Short Answer: It’s a tribute.
Co-owner and head chef Ryan Thompson’s grandparents were property managers of the Pogonip Club from 1957 through the early ’60s. Pogonip is just up the road from us and close to UCSC.
Ryan’s dad, Tommy Thompson, used to talk about how fun it was living in the clubhouse as a kid. The Thompson family has deep roots in Santa Cruz’s food and hospitality scene, going back to 1947—with connections to the Castle at Seabright and the Colonial Inn.
The land known as Pogonip was originally part of the vast Cowell Ranch, which Henry Cowell acquired for its lime and timber. The name "Pogonip" comes from a Shoshone word meaning “icy fog”, which settlers are thought to have adopted for the area's often misty mornings.
Brief History of Pogonip
Early 20th Century: Golf and Initial Struggles (1912-1934) In 1912, Fred Swanton, the prominent Santa Cruz developer behind the Beach Boardwalk, opened an 18-hole golf course and built a rustic, Craftsman Bungalow-style clubhouse on the property. This venture, initially called the Casa del Rey Golf and Country Club (or Casa del Rey Golf Links), aimed to complement his Casa del Rey Hotel. The golf course was designed by Tom Bendelow, renowned for his naturalist approach to golf course design, which makes it accessible to new golfers and families. However, Swanton's financial difficulties led to his company's bankruptcy in 1914. The golf course continued under the Santa Cruz Golf & Country Club, but competition from other courses like Pasatiempo and Rio del Mar, coupled with the Great Depression, led to its closure in 1934.
The Polo Era: Pogonip Polo Club (1935-1940s) After two years of neglect, the property was revived in 1935 by Dorothy Deming Wheeler and her husband, Deming Wheeler. They transformed the area into polo fields and established the Pogonip Polo Club. This era was particularly noteworthy for its inclusivity, as Dorothy Wheeler was instrumental in founding the Pacific Coast Women's Polo Association, making Santa Cruz one of the few places where women's polo was widely accepted. The club also offered riding classes and other horse-related activities, and facilities like a swimming pool and tennis courts were added.
Transition and Social Club (1940s-1980s) World War II brought an end to polo at Pogonip, and for a short period, the facilities served as a rehabilitation site for servicemen. The polo club did not reopen after the war, but the clubhouse continued to operate as a general-purpose social organization known simply as The Pogonip Club, reopening in 1948. It hosted various social activities, including tennis, skeet shooting, bridge games, dances, weddings, and fashion shows.
Condemnation and Public Open Space (1987-Present) The Pogonip Clubhouse was condemned in 1987 due to structural issues. In October 1989, the Loma Prieta Earthquake further damaged the clubhouse, leading to its permanent closure. Shortly after the earthquake, the land and facilities, encompassing approximately 500 acres of former Cowell land, were donated to the City of Santa Cruz with funding from the California Public Works State Bond Act. This led to the creation of the Pogonip Open Space, a cherished greenbelt in the community. The city subsequently filled in the pool and abandoned the tennis courts. Although the clubhouse still stands, it is now fenced off and inaccessible to the public.
The Lost Boys The Pogonip Clubhouse also gained pop culture recognition for its appearance in the 1987 comedy horror film The Lost Boys directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Harvey Bernhard.
Today, Pogonip is a vital open space within Santa Cruz, offering numerous trails for hiking and biking, and preserving its natural beauty and historical elements, including remnants of the lime kilns from the Cowell era.
The Next Chapter
Exciting things are in the works for Pogonip! The Pogonip Park Project, led by Greener Golf and Isaac Wientraub, aims to restore Pogonip’s historic landscape and bring back the original experience of the golf course designed by Tom Bendelow in 1910. To learn more and to support the project visit: pogonipparkproject.com