwood Country Club Golf Course.

The initial plan had been overhauled after complaints that it would remove too many oak trees, threaten wetlands and endanger plant life.

After years of fine tuning, the developers came back, saying that they would only relocate 100 trees, not 300, and that they would expand the size of a lake and protect endangered plant life. On the other hand, they would also add 11 home sites. The average house price would start at $2 million and rise to $6 million.

Frans Bigelow, executive director of Sherwood Development Corp., which is heading up the project, said the course will sit on land that is now undeveloped. It will be a second course at Sherwood Country Club. The first is a championship course.

The plan also includes an oak-shaded clubhouse. The project could be completed in 14 months.

The plan goes before the County Board of Supervisors for approval Aug. 8.