After being closed for most of last year, the Dracut, Mass., property, formerly known as Meadow Creek Golf Club, is now in full operation under new owners. The 18-hole public golf course is now owned by four previous members who bought the property in December and have since updated the clubhouse and kept the golf course in shape with limited personnel.
After being closed for most of last year, Four Oaks Country Club, formerly known as Meadow Creek Golf Club, is now in full operation with new owners, the Reading (Mass.) Advocate reported.
The 18-hole public golf course in Dracut, Mass., is now owned by Peter and Tina Niarhos and Mike and Cindy Kuenzler. Both couples bought the course officially in December, though they had a soft opening in October and November, the Advocate reported.
During the winter, the focus has been on working on the clubhouse. The walls were removed, and new windows have been added for nicer views of the course. There is also a new Italian restaurant inside the facility called Grazie that opens at 5 p.m., and an adjacent bar and grill that opens at 11 a.m. There is also a banquet room to host specialty events, the Advocate reported.
During the time the course was closed, superintendent Christian Kaszbua kept the greens in shape with limited personnel. The fairways were aerated last fall, the Advocate reported.
“He did a great job,” said Tina Niarhos.
To bring back existing members and attract news ones, Niarhos stresses customer service, the Advocate reported.
“We have a five-foot rule that employees are suppose to engage anyone within five feet of them,” Niarhos said.
Four Oaks now offers reduced green fees. For 18 holes during the week, it’s $31 and $17 for nine (walking). On the weekend (walking), it’s $40 for 18 and $23 for nine. Junior rates are even cheaper with a yearly membership of $200, the Advocate reported.
Another key upgrade is the new state-of-the-art golf carts with GPS. The carts run $19 for 18 holes and $10 for nine, the Advocate reported.
“We have looked at other courses, and it is very important for us to give customers a good product,” said Niarhos. “When we talk to players after [a round of golf on the new course], it has been a very positive feedback.”
The layout of the course is the same with the exception of the 16th hole. It used to be a par-5, 573-yard hole, and now it is a 340-yard par four from the black tees, the Advocate reported.
“That hole was something all four of us decided on,” said Niarhos.
Four Oaks measures 6,268 yards from the black tees, 5,789 from the blue tees, and 5,339 from the white tees. The red tees measure out to 4,348 yards, and it is a par 70 from every tee. The first nine holes are a par 36, while the second nine are a par 34. The No. 1 handicap hole is the final hole, which measures 436 yards from the black tees with a par four uphill, the Advocate reported.
“We are looking to make the right side of that hole a little more wide open,” said head pro Anthony Martinho. “The trees on that side make that a very tough hole.”
The UMass-Lowell golf team will continue to play its matches there, and now Dracut High School will also call it home at times this fall. Hosting high school sectional tournaments is another possibility for the new course, the Advocate reported.
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