Cold Spring Country Club to Open

This will be the first golf course to open in Western Massachusetts since the summer of 2002.

Cold Spring Country Club, Belchertown, Mass., will open for public play on June 1, ending approximately 15 years of legal and financial troubles of previous owners, reports Massachusetts’ The Republican.

What golfers will find is a scenic, playable course described as having a “Crumpin-Fox” feel and daily-fee access.

“We’ll be a high-end facility with moderately priced greens fees and membership rates that are appealing,” says Cold Spring CC Manager and Head Golf Professional Bill Tragakis. “A start-up course requires a lot of work, but we’re going to offer people a fantastic experience.”

The 260-acre property will be the first golf course to open in Western Massachusetts since the summer of 2002, when The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick and Ledges Golf Course in South Hadley each opened.

The original Cold Spring CC project began during the golf’s boom, and the first rounds will mark the end of a trail of misfortunes since talk of building the club on a former apple orchard began in 1997.

Construction started in 2000, but was derailed when a business partner with the original ownership group was convicted of wire fraud. The project then fell into the lap of an on-site contractor, who came within “weeks” of opening before he ultimately defaulted on a $4.2 million mortgage.

The course was then purchased, in partial state of completion, for approximately $2.35 million at a foreclosure auction in 2009.

Today, the course plays at 6,521 yards from the black tees, where the course rating is 71.7 and slope is 130. The whites play at 67.8 with a course rating of 120.

Course conditions and maintenance are under the care and direction of Superintendent Doug Stachura, who spent 30 years at Springfield Country Club, and first assistant Robbie Dickson.

“We had a full growing season in 2010, to see how the turf reacts to weather conditions,” Dickson said. “That can prevent a lot of problems and it was a huge reason the owners wanted to wait.”

Water hazards are few and its bunkers, with bright-white sand, are filled with crushed marble from quarries in North Adams.

The 6,700-square foot clubhouse, with a first-floor pro shop, upstairs restaurant and west-facing, outdoor patio, is located halfway up the “mountain.”

Plans for as many as 150 homes and a banquet facility are eyed for the top of the hill, with panoramic views in all directions.

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