Davey Golf struck a three-year deal with the owners of the Solon, Ohio property in mid-April, in which it will lease and manage the facility, and hire a food vendor. The club held a drive to boost membership numbers to 300 by January 31, but fell short with only 162 committing, and closed its doors shortly after.
Hawthorne Valley Golf Club in Solon, Ohio has reopened its doors to the public after closing in February, following a failed membership drive, Crain’s Cleveland Business reported.
Davey Golf, a division of the Kent-based Davey Tree Expert Co., struck a deal with club owners Fred and Peter Rzepka in mid-April. Fred Rzepka said the groups agreed to a three-year contract in which Davey will lease the 90-year-old club from the owners. Davey will manage the facility and hire a food vendor for the 204-acre property, Crain’s reported.
“This was a case of perfect timing for both parties,” said Davey Golf regional manager Ben Cavey. “Davey Golf was looking to grow our portfolio, and the owners were looking to retain this golf course. We were able to accomplish both pieces.”
Doing so gave new life to a Donald Ross-designed course that is considered a hidden gem by some in the Northeast Ohio golf community, Crain’s reported.
“It happened very quickly,” Fred Rzepka said of the deal.
Rzepka, who operates TransCon Builders with his brother, said he “didn’t know anything about” Davey Golf as recently as March. Davey approached the owners about the club, and the agreement allows Rzepka to retain ownership and not have to pursue a sale or develop the property—two possibilities he’s said he’d prefer to avoid, Crain’s reported.
At the conclusion of the 2015 season, Hawthorne Valley started a membership drive that asked prospective customers to pay $2,500 for unlimited golf with a cart, a private locker, and use of the club’s shower and workout facilities. The goal was 300 members—a number at which the club would still lose money, Crain’s reported.
When the Jan. 31 deadline came and went, Hawthorne was barely past the halfway mark of its target number. The club closed, much to the chagrin of some of its most loyal patrons, Crain’s reported.
“You can’t binge by yourself,” Rzepka told Crain’s in February. “You gotta have a partner.”
He found one in Davey Golf, which has about a dozen courses in its portfolio, including Rosemont Country Club in Fairlawn. Cavey, Davey Golf’s regional manager, said the company has been providing golf course maintenance for decades, but recently expanded its golf division to include management and consulting services, Crain’s reported.
Davey is close to completing negotiations with what it called “an experienced food and beverage provider” for Hawthorne Valley. The company said it won’t reveal the choice until the agreement is signed, Crain’s reported.
The club reopened on April 22, after a whirlwind of a week in which the deal between Davey and the owners was finalized. That afternoon, new General Manager Brian Solitario said the list of available tee times for the weekend had just been posted online the night before, Crain’s reported.
“It’s been great,” Solitario said. “The phone has been ringing off the hook. People have been calling and saying it’s the best news they’ve heard all week.”
Hawthorne’s former office staff departed when the club closed, Cavey said. The greens crew stayed on through the transition. Otherwise, “very few employees stayed,” Rzepka said.
Without giving specifics, Cavey said Davey hopes “to transition all qualified employees to our staff as per Davey’s pre-employment process.” For the time being, the club will operate without a head pro, Crain’s reported.
Davey Golf is based in Lake Orion, Mich. In addition to its two Northeast Ohio partners, the company also operates Denison Golf Club outside Columbus, and has a deal with Kenton County to run three Cincinnati-area public courses, Crain’s reported.
“It’s a small portion of our business, but it’s growing pretty rapidly,” Solitario said.
As of April 25, Fred Rzepka, who has owned Hawthorne Valley since 2000, hadn’t stopped by the club since the deal was finalized. And while he admitted he didn’t know Davey Golf well, he said those he’s dealt with “seem like fine, decent, honorable people.”
And once he gets a round in, he’ll be checking to make sure the course is in its usual pristine conditions, Crain’s reported.
“I will eventually go through,” Rzepka said. “It’s still my property. I’ll have a round of golf, I’ll look at the bridges, I’ll see the fairways and greens. Hopefully they keep it up as well as I did.”
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