The path down from the top of the old 14th fairway toward Pauma Valley sits higher than it used to. In 2025, fill was brought in to raise it. Crosswalks were painted where the trails cross Gleneagle Drive and Pauma Valley, and five benches went in around Ray Berg Open Space. North of the windmill, a patch that was once a pit full of broken asphalt has been topsoiled and seeded. On the north side near 14080 Gleneagle Drive, about 100 yards of ground were seeded and matted with grass in early 2026.
The roughly 90 acres of former golf course that run through Gleneagle belong to the Gleneagle Civic Association, and the association's homeowners pay for their upkeep. This winter, residents will do more of the hands-on work themselves, starting with the dog-waste stations.
About $50,000 a year for 90 acres
The GCA's rules define the open space as "a common element owned and maintained by the Association for recreation and enjoyment of Association members." In practice, everything from the trail surface to the trash cans comes out of one association budget.
At the GCA's Oct. 12 meeting, Our Community News reported that if every assessment is collected, the association takes in about $50,000 a year. Treasurer Mike Rosas said the operating account then held $19,581. Here is how that $50,000 compares with a few costs the association has reported over the past two years:
| Item | Reported figure | When reported |
|---|---|---|
| Total annual assessments, if all collected | About $50,000 | October 2026 |
| Estimate to fully contract out mowing and trail maintenance | $40,000 per year | March 2025 |
| Dog-waste pickup contract | $3,800 to $4,000 per year | October 2026 |
| Annual insurance, plus umbrella policy | $4,500, plus $1,100 | March 2026 |
Fully contracted maintenance would take about four-fifths of everything the association collects in a year. In March 2025, OCN reported that the board was weighing a mix of volunteers and a paid company, with the company stepping in when volunteers weren't available. That fall, a proposed dues package set aside $82 per household per year for open-space maintenance. It argued that volunteers could not effectively maintain the 90 acres of open space and islands, and it raised wildfire liability as a concern. Homeowners voted down an increase to $120 a year in December 2025. According to OCN's March 2026 report, the board then approved a 5 percent increase as allowed within the covenants.
That leaves the open space running mostly on volunteer time, and the dog stations are the newest job on that list.
The dog stations go back to volunteers
For the past stretch, a contractor called Doggie Doo Doo emptied the dog-waste canisters on the open space. As recently as March 2026, the stations were being cleaned and emptied every other week, and the treasurer at the time called it "well worth the money," OCN reported.
On Oct. 12, the interim GCA board voted to suspend that contract. Michael Weiner, who chairs the Covenant Enforcement Committee, is leading a group of volunteers to take over collection. According to OCN's account of the meeting, the canisters will stay where they are and the volunteers plan to keep a similar pickup schedule. Board secretary Jeane Turner explained the move "because we don't have the money" for everything currently in the budget, and said the board is trying to "get the budget back on track."
This isn't new territory for the neighborhood. OCN reported that volunteers handled the pickup before the association hired the contractor. The contract cost about 8 percent of collected assessments, which is a big share for a single line item. For anyone walking a dog past those canisters on a cold morning this winter, the person emptying them is likely a neighbor.
What the ground has needed lately
The open space is old golf-course land with a history underneath it. The repairs since 2025 show what the volunteer-and-contractor mix has had to handle:
- The old 14th-hole cart path. After about 50 years, the asphalt on the hill was breaking down and needed to be built up so water would drain away from the path. Fill went in during 2025, and that erosion work paused the broader upgrade of the open-space trails.
- Drainage near Silver Rock and Spyglass. In March 2025, the board reported that water draining from the Eagle Villa Townhomes through a 12-inch pipe was flooding GCA backyards near Silver Rock and Spyglass Streets. The open-space manager at the time said the ideal fix would spread the water out instead of channeling it, since channeled water causes erosion.
- The filled pit north of the windmill. Someone once backfilled it with broken asphalt and other material from work near the original 14th hole. It was topsoiled and seeded in spring 2026.
- Getting help in. In 2024, a walker fell and emergency responders could not find an entrance to the open space. The GCA then gave Monument Fire personnel a map showing the access points.
The GCA keeps an online map of the open space with separate layers for the boundary, trails, trail markers and dog stations. It's a good one to save on your phone, especially if guests walk the trails without you.
The rules everyone on the trail is working under
Since neighbors are doing more of the upkeep, the GCA's open-space rules do a lot of the work of keeping the place usable. They cover every open space the association owns or maintains, not just the named Ray Berg parcel. The basics:
- Hours: Unless signs say otherwise, the open space is open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
- Dogs: Pets must be leashed, wear their required current tags, and be picked up after.
- Horses: Not permitted.
- Vehicles: Only emergency vehicles. The rules define a vehicle as any motorized device, including motorcycles, golf carts and ATVs.
- E-bikes: At a March 2026 meeting, the board clarified that electric bikes are permitted on the trails and electric or gas-powered motorbikes are not. As then-president Mark Connell put it in OCN's report, "We are okay if it has pedals."
- The landscape itself: The rules prohibit altering or removing plants, trees, grass, rocks, gravel or dirt. Mowing requires written permission from the board first.
The last rule matters more on a budget like this one. A shortcut worn into reseeded ground, or a well-meant trim along a backyard edge, undoes work volunteers would then have to repeat. In March 2025, OCN reported that electric motorcycles riding in the green space had already caused up to $1,000 in damage. That's about a quarter of a full year of dog-station service.
Using the open space is at your own risk, and the rules describe its intended uses as walking, jogging, bicycling and peaceful enjoyment.
Two dates before the year ends
Who decides on the next contract, the next repair or the next volunteer plan depends on the association's board, and that's on the calendar now. The current five-member interim board took office in September. Per OCN, the next board election is scheduled for Dec. 14 at the GCA Annual Member Meeting.
Board nominations are being accepted until Nov. 19. Interested GCA members should send an email that includes a brief biography, their vision statement, and priorities for the community to [email protected].
That's how OCN laid out the process. The GCA's own website asks residents to get in touch about how they can help, and the board uses the same [email protected] address for general questions. For the dog stations specifically, the GCA's News page says additional volunteers are welcome and gives [email protected] as the contact. OCN reports Dec. 14 as the meeting date, but the association's posted bylaws set the annual member meeting in October. Confirm the Dec. 14 time and location with the GCA before you plan around it. The board has also said that residents who aren't getting its emails should write to the same address.
This post is general information about one association's published rules and reported decisions, not legal or financial advice. If a covenant or assessment question affects your home, check it with the GCA directly or with the right professional.
If you're getting to know Gleneagle, or helping a family member move here on a tight PCS timeline, Nicole Strom is glad to talk through what an association like the GCA covers and how to read its documents before you commit. Start Your Move: Request Your Free Relocation Guide.
