Oro Valley resident Nikki Dilbeck hit a hole in one in the contest to name the community’s new desert park.
Dilbeck submitted the winning entry with Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve.
That will be the new name of the former Golf Club at Vistoso, an 18-hole course that closed in 2018 after more than 20 years in business.
The old course is being turned into a passive park for walking, bicycling and bird watching, with 6 miles of paved pathways that wind past desert plants, wildlife, mountain vistas and ancient rock art.
The Town of Oro Valley plans to set aside money in its upcoming budget to repair the former cart paths, reopen the restrooms and clean up the open space.
The abandoned golf course is currently owned by national nonprofit The Conservation Fund, which partnered with a local group called Preserve Vistoso to buy the 202-acre tract earlier this year and keep it out of the hands of residential or commercial developers.
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The land will be transferred to the town sometime after July 1, though a conservation easement will ensure that it can never be developed even after it changes hands.
Oro Valley plans to hold a ribbon cutting once the transfer is complete.
The naming contest drew more than 1,500 unique entries that were narrowed to a list of just 10 by a five-member committee. Those choices were then put to a vote of about 500 Oro Valley residents, who picked their three favorites. The Oro Valley Town Council made the final selection on May 18.
“When I saw the initial call for name suggestions, Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve popped into my head, and it just felt like the right fit,†Dilbeck said in a written statement from the town announcing the contest results. “It’s such a wonderful resource for the whole Oro Valley community.â€
Dilbeck and her husband, Ron, have lived in Oro Valley for 10 years and in the Vistoso community for the past 8 years. For winning the contest, she gets a prize package valued at more than $1,700, including an annual family membership to Oro Valley’s community, recreation and aquatic centers.
Photos: 202-acre Oro Valley golf course becomes a nature preserve
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
The Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The preserve was once home to a 202-acre golf course that closed in 2018.Â
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
Mike Ford, of the Conservation Fund, talks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve, on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The former golf-course which is 202-acres of land is now a nature preserve and can never be developed.
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
Residents gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The former golf-course which is 202-acres of land is now a nature preserve and can never be developed.
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
Joe Winfield, mayor of Oro Valley, talks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve, on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The former golf-course which is 202-acres of land is now a nature preserve and can never be developed.
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
John McAlister takes a walk at the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022.Â
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
Remnants of the golf course can be seen at the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The preserve was once home to a 202-acre golf course that closed in 2018.Â
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
The Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The preserve was once home to a 202-acre golf course that closed in 2018.Â
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
Rich Bingle takes a walk at the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022.Â
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
The Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, Ariz. on July 15, 2022. The land was initially bought by a national nonprofit, The Conservation Fund, which partnered with a local group called Preserve Vistoso. The preserve now falls under the town of Oro Valley's parks and recreation.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
A lone javelina strolls along the fairway that has gone fallow since 2018 at the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
Mother Nature is reclaiming the water-intensive, all-grass fairways on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley. Once inside the former golf course, there is little evidence it is ringed by homes and apartments.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
Grasses, some non-native, have overtaken areas of the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
The evening sun spotlights a cholla cactus on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
Then: A golfer retrieves his ball from the cup on the 3rd hole at the Golf Club at Vistoso in May, 2018, shortly before the course was closed. Now: By October, 2021, there is little evidence that the 3rd hole existed.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
Then: Golfers on the ninth hole near the clubhouse at the Golf Club at Vistoso in Oro Valley in 2010. Now: Three years after the irrigation was turned off, weeds poke through the desiccated sod on the ninth hole in October, 2021.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
Morning doves rest on tree branches on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
Apartments along Vistoso Highlands Drive peak above the lush landscape on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
The fairway is slowing returning to nature, looking east to Pusch Ridge from a tee box at the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley, conservation
The cart path makes a sharp turn on the way to the 3rd tee on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
A couple walks their dog long the patch that fronts the driving range at the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
The six miles of high-quality concrete cart paths are a major feature in the conservation plans for the abandoned Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
A volunteer mesquite tree and scrub overtake the once-grassy driving range at the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
A petroglyph off the cart path at the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
The extensive irrigation system throughout the the abandoned 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley could be used to jump start native revegetation.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
Bathrooms near the first tee, as well as two other locations, are included in the plan for the abandoned 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
Residents can walk and ride the six-miles of cart paths on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley.
Golf Club at Vistoso, conservation, open space
Tumbleweeds encroach on a sand trap on the 202-acre Golf Club at Vistoso on W. Vistoso Highlands Drive in Oro Valley, closed in 2018.
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