IT’S OFFICIAL: Sunny Hwang, owner of the Glen Ivy Golf Club, closed escrow on Tom’s Farms on June 9.
New owner plans to improve the attraction
Tom’s Farms has been purchased by Sunny Hwang, owner of the Glen Ivy Golf Club. The purchase price has not been disclosed for the 46-acre tourist attraction that includes 16 buildings and structures, and two adjacent undeveloped parcels.
Hwang intends to continue the legacy of Tom Barnes, who started the business 46 years ago, and will maintain Tom’s Farms as a retail and amusement attraction. “I plan to update the property to make it more enjoyable for families,” Hwang said.
Among the attractions Hwang said he is considering is the possibility of a small-scale farm with barnyard animals and a vegetable garden. He said the addition of more shops is possible, as well as changes for the restaurants. “I definitely want to add more shade,” Hwang said, “to improve the shopping experience and to provide areas where families can just relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Hwang said he wanted to get through escrow, which closed June 9, before laying out timelines for specific projects.
He also noted that a hotel might be considered for one of the two parcels located at the southwest corner of Temescal Canyon and Lawson roads, and at the southeast corner of Temescal Canyon and Squaw Mountain roads. “Whatever is developed on the parcels should be compatible with the golf course and Tom’s Farms,” Hwang said.
Barnes, a much-respected and admired businessman, died of cancer in July 2001 at the age of 55. A decision was made in January of this year to sell the property, and it was listed with Braun International Real Estate which published a 20-page “call for offers” sales memorandum.
While the Cheese & Wine Shoppe building was included in the purchase, the business was not. The building is leased and the business is owned by Frank Hetland Sr. and sons Frank Jr. and Brandon. Barnes and Hetland were close friends for many years and the Cheese & Wine Shoppe was one of the early businesses at the Farm.
Hwang, who owns and is president of Sunland Properties Inc., surprised many people in March 2016 when a U.S. District Court judge deemed his $4.3 million offer the winning bid to purchase Glen Ivy Golf Club. Also submitting a bid was GOCO Hospitality, a Bangkok-based international wellness hospitality development and management company, which purchased the Glen Ivy Hot Springs spa in January 2016.
The golf course, adjacent to Trilogy, had been in receivership since March 2014 when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged then-owner World Capital Market Inc. of operating a worldwide pyramid scheme and seized the company’s assets.
Hwang, 68, said he finds the natural beauty and mountain topography of Temescal Valley impressive, and views it regularly. Although Sunland Properties is headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, he hasn’t been an absentee business owner. While making improvements to the golf course, he’s also an avid golfer, and is often seen on the links trying to improve his game.
Wow Mr Huang ty were here and I already see the improvement! This place means so much to our family! I used to bring my baby girl here and she’s no longer with us. When I come here I feel a part of her here! Thank u for keeping this place around!❤❤
i love it. Toms Farms is my favorite place. would be nice to some of those actual farm additions. good shit sir
Thank u Mr. Hwang for keeping Toms Farms as it always was. My family has been enjoying it for decades. Excited to see what u add.
I’m so happy to see you are keeping Toms Farm and making improvements. We have been going to Tom’s Farms since 1979. My only complaint is the loud noise on the weekends with the motorcycles. Keep up the good work !!
Congratulations Mr.Hwang! Looking forward to the new upgrades while still preserving the charm of Tom’s Farm. We have enjoyed many fun times there with family & friends since moving to Temescal Valley(Corona) since 1999. Good luck with this new venture!
A Bed and Breakfast would be nice! Maybe an old fashion soda shop!
Happy to hear it is here to stay. Hope Mr. Hwang understands that Tom’s Farms is a Temescal Valley cherished business. Would love to see some improvements plus some murals depicting Temescal Valley history to set us apart from others.
Tom is greatly missed.
Very happy the legacy will be continued and as a “newby” regular to the golf course, it is so wonderful to see it cleaned up, manicured, and the water features being repaired. I was pleasantly surprised to see the beautiful waterfall at the tunnel entrance flowing! Thank you and welcome Sunny!
Both Tom’s Farms and the Glen Ivy Golf Course (GIGC) are important assets for the community of Temescal Valley. It is good to see stable ownership of both enterprises. The improvements that Sunny Hwang has been gradually bring to GIGC this past year are indicative of a motivated and engaged owner who cares about this community. We are fortunate to have this entrepreneur in our midst.
RelIeved that the venue will be staying. Frankly we were concerned that a developer might want to shove a few hundred more houses in there. The traffic is already unbearable!
Thank you Mr. Hwang for preserving Toms Farm as many people have grown custom to it as it is. Toms farm was the place my husband & I would bring our family to in 2000 when our house was being built in Corona. We would look forward to coming to Corona to see the process of our new home & making our trip to Toms farm just to enjoy the openness. Now that we have lived here for 17 years we enjoy it even more. We look forward to seeing what more you will add to this wonderful place. Thank you.
This is good news for everyone in the IE. We live in El Cerrito and love Tom’s Farm.
So glad to hear he will continue this wonderful business and continue Tom Barnes’ legacy. He was a good man.