Updated September 2026
Lake Sherwood, the gated community tucked in the hills above Thousand Oaks, now has two separate Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses operating under entirely different ownership, and the confusion that's caused is understandable, since both sit behind the same gates and both carry the Nicklaus name. Josh Flagg tracks Southern California's ultra-luxury lifestyle developments closely, because they tend to signal where the region's wealthiest buyers are putting their attention next. Here's exactly which club is which, and what's changing behind the gates this fall.
Key Takeaways
- Sherwood Country Club is the original 18-hole championship course from 1989, the one most people mean when they say "Sherwood"
- Rick Caruso purchased the community's second course, the former Bear's Best par-3 layout, and has rebranded it as The Miramar Lake Club
- The Miramar Lake Club is an 18-hole, par-3 course, one of only two Nicklaus-designed par-3 courses in the world and the only one in the United States
- Caruso's club is set to open this fall with an 18,000-square-foot clubhouse, resort-style pool, and full wellness facilities
- The two clubs remain entirely separate memberships, with no shared access between them
Quick Reference: Which Club Is Which
Sherwood Country Club | The Miramar Lake Club | |
|---|---|---|
Course type | 18-hole championship course | 18-hole, par-3 course |
Opened | 1989 | Fall 2026 |
Designer | Jack Nicklaus | Jack Nicklaus |
Ownership | Independent, longstanding membership club | Rick Caruso / Caruso |
Known for | Tiger Woods's World Challenge (2000–2013) | One of only two Nicklaus par-3 courses worldwide |
Clubhouse | Existing championship clubhouse | New 18,000-square-foot clubhouse |
The Club Everyone Means When They Say "Sherwood"
When people mention "Sherwood" without qualification, they almost always mean Sherwood Country Club, the 18-hole championship course Jack Nicklaus designed and opened in 1989. It built its national reputation hosting Tiger Woods's World Challenge from 2000 through 2013, a tournament that put Lake Sherwood on the golf map well beyond Ventura County. Sherwood Country Club remains an independently operated, membership-only club, and its ownership has not changed with the arrival of the second course next door.
The Club Rick Caruso Actually Bought
The course changing hands is not Sherwood Country Club. It's the smaller par-3 course that previously operated as Bear's Best, purchased by Rick Caruso, the developer behind The Grove and Palisades Village. Caruso rebranded the property as The Miramar Lake Club, extending the Miramar name he already built into a private club brand with The Miramar Beach Club in Montecito. Homeowners in the area who assume the two courses share ownership, ground crews, or membership rolls are working from outdated information; they are two distinct businesses that happen to sit inside the same gated community.
What's Under Construction Right Now
Caruso's team has been renovating the former Bear's Best layout throughout 2026 ahead of a fall opening. The finished club will include:
- An 18-hole, par-3 golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, one of only two such courses in the world and the only one in the United States
- An 18,000-square-foot clubhouse
- A resort-style pool
- Full fitness and training facilities
- A wellness program
- A signature restaurant, with the chef announcement still to come
Caruso has described the vision as combining "world-class golf conditions with design, hospitality, wellness and a distinctly Southern California sense of place," positioning the club as a lifestyle destination rather than a golf-only facility.
The Detail Most Residents Haven't Heard Yet
Because Nicklaus designed both layouts, some residents assume a shared architectural pedigree means shared access or a joint membership structure. It doesn't. Each hole at The Miramar Lake Club draws inspiration from Nicklaus's most recognizable designs around the world, built specifically as a par-3 format meant to welcome newer golfers while still rewarding an experienced player's short game. That's a different design philosophy from Sherwood Country Club's championship layout entirely, and the two memberships operate with no crossover.
What to Watch For This Season
With a fall 2026 opening approaching, expect the remaining details, membership terms, initiation structure, and the promised signature restaurant chef, to be announced in the coming months. For buyers and residents in the broader Conejo Valley and Westlake Village luxury market, a second high-profile private club opening under a name like Caruso's tends to have ripple effects on property interest well beyond Lake Sherwood's own gates, the same way a marquee golf development has moved buyer attention in other Southern California enclaves before it.
Anyone tracking how developments like this affect surrounding home values, or curious how Lake Sherwood compares to golf-adjacent luxury markets closer to the Westside, can find more context in Josh Flagg's rundown of the best golf courses around Beverly Hills.
Following Southern California's luxury market and what's driving demand this year? Josh Flagg covers the developments worth paying attention to across Los Angeles's most exclusive addresses.
