Country Clubs & Semi Private Golf Courses (Cincinnati, Hamilton: buying, price)

[Wilson513]

I can say that every year that they have a membership drive I get a personal call or visit from a member at Hyde Park Country Club touting very small entrance fee and minimums. So, I would definitely call there to see.

[SWOH]

Very interesting thread! Always wondered about the golf industry - thanks for the perspective Kjbrill!

Anyways, I've been to the Cincinnati Country Club in Hyde Park and at least the club is quite nice from my one experience there. I know nothing about the course.

[Wilson513]

OK, got some more info from a buddy. Kenwood was $60,000 but they will work with a payment plan. Best course, Coldstream. Most exclusive Camargo. Coldstream and Camargo are in the $25k to $40k range.

Best bargain for a new arrival Hyde Park.

[veetzvino]

Any idea on annuals for Hyde Park and also what the course is like? What's the vibe there?

Thanks!

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by labarbmb

Any idea on annuals for Hyde Park and also what the course is like? What's the vibe there?

Thanks!

I am trying to remember what they touted to me last time. It was not much as I recall. Nothing like what I posted for the others.

Hyde Park has a nice vibe. I've been to lunch and dinner there with friends and it looks as though it has a younger crowd than the Triple C Ranch (Cincinnati County Club). My kids loved the pool when they were younger before we had our own backyard pool.

[kjbrill]

Following this thread reminds me of the great changes which have taken place in the golfing industry recently.

Many of the older country clubs dotting the eastern Cincy hilltops from the river to Losantiville still have the large clubhouses and other social amenities. In fact I note how many of them now offer either a golf membership or a social membership. I feel this is the result of both the decline in golfing revenue, increased costs of course maintenance, and the attitude of many to refuse paying large fees for the privilege of playing golf at a single location.

I have noted how several of those responding here made mention of the attractive surroundings of the clubhouse, but none made mention of the condition of the golf course, likely due to while being invited as guests to clubhouse events they have never even played the course.

Golf is a difficult game to play well (score). To score reasonably well takes a lot of play for the resulting coordination. All of the cronies I have played with over the years will flat out state you must play a minimum of two rounds each week during the season just to be able to maintain an ability to consistently play bogey (one over par per hole) golf. For a Par-72 course with 4 Par-3 holes which we discount leaving 14 non Par-3 holes this would be a total of 72 + 14 or a score of 86.

To devote this much time each week to playing golf is not in the equation for many modern families. Dad, when not working, is expected to spend a lot of time with the family.

In recent years Golf as a business has been taking it on the chin. Out close to where I live in Mason, three public play courses have closed. The first was Kingswood Golf Club on Irwin Simpson Rd in Deerfield Township. Rumor was the owners had an offer from Mason to purchase the course. Truth or not, they very rapidly shut the course down and sold it to Deerfield Township for $8 MIL, a rediculous price for the land involved which is slowly (very slowly) converting it into a park.

The second was the Western Row Golf Club at the intersection of Western Row and Mason Montgomery Rd in Mason. If anything, this was my home course. During all of its existence Western Row had only one thing which made us desire to play it - the greens were top notch.
Still trying to figure out why. Can only be one reason, the green designer knew what he was doing and how to overcome the yellow clay of the farm it was built out of. Ask a golfer what is the first thing they want to know about a course and the answer will be the greens. We loved the greens. They would hold a decent approach shot. They held the direction of a putt true to the line. If you putted well on Western Row if was because you knew how to put, no luck involved. The rest of the course, pure crap. By midsummer the fairways, on top of yellow clay soil, were hard as concrete and not a blade of grass to be found. When you hit a drive it was tracked by the puffs of yellow dirt as it hit the ground. Over time, the surviving owner became old and frail and was placed in Otterbein Retirement Center near Lebanon. He had an older single daughter he handled the course operation over to. She literally grew up on that course, but began a series of her own policies which drove everyone away. Suddenly, with no play she put the course up for sale, at an asking price the real estate people should have grinned at. After 4 years it was finally sold and is currently being developed into a single family residential complex plus a strip center on Mason Montgomery Rd.

The third was the Crooked Tree Golf Course in northern Mason. At the end of the current summer season they closed down and announced it would not reopen. Local press indicates Mason City Council rejected their first development plan in Sept. But guess what,there is construction equipment out there as we speak spreading dirt all over the place.

I would be remiss if I did not remark on the Golf Center at Kings Island next to I-71 with an entrance off of Kings Mills Rd. This was an original development at the time of Kings Island being built.

I mentioned earlier Kingswood sold quickly to Deerfield Township. I frankly think they had their wires crossed. The current owners of the Golf Center at Kings Island had decided to put the whole thing up for sale to high density development. In fact, they had already sold off some parcels of the land. This is what got Mason excited. They offered to buy whatever had not already been sold. A good or bad financial deal

I now look at what a hodge podge they have created and go OMG. Mason, don't get too excited. Just tell the Lindner Family Tennis Center representatives you will be happy to sell them the property surrounding the tennis center.

[flashes1]

I miss Kingswood. It was the perfect course for me. Big trees, inexpensive, big fairways, and unpretentious.

[h Steve]

Just curious as to anyones opinion of Maketewah and Losantiville Country Clubs as they are in my 'backyard', so to speak. I'm not a golfer and the last time I was on Maketewah's property was when I caddied there some 50yrs ago. A casual glance from the street as I pass by both properties seem to be kept up well and in season both appear to be busy with golfers.

[gregbe]

Does anyone have any info on Clovernook CC in NCH? I drive by it everyday. I used to caddy there many years ago. I wonder how they are doing

[maxmodder]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Golf Courses are all about in the same boat today - struggling. I don't know of any which are not.

You mentioned being more familiar with courses near Mason. I assume Shaker Run near Lebanon would be one of those. The main course was originally built by Armco Steel to rival the NCR courses in Dayton. And Shaker was a first class operation. But as Armco has fallen on hard times, so has the golf course. It has changed ownership multiple times and in my opinion is a ghost of its former glorious self. It is not private and I don't believe has much of a chance of becoming same. The property adjacent to the course, which also houses a short par-3/4 course was recently deeded to Warren Co as a public park area. This is all part of Armoco wanting to divorce itself from any public obligations.

The Wetherington Golf Club west of I-75 in Butler Co. is holding its own. It is a private club and appears to be weathering the current storm. The Heritage Club in Mason is at the top of the private prestige list, and seems to be holding its own. Four Bridges just west across Warren-Butler Co Rd in Butler Co is also holding up well.

Once you get past the few private courses in the area, all bets are off.

The golf course business in Cincinnati is just like the rest of the country, it stinks. It seems like at least one course a year gives up and folds. I believe several more would do so except for the fact no one is standing in line to buy their land for subdivisions.

Know anyone that gives golf lessons to a beginner that doesn't charge the cost of a yearly country club membership for a single lesson lol?