In spite of the doom and gloom hovering over much of the golf course development world, 2010 was a very good year for me. In May, I opened up Champion Hills Golf Course, a new private course located in Victor, New York (a suburb of Rochester, NY) The course has done very well in its inaugural year and the future looks bright. It is a unique type of golf course that I refer to as a “cottage course” and it fits a distinct niche market that adds to the fine palette of golf available in the greater Rochester area.
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| Champion Hills - 3rd hole |
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| Champion Hills - 9th Hole |
Through the summer months and into the late fall of 2010, I spent more than 45 days on site directing the construction of the final 9 holes at the Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club in Saugerties, NY. These are the final 9 holes for a new 18 hole course (I have been told it is the only new 18 hole course currently being built in the Northeast.) The first nine holes have already opened for play. Four of the second nine holes have been grassed and the earthmoving on the remaining 5 holes are complete. Final grassing will be completed by Memorial Day of this year and a Labor Day opening for the entire course has been set. In addition, more development within the golf course “village” is planned. Stay tuned for this and other announcements in regards to the project. We are all looking forward to a big opening party early in the fall.
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| Lazy Swan - 9th Hole |
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| Lazy Swan - 10th Hole |
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| Lazy Swan Construction - 3rd hole bunker complex |
2011 will bring yet another new course construction in New York State. Plans are set for breaking ground on Barrow’s View Golf Course for June of this year. The course will feature several holes that overlook beautiful Skaneateles Lake and the lake valley. My focus for this project will be on the ecological design of the property. We are going above and beyond the governmental requirements of the project to ensure that we protect and enhance the lake watershed. Skaneateles Lake is one of the cleanest lakes in the United States. I will be discussing this project more as the construction gets under way.
In addition to the new courses, several renovation projects are in the works. So while the economy continues to negatively impact recreation such as golf, I feel fortunate to be involved with several great projects. If all goes as planned, I will have opened 3 new golf courses in 3 years during the current economic downturn in which many more courses are closing than are opening in this country. Here’s to hoping the trend continues through 2012 and beyond.
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