It’s Been a Mess
TheSantaluz.com received the following email from a current Board Member who wishes to remain anonymous.
“I’ve been quiet long enough. At some point, staying silent just feels like going along with the nonsense. And I’m not okay with that.
I love this place. I really do. But what’s been happening behind the scenes lately? It’s not just off. It’s broken.
Communication is selective. Transparency is a joke. And one of our fellow Board members? Gone. Pushed out, really. I won’t get into every detail here, but let’s just say it wasn’t exactly above board.
Most of this circus is being run by the same tight little crew: Chris, David, Geoff, and Debra. And yes, when Debra’s name comes up, Layton is basically standing right behind her holding the script. That’s just how it works.
Now about this so-called election. Let me put it plainly. We have four open seats — two for Hacienda, two for Golf — and guess how many candidates the Board put forward? Yep. Four. One per seat. What a coincidence, right? Democracy in action. You get to vote, sure, but only for the people they already picked. Why even bother with the ballots? Just send us a thank you card for playing.
And just to make it even more insulting, one of those seats? The one left behind when a Board member was forced out? Already assigned. Quietly. No vote. No member input. Just done. That’s not an election — that’s a rubber stamp.
And no, I’m not signing this with my name. Why? Because the last person who pushed back got kicked out of the Club. That’s the reality. You think I’m exaggerating? Ask around. They don’t even hide it that well anymore.
So here’s what I recommend, if you still believe in actual choices: Ask for the petition form. Email Roxanne Jones at rjones@thesantaluzclub.com and request the official form. To run a new Hacienda candidate, you’ll need 22 physical signatures. For a Golf candidate, it’s 38. The deadline? May 3rd. That’s not far. So if you care about how this place is run, it’s time to move. Now.
We need to get back to functioning like a real Board. That starts with telling the truth about what’s actually going on.
—A Santaluz Club Board Member (for now) boardofdirectors@thesantaluzclub.com
Side note: According to the attached General Manager Job Description, Russell Sylte is supposed to be the Club’s visionary leader. He’s expected to be present, inspiring, strategic, financially sharp, and obsessed with member satisfaction. Read it. Then ask yourself — is that really what’s happening at Santaluz?
Let me guess. The next step is a glowing email from Russell explaining how “transparent” this all is. Maybe include a few buzzwords about “vision” and “member value.”
This place used to feel like a community. Now it feels like a private chessboard where a few names keep playing all the moves. And we’re the pawns.
So let me get this straight. We vote… but only for the people the Board already handpicked? Sounds more like theater than democracy.
Word is that Russell has been given his last warning. He is on notice that any more incidents and he is fired. And let’s be honest, if he loses this job he will never work in a country club again. He will be back teaching golf lessons.
The BOD vote has always been sketchy. They just stack people they want to put on that they can control. Probably why the Club keeps going downhill the past few years. When Jim was the GM we did not have these issues like now. Jim was a good GM and there were not the problems like today.
But let’s be clear. Russell isn’t the only problem. The BOD is full of people that are terrible. Before the Club had BOD members with a lot of experience and on other corporate BOD’s. Strong business leaders who had financial acumen and qualifications.
Now they just put just anyone on. Why do they pick people when they should just put a vote for ALL the people that want to apply to volunteer for the position. Have 4 openings and have 50 people that apply to be on the BOD, put a vote for ALL 50 people and let the membership vote in the most qualified person.
I know someone that has a lot of experience running companies. He has served on many Boards before. Is on the management team of a public company and he was turned down when he told them he was interested in volunteering. And they put up someone that had NO experience with any boards. How does this happen? That is why the Club is falling apart.
I don’t know, maybe I’m old-fashioned, but when a Board starts making decisions behind closed doors, skipping member votes, and acting like questions are a nuisance… that’s usually not a sign things are going well. It’s starting to feel like the Club isn’t just slipping, it’s rolling downhill. And instead of hitting the brakes, leadership seems more focused on pretending everything’s fine.
It’s right there in the official Report to the Board of Education dated May 21, 2012— Debra Keel Cooper, now a current board member at The Santaluz Club, was part of the Real Property Advisory Committee. And this is what she wants for Santaluz:
Findings of the RPAC
The RPAC found that the current available seating within the District can accommodate the current enrollment of the District as well as the long-term enrollment projected by
District staff and consultants, without the need for or use of the identified vacant Sites for school facilities.
The RPAC then voted 8 – 0 to recommend that the Board find that the Sites are not needed for school facilities and should be declared surplus pursuant to the requirements of the Education Code.
you can download the document directly from here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6SZxY6bWLzNca299y7M54aKT-wV1PYe/view
Honestly, the situation feels more dramatic than most of us want to admit. A Board seat filled without a vote, an uncontested “election,” and now a candidate with ties to a development project that could change the entire feel of the community. I didn’t think I’d say this, but the petition might be the only real tool left to the members. Either that, or let the vote fail. If turnout doesn’t hit 40%, the election is void. That’s not conspiracy, that’s in the bylaws.
Read the bylaws again as it relates to when a Board member resigns and how that seat is filled.
Oh yeah, you’re right, the Board does have the power to fill a seat. That part’s in the bylaws, no doubt. But keep reading, it says they fill it “until the next election of directors by the Equity Members.”
And with the election in May, they had more than enough time to let the members vote. But instead? They quietly filled the seat. From who? That’s a secret. Who even resigned? Also a secret. No notice. No transparency. Nothing to the membership.
It’s going to come out.
I’d be happy to sign the petition to support those who want to help improve the club. Hope we can work together to make a positive change. I can drive over to your place to sign it.
Shoutout to Chris, David, Geoff, and Debra.
Why bother with messy elections when you can pre-package the results? The board’s ‘four seats, four yes-men’ strategy is efficiency at its most… autocratic.
While respecting the board’s efforts, true representation requires contested elections.
The quiet seat assignment constitutes clear procedural violation.
Hi all interesting stuff,
Just curious who decides what to pole on this site.
If there is a poll to get rid of Russell
Should there be a poll to get rid of the board?
Personally i have no issues with either of them.
But also am unaware of the specific complaints you all have.
The accusations I have heard about the board sound ominous, but I am unaware of what poor decisions they have made.
I’m actually mostly wondering if this is a few people complaining about some bad personal experience that happened to you once. Or are there significant issues that if differently addressed would make the club so much better.
If it’s the latter it would be great to see a specific list of things that should have been done and the board or Russel has quashed.
When i don’t see specifics it just sounds like complaining to me.
Since you’re looking for specifics, here are just a few that many of us find really concerning:
All three food outlets at the Club were shut down by the San Diego Health Department due to serious, ongoing violations—unsanitary conditions, rodent activity, and overall facility neglect. That’s not a one-off, that’s a pattern.
The resignation list is at a record high. Members who want to leave are being told they’ll have to wait up to five years to get their money back.
The golf course—our core amenity—is in the worst shape it’s been in years, despite massive spending.
Operating expenses keep climbing, but the member experience keeps sliding.
Member feedback seems to be brushed off—unless you’re part of the “inner circle.”
And that’s just the beginning. We could keep going. This isn’t about a bad personal experience—it’s about a pattern of poor decisions and a lack of transparency that affects everyone.