SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: The Wilhelm family has a long history in golf course development. Their current project is Mayacama in Santa Rosa, California, with a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course that has long been a Golf Digest top-ranked private club in the state. The highly regarded community has made a pivot atypical in golf. They have rebranded their nearby boutique hotel in Healdsburg into The Turn, a 13-room substance abuse treatment facility.

The need is substantial. The latest statistics reveal that about 1.5 million Americans enter substance use treatment programs annually, with about 90,000 admitted into live-in centers.

“Before the Southern California fires, I was living in Malibu,” said Keith Greenberg, co-owner of The Turn. “I was considering joining Mayacama when I met the Wilhelm brothers—Patrick and Jonathan. They were considering a couple of options for converting their small hotel into another purpose. Since I have vast experience in establishing substance abuse centers, I suggested the option. After an initial discussion, the ball started rolling, all the necessary permits were received to open a luxury treatment center offering the added bonus of golf outings at Mayacama for in-patient residents.

“Recidivism rates can be high,” continued Greenberg. “The best chance for success is keeping people constantly engaged in our 30-day program [in some cases longer]. Our combination of world-class amenities, fitness classes [including yoga and Pilates], fine dining, expert medical care, and the ability to play Mayacama, which was a mainstay on Golf Digest’s national “Top-100” list for 14 years, simply doesn’t exist in the current world. We offer year-round outdoor activities, coupled with 24/7 supervision. Our on-site medical director has a fellowship in addiction medicine and formerly worked at the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, California.”

Stigma of Addiction

“Our family has had several family members [including my mom] enter treatment centers, so it hits close to home,” revealed Patrick Wilhelm, co-owner of Mayacama and The Turn. “I have learned firsthand that some facilities are better than others.

“Before developing Mayacama, we were based in Colorado to establish Cordillera [with 54 holes of golf],” continued Wilhelm. “There was a similar modus operandi of converting the Cordillera Lodge into a treatment center. Like at Mayacama, some members resisted the stigma of addiction and helping others, asking for help. Through education, we won them over with the thought of ‘paying it forward.’

The irony of establishing an addiction treatment center in the heart of wine country was front and center in Patrick’s mind. “The need is there,” said Wilhelm. “Our area offers so much more than visiting a series of vineyards. Our plethora of outdoor activities—with golf at the forefront—allows us to fill patients’ daily calendars with numerous activities, on and off property. We even have an 18-hole putting course, with a bent grass green, maintained to the same standards as Mayacama at The Turn, and our club’s instruction team offers lessons in our onsite golf simulator.”

For more information, please visit TheTurnRecovery.com.