Eagle Creek sold (maybe)

[Marcos]

News flash, this just in off the gossip press,Eagle Creek sold to Guess who? Club Link of course.Let the rumours begin.Just herd this from a friend of mine who says he has the Skinny on the latest transaction.Remember you herd it here first.

[MusicMan]

Lets not start rumours.... wait till its in ink, then we can talk about it....

[Marcos]

As i said just a rumour did not mean to ruffle any feathers.

[Indio]

As i said just a rumour did not mean to ruffle any feathers.

You didn't Marcos.... there was already another thread on this topic this week and 'Junior' was just repeating what he and others said in that one!

[PEI Golfing]

You know my feelings from previous posts, that the Clublink rumours seem to be created by Clublink themselves = More Memberships.

Having said that, lets say hypothetically CL has purchased Eagle Creek.

Obviously, it will be one of their Platinum level courses, or do you think they can boost it up to Prestige....... If it is Platinum level, my guess at the membership entrance fee will be around $25,000.

[Hacker]

I don't think that the initial initiation fee will be anywhere near 25K. If, for the sake of this discussion, EC did become the latest CL course, it is a little different from most other CL acquisitions in that is has no pre-existing members to draw from. I think the initial memberships will be fairly reasonable because they will need to establish a base membership.

I think that they will also have to factor in the fact that Kanata Lakes is only 15 minutes away, how many 20K plus inititations can they hope to sell in such a small geographic area.

**Note** I don't want to take any credit for these thoughts because they came up in a discussion that I had on this topic with another person who will remain nameless, BUT they make perfect sence to me so I'm passing them on for the purposes of this Hypothetical discussion

[Indio]

**Note** I don't want to take any credit for these thoughts because they came up in a discussion that I had on this topic with another person who will remain nameless, BUT they make perfect sence to me so I'm passing them on for the purposes of this Hypothetical discussion

I knew your wife was telling you what to say all the time!

[Hacker]

I knew your wife was telling you what to say all the time!

What? Do you think that you have the market cornered on marrying smart women??

[Indio]

What? Do you think that you have the market cornered on marrying smart women??

Ya know, I have NEVER claimed to be a smart individual, but that is one statement that I am going to keep away from.......

[Hacker]

Ya know, I have NEVER claimed to be a smart individual, but that is one statement that I am going to keep away from.......

Good thinking......wouldn't want to spend your Birthday night on the couch now would you????........I guess you must have received that shipment of little blue pills that I sent over

[Indio]

Good thinking......wouldn't want to spend your Birthday night on the couch now would you????........I guess you must have received that shipment of little blue pills that I sent over

[PEI Golfing]

Further to our hypothetical discussions re: CL purchasing EC.

I would say that The Marshes would see a big benefit. There are many golfers I have met who occasionally play The Marshes, but play most of their golf at Eagle Creek. They enjoy playing championship courses and they say EC wins out over The Marshes.

If this sale occurs, then they either join the CL crowd which means dropping some significant bucks $$. If that is not an option then the occasional round at The Marshes will then become regular rounds.

[Indio]

If this sale occurs, then they either join the CL crowd which means dropping some significant bucks $$. If that is not an option then the occasional round at The Marshes will then become regular rounds.

I am of the opinion that if CL does procure EC, then it will be the best course they have in the Ottawa area. Now, having said that, they are going to have to price the buy in attractively to draw the members there bdue to the location. I just love that course but the distance to get there makes it a very unattractive membership club for everyday play, unless you live in the west end and they already have a quality club in the west..... South or East makes much more sense. Having said that I am always wrong so they will probably pick it up, make it a $25K Premium course

[Colby]

I am of the opinion that if CL does procure EC, then it will be the best course they have in the Ottawa area. Now, having said that, they are going to have to price the buy in attractively to draw the members there bdue to the location. I just love that course but the distance to get there makes it a very unattractive membership club for everyday play, unless you live in the west end and they already have a quality club in the west..... South or East makes much more sense. Having said that I am always wrong so they will probably pick it up, make it a $25K Premium course

Clublink has supposedly stated that they don't want to buy any fixer uppers. They are about to drop another 300K into Talon to fix drainage, another carryover of trying to fix up an older course. So there are very few courses in Ottawa that fit the bill, EC, Stonebridge, Camelot, etc. I think in time Stonebridge will be added to the mix, but that won't be for a few years yet. I think EC will be much sooner...

