Owner Linda Rusnock attributed the decision to close the public property in Greensburg, Pa., which features an 18-hole golf course built in 1965, to younger generations not taking up golf and increased difficulties finding seasonal help. She wasn’t sure of plans for the land and it was not immediately clear whether the club’s restaurant and…
Louisville (Ky.) Council Defies Mayor With Move to Hike City Courses’ Fees
(Pictured: Cherokee GC) While Mayor Greg Fischer’s administration is pursuing a process to shift to outside management of the city’s ten municipal courses, the Metro Council is pushing a proposal to raise greens fees by $5 across the board, while also imposing new restrictions on any such transition. The lead sponsor of the proposal said…
Old-School Private Clubs in Canada Turn to New Ways of Doing Business
(Pictured: The Rideau Club) The country’s oldest clubs are attracting new and younger members through renovations that are transforming space that used to look like “your grandmother’s study” and “an Agatha Christie novel” into attractive places to work, entertain and exercise, all under one roof. “Live-work” clubs are seen as the next growth industry.
Rick Dente to Succeed Craig Martin at St. Andrews CC
(Pictured: Rick Dente) The Boca Raton, Fla. club has promoted Dente, who has served as Assistant General Manager since 2016, to succeed Martin, who announced his retirement in June, as Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. Dente’s previous experience includes positions with Pinehurst Country Club, St. Francis Yacht Club and The Polo Club of Boca…
Discrimination Lawsuit Filed Against Club for Holding Women’s Clinic
A California men’s rights advocate with a history of filing similar lawsuits, including one filed against Donald Trump’s club in Rancho Palos Verdes, has claimed in his latest action that he was denied access to a “Ladies Educational/Social Golf Clinic” held by Paso Robles GC in October 2017 and had to pay for drinks and…
‘Re-Imagined’ Wynn Las Vegas Course Set to Reopen—at $550/Round
(Photo by Barbara Kraft/Los Angeles Times) The course designed by Tom Fazio and his son Logan will debut on October 11 as the only course on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2020, the resort will open Thomas Keller restaurants overlooking the green of the 18th hole, where there will be a standing offer of a cash…
Great Wolf Resorts Gets New Majority Owner in $2.9B Deal
An affiliate of Blackstone, the real-estate investment firm, will now own 65 percent of the resort operator known for its woodsy hotels and water parks. Founded in 1997, Great Wolf is set to open its 19th property in 2020 in Calfornia, and now operates in 16 states and Canada.
Water Contract Dispute Prompts Announcement of Bluebonnet Hill GC’s Closing
The Austin, Texas club said in a Facebook post that it would close permanently at the end of the year because its 30-year water contract with the city would expire in January 2020 and it could not continue to operate without a stable source of water. But the announcement prompted city officials, who said they…
The Toro Company Wins 2019 WaterSense® Excellence Award
(Rob Starr, left, and Chris Davey of Toro Irrigation and Lighting Business accept 2019 WaterSense Excellence Award from Martha Shimkin of the EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management.) Toro was honored by the partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its launch of Land. Water. Thrive., a new philanthropic initiative aimed at improving…
Boca West CC Opens New Realty Company, Renews Tennis Partnership
The real-estate office will be located within the Boca Raton, Fla. club’s new Golf & Activities Center. “We are the first club in the area to benefit from a marketing initiative of this magnitude,” said Boca West COO Matthew Linderman. “It will be a great asset for buyers from around the world, as well as…
Residents Approve Measure to Support Brookside CC
By a more than 2-to-1 vote and with 69 percent of the 937 homeowners voting, a new arrangement for resident membership at $50/month was passed in the community where previously club membership was not mandated. The resident members’ privileges will include four annual golf rounds with paid green fees; once-a-month clubhouse dining and use of…
York (Neb.) CC Kicks Off “POD” Membership Promotion
As it enters its second century, the club founded in 1919 is giving two new members the opportunity to bundle with any existing member in any category, with all three members of the “POD” then saving from 31% to 43% on monthly dues for three years. The “POD” could then be reformed with other new…
Buyer Found for Trempealeau Mountain GC
The closing of the 22-year-old Wisconsin course was feared after owner Eric Wilber announced his retirement and said he was unable to secure a buyer. But Chad and Amy Landis, who have ties to the area, will take over on October 21 and hold a “meet and greet” with community members. The new owners issued…
Clubs Can Address Historical Gender, Equality Bias
There’s no denying that a heightened focus on gender and equality has become pervasive and unavoidable for all businesses these days. So clubs probably have a lot more to gain than lose by being proactive in showing how they are changing with the times, no matter what it might say about their past.
Construction Finally Starts for Napa’s $250M-Plus Stanly Ranch Resort
Plans for the 150-room, 96-acre California resort, which will be part of the Auberge Collection, were originally approved in 2010. It is now set to open in the spring of 2021, featuring two pools, a spa and fitness studio, along with a “great lawn” with an espresso bar and a cycling livery next to a…