Page 4 - 2019 Golf Guide

First Cut
Regional golf news and notables.
By Jim Finnegan
Improving Their Game Golf Club (36th Mid-Amateur Championship), While most local golfers hibernate from the Stonewall Old/North Course (119th BMW sport during the winter, many golf clubs use the Philadelphia Amateur Championship),
down time to upgrade, renovate and innovate. Huntington Valley Country Club (115th
Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia is Open Championship) and Applebrook Golf
undergoing the most significant offseason work it’s had in decades. Under the supervision of superintendent Jay Parisien, the club is executing an extensive tree-management
plan that will see 60 taken down and many others trimmed back for safety, improved turf health and playability. Other improvements includes tee leveling, bunker rebuilding, fan installations and green surround work.
Kings Creek Country Club in Rehoboth Beach, Del., is in the midst of a major renovation program that started last year with the creation of a significantly expanded practice area adjacent to clubhouse holes 1 and 6. The next stage calls for replacement of bunkers throughout the course.
Gladwyne, Pa.’s Philadelphia Country Club will unveil a new resort-style pool for 2019. They also plan to make improvements to the Centennial golf course and create a driving range and a short-game area
for the 2020 season.
In West Chester, Pa.,
Concord Country Club is
all in like Flynn. Under the
direction of Jim Nagle of
Forse Design, the course
is undergoing a four-hole
facelift, incorporating design
styles of original architect
William Flynn. Work is
underway to construct a new 14th
hole, with plans for a new 15th
hole and modifications to the 16th
and 18th starting in 2020. “Flynn took his inspiration from the seventh hole at Pine Valley, says course superintendent Greg D’Antonio. “Our planned implementation of a great hazard or hell’s-half-acre-style bunker on the 16th is just one of many highlights in store.”
Concord also has a newly rebuilt pool and tennis facility and is in the initial stages of a clubhouse improvement plan.
Kudos and Awards
Congratulations to Fritz Schranck for winning the Delaware Press Association nonfiction award for his book, Hole by Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware’s Cape Region and Beyond. The longtime Cape Gazette golf columnist has compiled some of his best work and insights from the past two decades.
Looks like another great season ahead for the Golf Association of Philadelphia and its major events. Venues include Rolling Green
GG4 Golf Guide 2019 | todaymediainc.com
Club (117th H. Patterson Cup). We’re especially looking forward to the Philly Amateur at Stonewall June 10-13. “Stonewall will continue a great tradition of top amateur golf when we host the championship this summer,” says head pro Ryan Lagergren.
Heritage Shores Golf Club in Bridgeville, Del., is making room for some new hardware on its trophy shelf after being named the “No. 1 Golf Course in Delaware” by Golf Advisor for 2018. If you want to see what all the hype is about, check out their “Play Like a Member” offer.
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.’s Green Valley Country Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary. William Flynn designed the wonderful layout there back in 1919.
Change of Place, Change of Face
Dover native Will Scarborough takes over the new head professional
duties at The Peninsula Golf Club in Millsboro, Del., a role
he formerly had at Heritage Shores a few miles up the
road in Bridgeville.
A hearty handshake to
two new head pros: Matthew Jarrell at Hartefeld National
in Avondale, Pa., and Andrew Turner at Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
The Inside Track
Radley Run's Trackman simulator
find out the other metrics of your swing. Book your time on the simulator at www. rockmanorgolf.com, or call (302) 295-1400. Rates are $45 an hour.
The best happy hour in West Chester, Pa., on a bad-weather day is at Radley Run Country Club, where the new Trackman simulator was installed in January. “Our members and guests have really enjoyed playing indoor golf during the cold days of winter, and the ‘closest to the pin’ contests during happy hour get booked,” says head pro John Kellogg. “Once the weather breaks and we get onto the driving range, we can take the Trackman outside for lessons, club fittings and practice, too.”
Gaining Ground, Losing Ground
Frank Horton, managing partner of Back Creek Golf Cub, shared exciting news about the new golf course coming to Middletown, Del. The Links at St. Anne’s is tentatively slated to debut this June. The course, an original design by Jim Furyk and Alan Liddicoat, is slated to open with 12 holes completed, the rest following by late summer. The clubhouse is already constructed, and a new pool house will be ready for summer.
The property had been in bankruptcy twice prior. It was acquired last year by Buddy Reed, one of the founding partners of Fieldstone Golf Club and the driving force behind the revival of Back Creek Golf Club. The Scottish-links-style, par-71 course will feature eight different water holes. The final design team also includes Joseph Lee, superintendent for Back Creek Golf Club, and Matt Richter, owner and operator of MDR Golf. The current Back Creek Golf Club team will oversee the day-to-day management of the facility.
Will Scarborough
At Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern,
Pa., members have been enjoying their first offseason with the new Golf Performance Center, a three-bay facility with indoor/ outdoor capabilities, state-of-the-art simulators and custom fitting technologies. After working on their game, Applebrook members and guests can check out the new bistro-style dining area, with its new bar.
Meanwhile, head pro Dave McNabb is getting ready to play in the 2019 Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y., May 23-26. McNabb played his first PGA major at the same course in 2013. He tells
us he’s looking forward to the “shorter, more friendly senior layout.”
If you want to play Pebble Beach or Merion and not have to leave Wilmington, check out the new golf simulator at Rock Manor. You can also take an indoor lesson with PGA professional Mike Cole and