If CL has bought EC, I think you will see a full summer of public play as they build up the membership levels, this is what they did with National Pines. I'm sure there are a number of Kanata members who will transfer out there. They will have an initial membership blitz with reduced initiation fees for a few weeks, then the price will start to go up. I also think it will sit at Platinum level as a selling point for the other clubs in the area. Setting it as a Prestige course would limit the playing by members at Hautes Plaines and Greyhawk, and they need to sell memberships at Hautes Plaines (which was one of the reasons they went Gold)

[Weazl]

In Today's OttawaSun: http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Othe...99648-sun.html

[Marcos]

Just herd on 1310 Oldies radio station at 7.30 that Club link is talking to Mr Lacasse about buying Eagle Creek.This is NOT a rumour but seems to be close to the truth.

[rezadue]

Here is a hypothetical question:

Providing you don't have to pay initiation AND EC joins the CL ranks, would you shell out the $3k to $4 to become a CL member?

[Kilroy]

Mr Lacasse cancelled the Featured Course site for Eagle Creek for 2007. He has been with us since Feb 1997. He said he was cutting costs.

[Colby]

Here is a hypothetical question:

Providing you don't have to pay initiation AND EC joins the CL ranks, would you shell out the $3k to $4 to become a CL member?

You mean 3-4K a year in dues?

[Colby]

Mr Lacasse cancelled the Featured Course site for Eagle Creek for 2007. He has been with us since Feb 1997. He said he was cutting costs.

That's an interesting turn of events

[Hacker]

3K - 4K a year is more that I've ever spent on Gree Fees in one year so I can't see myself doing that.......I also can't see them totally waving the initiation fee - attractively priced yes, waived, NO

[jeffc]

it'd be a shame if it were sold but I only play there once a year or so, so its not that big a deal for me and it's a long way from my house. As for joining, I would never get my $ out of it since I'm lucky to get 30 rounds in per year. For those that are CL members, this is a great addition, despite the loss to the public players.

[Colby]

Greyhawk is one of the cheaper Gold courses at just under 3K for the year. Kanata is the cheapest Platinum course at under 3.4K. Stonebridge, for an example, is just under 2.2K for a full season, and does not include the driving range. Add a range membership for another couple of hundred or so(500 at the Marshes), and Stonebridge is running at approximately 2.5K. Sure there are other courses out there that are cheaper, and some more expensive like The Marshes at almost $4K, Emerald Links is 2K, Manderley is 1.6K, etc. But it is not comparing apples to apples as the case may be. Again, it's all a personal choice, and you need to look at what is important. Different people have different needs.

[Marcos]

I agree with Jeffc,no big deal as i only plauy it once a year and i have several friends who are Club Link members so i will still get out to play.Another one bites the dust.

[Shivas Irons]

I already mentioned in a previous thread who my source is - the person is NOT a Clublink employee. This is a done deal already.

[Sakuraba]

Well, it certainly looks that way. I hope Colby is right, & there is at least a full summer of public play left.

[hoolio]

Well, it certainly looks that way. I hope Colby is right, & there is at least a full summer of public play left.

Yeah, it will be tough finding another championship course where I can administer a severe "whooping" to you in match play.

[Sakuraba]

A ten 'capper like me vs a scratch player like you (I think you gave me 4 or 5 strokes?) I stood my ground on the front, then the beer got to me on the back...

I am still looking forward to a rematch this summer. Do you think I'll have to join Clublink for this to work?

[jmr73]

Well, it certainly looks that way. I hope Colby is right, & there is at least a full summer of public play left.

I would tend to think it would go that way. Even though over the past few years Clublink has been getting rid of their daily fee courses, I can't see how they could have a completely private EC right away.

I would think they would want to keep it open so they could attract new members and sell them on the CL experience before closing it to the public in 2008 or 2009.

Or maybe they will keep it as a permanent daily fee... Rolling Hills??

Maybe they want to develop the land out there with plans for housing or a resort course.... is that even possible? Seems like there is a lot of open land around the course... who owns it?

[Colby]

A ten 'capper like me vs a scratch player like you (I think you gave me 4 or 5 strokes?) I stood my ground on the front, then the beer got to me on the back...

I am still looking forward to a rematch this summer. Do you think I'll have to join Clublink for this to work?

It all depends on how it fits your playing profile. I normally play close to 100 rounds a year. This past year was a bit of an anomoly for me. So if I get 75% of my rounds at Greyhawk, my fees work out to be:

3000 (close enough) / 75 rounds = $40/round if I play no other Clublink course which is cheaper than a lot of weekend rates in the Ottawa Valley. But let's add in the 5-6 rounds at Le Maitre every year (that's worth 7-800 as I used to play Le Geant or Le Diable) So now it's 2250/75 = $30/round. Add in my Muskoka rounds, trips to Montreal, Kanata, Hautes Plaines, those probably saved me 5-600 depending on where I play (maybe up to 1000) and it's now 1750/75 = $23/round. That's a very cheap price to pay for the amount of golf that I play.

Again, this fits how I like to play. It's not for everyone.