On Aug. 23, the Asheville (N.C.) City Council approved Commonwealth Golf Partners II – Asheville LLC (CGP) as the new operator of the city’s historic 1927 Donald Ross-designed Municipal Golf Course. CGP will officially begin operating the course on Oct. 1. The contract for the current operator — Pope Golf LLC — expires Sept. 30. The course will soon see significant capital investment, executed on behalf of the city of Asheville by CGP. Stormwater, greens, bunkers and fairway improvements are all slated to begin in the coming months.
On Aug. 23, the Asheville (N.C.) City Council voted unanimously to approve Commonwealth Golf Partners II – Asheville LLC (CGP) as the new operator of Asheville’s historic 1927 Donald Ross-designed Municipal Golf Course.
CGP will assume operations of the course beginning Oct. 1. CGP will replace Pope Golf LLC, whose contract expires Sept. 30.
CGP is a partnership between Peter Dejak and Michael Bennett. Dejak has more than 20 years experience building, renovating and managing golf courses in the Middle Atlantic. He is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and is based in Pinehurst, N.C.
Bennett is a Master PGA Professional and the President of the National Golf Course Owners Association Middle Atlantic. Prior to forming CGP, he was the Vice President of a large golf management company with 25 properties on the East Coast. His experience working in tourist driven golf markets like Myrtle Beach and Williamsburg, Va., will be beneficial in Asheville as approximately 55% of players at the Muni hail from out-of-market.
The course will soon see significant capital investment, executed on behalf of the city of Asheville by CGP. The city has committed more than $1 million, and is currently seeking grant funding from multiple sources. Stormwater, greens, bunkers and fairway improvements are all slated to begin in the coming months.
The Asheville Municipal Golf Course is owned by the city of Asheville, and is one of the oldest golf courses in Western North Carolina, having opened in 1927. A Donald Ross layout, it measures 6,379 yards from the championship tees and plays to a par 72. The course is heavily played, with an average of 41,600 starts per calendar year, 20% of which are started by annual passholders. The front nine is flat and wide open, while the back nine is tree-lined, with tight fairways, very hilly, and requires accuracy on every shot. The front nine and back nine are completely different, giving the golfers a wide variety of shot opportunities during their 18 holes of play. The course was the first integrated golf course in the southeast.
In 2020, a local filmmaker documented a brief history of the course including the history of its prized annual Skyview Tournament. The documentary aired on PBS and on the Golf Channel.
The Department of Community & Regional Entertainment Facilities manages a unique collection of sporting and entertainment facilities and operations. More than 1.5 million people participate in programs or attend events at the facilities, including the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, WNC Nature Center, McCormick Field, Aston Park Tennis Center, John B Lewis Soccer Complex and events permitted by the City’s Office of Outdoor Special Events.
Commonwealth Golf Partners is a full service operator based in Williamsburg, Va., and currently has properties in West Virginia, North Carolina and Virginia.
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