CITY OF ALAMEDA VS. GREENWAY GOLF
THE STORY
At first glance, the case between the City of Alameda and Greenway Golf, the long-term lessee of Corica Park, may read as a routine lease dispute between a landlord and a tenant over golf course operations. But the conflict points to a larger and more complex story that raises broader questions about the the lawful use of municipal power, the future of public land and who this land-and the game of golf-ultimately serves.
A Transformed Asset
In 2012, Greenway Golf entered into a long-term agreement with the City of Alameda to operate and redevelop Corica Park, a municipal course in need of significant upgrades. During the next ten years, the property changed substantially. New capital from incoming investors in 2021 helped complete the planned redevelopment and elevate the facility’s profile.
The new owners also came with a new mission- to reimagine Corica Park as a truly shared community resource, a mission with tangible, measurable community benefit. Corica Park became a place where young people without financial means could walk onto the course any afternoon of the week and play for free. Teens from underserved communities found pathways to mentorship and employment. Birders and neighbors connected with nature in a green space that had long felt out of reach. In total, the new ethos created more than 75,000 hours of free outdoor recreation during the last five years for underserved youth, athletes from historically excluded groups, and 80+ schools, non-profits and other community groups who had little or no access to Corica Park before.
The Dispute
Greenway’s relationship with the City, however, began to deteriorate in 2021 even as this work was happening. Greenway’s calls to City staff went unanswered, meetings were cancelled without explanation and a once collaborative relationship that supported a decade of progress simply went dark. After cutting off communication channels, City staff began to issue a barrage of unfounded violation notices and default threats , some of which, by the City's own Parks Director's sworn deposition testimony, were known to be untrue before they were sent. Behind the scenes, a small but politically connected group of residents focused on preserving special privileges worked to shape a narrative rooted in fear rather than facts. The campaign went beyond policy disagreement, tapping into harmful stereotypes about “outsiders” to discredit Greenway’s leadership and undermine its work. In 2022, the City escalated the dispute, filing a lawsuit and seeking to nullify its lease with Greenway, then with a remaining term of over 40 years.
What’s At Stake?
The trial, set to begin May 18, 2026, will focus on lease specifics and the City’s bad faith dealings - but its implications extend beyond contractual differences. It raises questions about the boundaries of government authority and perspectives on how municipal golf courses, and more broadly public spaces, can and should evolve. What happens when a small group with political control decides that a public resource rebuilt for everyone should go back to serving the few? Greenway’s changes expanded access to a wider and more diverse community, challenging long-standing patterns of use. For some, the changes represent a more inclusive model for public space; for others, they disrupt expectations of exclusivity. The outcome could have lasting implications, not only for Corica Park as a significant community asset, but for how cities like Alameda approach stewardship and navigate the tension between historic privilege and equitable access to public land.