Stonebridge

[don820]

Wow, I am really bummed out by Stonebridge. I even bought a house on the course so that I could walk to the clubhouse, but will spend my time now golfing everywhere but Stonebridge.

1 - I've never seen the course in worse shape, there have been threads on this already, but for those who haven't heard, the t-boxes and fairways are dirt. Greens are OK though.

2 - They plowed the driving range and are pouring foundations. It makes me sick to my stomach to see what was supposed to be a high end golf course nix the driving range. To see the old guys whacking balls into a netting on the first tee is really sad. I realize the almighty dollar wins and a couple dozen houses is worth it to them, but it just has to hurt the course resale value considerably, no? A golf course without a driving range is just pathetic.

3 - After dropping the 48 packs last year they dropped the 24 packs this year. The only bulk-buy option now is non-prime time in 10 packs, and even those you have to use weekdays after 1pm or pay another $15 a pop. The break even point on a membership is about 40-45 full rounds (assuming you mix your play time with prime and non-prime times), which pretty much only puts retirees in play. I really don't think they realized how much business those 24 and 48 packs pulled in for them -- groups picking up 6 each, and then invariably pulling in other people to round out 4-somes.

4 - After years of being one of the most punctual courses in the city, they've now become lax (likely to attract more $$$) and play has gone from a solid 4-4.5 hour round to an average of 5+ the last three times I've played there. Last Saturday I bailed on 16 due to slow play to make a party, something I have not had to do in several years.

5 - After using the poor course conditions as an excuse to charge only $60, they're testing to see if they can actually get $75 a round, but this is at most a $50 course now.

The sad thing is that somewhere a course manager is simply blaming the "bad economy" for the fact the parking lot is rarely more than 1/4 full, when in fact there's a tonne of bad decisions that are going to plow this course into the ground.

Very sad.

- Don

[sillywilly]

Very well said, I couldn't agree more. I guess clublinks will not be buying them

[Colby]

Actually this type of course is their specialty!

Very well said, I couldn't agree more. I guess clublinks will not be buying them

[Weazl]

Go ahead, stir the pot you two. Again!

[Colby]

I'm not saying that they are going to take it over, I simply stated that courses in financial troubles, etc, are what they look for a lot of times.

[mberube]

Yep, it’s the ideal opportunity for ClubLink.

[spackler]

I don't know, I was told that when they bulldozed the range, Clublink became a lot less interested.

[LobWedge]

Yep, it’s the ideal opportunity for ClubLink.

Here we go again...

[mberube]

ClubLink has a couple of courses with no range like HP and a few others in GTA. They might be less interested versus the asking price with no range though. Time will tell.

[Hacker]

I really could care less............unless they buy it and offer a stupid low equity price

[mberube]

Here we go again...

There no rumors here. We are just speculating. It’s no secret that the contractor is going to sell the course when the building is done. There is no harm in speculating that CL is in line to purchase the course.

[Hacker]

I'm surprized that they are letting it go the way that they are.....you'd think that they'd get more for a well maintained property

[mberube]

I really could care less............unless they buy it and offer a stupid low equity price

It depends what’s your definition of “stupid low equity price”. That being said, with no range and no club house, I would not be surprised to see something like 3000$ entry fee for the first X number of members. I paid less then that at HP in 2003.

[mberube]

I'm surprized that they are letting it go the way that they are.....you'd think that they'd get more for a well maintained property

It might already be sold...

[jvincent]

Everyone needs to remember that Stonebridge isn't the only course that is suffering from bad conditions.

They had the extra problem this season of not having the irrigation system up and running because of bad planning.

As has been pointed out the greens are in good shape, and they had started to resod the tees boxes so presumably that will solve that problem.

[Hacker]

It depends what’s your definition of “stupid low equity price”. That being said, with no range and no club house, I would not be surprised to see something like 3000$ entry fee for the first X number of members. I paid less then that at HP in 2003.

If it came is as a Gold course for a 3K equity I'd have a serious look at it. I'd also want to know what the the annual dues were

[314314]

I though that there is no equity in clublink...

[3Jack]

I though that there is no equity in clublink...

There isn't.

[jvincent]

Correct, I think they just meant to say "initiation" instead of equity.

[sillywilly]

wow, this is so off topic. who started the club link talk

[justsomeguy]

It depends what’s your definition of “stupid low equity price”. That being said, with no range and no club house, I would not be surprised to see something like 3000$ entry fee for the first X number of members. I paid less then that at HP in 2003.

Stonebridge has had a clubhouse for a couple of years now - quite a nice one actually.

[Section Thirty One]

If Clublink were to buy Stonebridge and offer a stupidly low initiation fee...


























































... i'd have to pass.

[Section Thirty One]

But seriously though, there are a couple of things working against Stonebridge coming in to the CL fold:

a) Lack of range; CL facilities without a range are very much the exception rather than the rule. The only two I can think of are HP and Eagle Ridge.
b) The area is developed out already; consider that the current majority owner (and possible 100% owner, if he gets his way) is a real estate mogul.

[mjf]

On the Clublink front... there's a sign where you check in / pay that says something to the effect of: "Stonebridge is not a Clublink course. Not now... not ever"

[Hearzy]

It's funny the thoughts baout the course, yet it is always booked w/ EG.... I want to play it but never can!

[Colby]

On the Clublink front... there's a sign where you check in / pay that says something to the effect of: "Stonebridge is not a Clublink course. Not now... not ever"

I wouldn't take much stock in that. The proshop guys can put up whatever they want. If the right price comes at the right time, the Monarch corporate guys will make the decision (just like Andre did at Eagle Creek) It could be Clublink, it could be another buyer. Monarch is a real estate company, not a golf management company. If you look at the company's website, www.monarchgroup.net, there is nothing about golf course management. In fact the following statement is about the only thing that deals with golf, and it's to try and sell the houses:

Imagine living in a community that has been awarded the coveted title of Community Of The Year by the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders' Association! This is reality at Stonebridge, Monarch's residential development in Ottawa. Set within 700 acres of rolling countryside, just a twenty-minute drive from downtown Ottawa, Stonebridge offers a large selection of unique residential properties all surrounding the prestigious Stonebridge Golf & Country Club. This award-winning, community offers a full range of exquisitely designed homes, including bungalow and two-storey, executive-style homes, available on 40' and 50' foot lots, many of which overlook the golf course.

In addition, Monarch's parent company, TaylorWimpy has nothing about golf management in their Corporate Responsibility report from 2008 - http://www.taylorwimpey.com/main/cms...le.asp?fi=4267.

Only time will tell what will happen with this golf course.

[Colby]

But seriously though, there are a couple of things working against Stonebridge coming in to the CL fold:

a) Lack of range; CL facilities without a range are very much the exception rather than the rule. The only two I can think of are HP and Eagle Ridge.
b) The area is developed out already; consider that the current majority owner (and possible 100% owner, if he gets his way) is a real estate mogul.

That may be outweighed by the fact that they need a course in the south end of town and this one fits nicely depending on the price.

[stevek]

Stonebridge went from no restrictions on the Corporate Golf to a restriction of golf after 1PM 7 days a week. With the reviews above and the previous threads I have already talked my group out of playing there. (We even opted for paying full pop for Greensmere and The Canadian, rather than playing there.)

[sillywilly]

i'm actually gonna call corp golf and ask them to drop stonebrdige and try to get EL or loch march or canadian on the list

[Weazl]

Drop Stonebridge but keep Poplar Grove and Pineview???? I knew from reading thread's you were attached to your head wasn't screwed on straight but this, I mean really????