Tri-State Golf Company, which owns and operates golf courses in Massachusetts and Connecticut, has added the Chepachet, R.I., property to its portfolio. The property was revitalized over the winter with a new golf shop, seating area, refurbished dining room, new outdoor patio and kitchen, as well as technological upgrades.
Greener pastures are ahead at Melody Hill Country Club in Chepachet, R.I., which is now under new ownership and management, the Lincoln, R.I., Valley Breeze reported.
The club was first opened by Charlie and Marion Mandeville in 1976, but after the death of Charlie and several decades of sole ownership, Marion sold the sprawling 131-acre golf course to the Hoenings, owners of the Raceway Golf Club in Thompson, Conn., for the past 70 years, the Breeze reported.
The Hoenings have operated Raceway Golf Club under the belief that public golf should be accessible and affordable. “Public golf the way it should be,” is the company motto, the Breeze reported.
Seeking to share the experience of a quality public golf club with a wider audience, the fourth-generation Hoenings have formed the Tri-State Golf Company. Jonathan Hoening serves as Tri-State’s CEO and his brother, Donald, is acting president. The pair now manage Dudley Hill Golf Club in Dudley, Mass., and own Melody Hill Country Club, the Breeze reported.
Staff say members are pleased with the improvements the Hoenings have ushered in. “It’s been very positive,” regional manager Steve Landi said.
Landi once worked at the club as a teenager, spending hours tending to the course and developing a life-long love of golf. When he heard that the Hoenings were purchasing his local golf course, he was excited about the prospect of getting involved, the Breeze reported.
“A lot of people have that longtime connection with Melody Hill,” Landi said. “This was my summer job, so it’s come full-circle.”
To revitalize Melody Hill, the Hoenings planned four months of construction work over the winter, from December to March. At the entrance of the golf club, patrons will notice a new golf shop, where they can purchase everything from shoes to golf balls. Across from the golf shop is an additional seating area, which leads to the refurbished dining room, the Breeze reported.
Golf clubs found in a lost and found box stuffed in the attic were used to decorate the bar. The building’s original dark wood ceiling beams were refurbished. And in the corner of the room is a vintage popcorn machine, a staple in every Tri-State golf club. The ambiance is reminiscent of a country lodge lobby, the Breeze reported.
Guests can also enjoy a new outdoor patio, where they can order from an expanded menu, thanks to the club’s new kitchen. Melody Hill also has several technological upgrades including a new online reservation system, a credit card machine, and a sound system, the Breeze reported.
Under the watch of golf course superintendent Allen Hubbard, the actual course is getting a facelift too. Hubbard is overseeing a new agronomic turf growing program, which helps to slowly improve what is arguably the most important part of a golf course, the Breeze reported.
Membership has already gone up, Landi said. The Tri-State Golf Company has approximately 300 members, all of whom are given access to the Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island golf courses if they purchase membership to at least one, the Breeze reported.
For those looking to experience the new amenities at Melody Hill, Landi outlines the perfect golf day: Start with a new golfer lesson, play nine holes to get started, and finish your day with lunch on the patio, the Breeze reported.
“That’s the way to go,” Landi said.
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