The resurrection of a beloved old course.

[Buckeyebowman]

This is kind of an involved story, so please have patience.

We played Avalon Golf Course today. It's located in Howland Twp. in NE Ohio, but is owned by the city of Warren of which Howland is a suburb. It's an old course, built back in the early '20's. Hogan, Snead, and Nelson played here. I was told that Hogan had a particular liking for the back nine!

But, the city of Warren didn't actually run the course. They would hire an independent contractor to do that, and the course was in the hands of one particular family for many years, until it was discovered that they were embezzling! They were fired, lawsuits were filed, and the course management was put up for bid. There were no takers! If you know one thing about NE Ohio, know that we are "overbuilt" for golf! We have more courses than you can shake a stick at, though not quite as many as just a few years ago. I think it's kind of miraculous that we've gone two whole years without a course or two being closed and put up for auction!

Anyway, 2 years after the course was closed, someone was found who wanted to try to run it. They faced a Herculean task since the place looked like a hay field, the city of Warren having done no maintenance whatsoever. It was rough! Weeds growing everywhere, including broad leaf weeds in the greens. We kind of wrote the place off.

What a revelation today was, right from pulling into the parking lot! There were more vehicles there than I have seen in a long time! On your way to the pro shop you walk past the putting green. No weeds, looked beautiful. That condition continued throughout the round. We've been in a drought, and I was expecting dry, even burnt fairways and lots of roll! But the fairways were lush, and the greens putted fast and true!

At the end of the day I was delighted! I really don't know who is now managing the place, but it's back up to snuff! I would now include this on a playlist of area courses, since it's one of my favorites. It's no pushover! It will challenge you. If you use any of the online services, the course is now called "Old Avalon", since across the street a private developer has built Avalon Lakes, a Pete Dye track, quite spectacular, and "kinda, sorta" private. Kinda, sorta, in that if you show up and are willing to drop a hundy and a half, and there's nothing else going on, you can play. From all the cars parked over there, it looks like they are doing land office business! Meanwhile, we played 18 for $22!

Like to see something come back from the dead. Any body else have a similar story?

[iacas]

This is the course across from Avalon Lakes, no?

[Buckeyebowman]

Yes, it is. It's been around for a long time. Avalon Lakes not so much, but the Lakes is a dream! Nice to see Old Avalon brought back!

[iacas]

1 minute ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Yes, it is. It's been around for a long time. Avalon Lakes not so much, but the Lakes is a dream! Nice to see Old Avalon brought back!

I don't remember ever seeing it closed. We've won three straight AMCC Championships at Avalon Lakes across the street (and four more in a row at Oak Tree before that).

It's been a good year for growing grass and having a well conditioned golf course.

[Buckeyebowman]

Well. it's a good year for growing grass as long as you keep it watered! Plus herbicides.  Seems like the first outfit that tried to bring the course back forgot about that. Thus the weeds!

And don't try to tell me the course was never closed, I have local knowledge. We'd drive up SR11 on our way to Walnut Run, and look at the ruin of Avalon on our left. And then look at it on our right as we drove back home. It was sickening! Knee high grass! This was one of our favorite courses. Do you think we didn't pay attention to it?!

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Buckeyebowman said:

And don't try to tell me the course was never closed, I have local knowledge. We'd drive up SR11 on our way to Walnut Run, and look at the ruin of Avalon on our left. And then look at it on our right as we drove back home. It was sickening! Knee high grass! This was one of our favorite courses. Do you think we didn't pay attention to it?!

You're reading too much into it. I don't think @iacas was saying you are wrong and the course wasn't closed, he's just saying he didn't remember it himself. No need to get defensive about it 

[iacas]

12 minutes ago, billchao said:

You're reading too much into it. I don't think @iacas was saying you are wrong and the course wasn't closed, he's just saying he didn't remember it himself. No need to get defensive about it 

I wasn't. I'm pretty sure we saw play on it in 2017 and 2016. It wasn't weeds in October, 2015 IIRC either - satellite imagery confirms that.

So if it was closed for a few years, that had to be maybe 2013/14?

[JonMA1]

11 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Like to see something come back from the dead. Any body else have a similar story?

The course that is almost within walking distance of my house wasn't dead four years ago, but it was starting to smell like it.

The old owner pissed a lot of locals off. He was a little less than honest at times - offering, for example, an "unlimited" yearly membership for a low price.... and not bothering to print or tell any of us walkers that a cart was mandatory. He wanted to charge the local high school team full rates to play matches but backed off when they simply chose to make another course their "home". 

As business declined, he made further cut backs and everything just went to hell.

He lost the course after 2014. The bank that took it over hired an out of town golf course management group to run the place while they had it up for sale. Management kept the same superintendent (for a couple years) and gave him the necessary resources. He really turned the course around. The fairways which were once described as dying cow pastures, came back to life. With a few exceptions, the course was back to decent shape. At some point this year, management fired the superintendent(???).

It was finally purchased late this year by local business owners and they hired the superintendent back while getting rid of the management group. Sadly, they look to be charging premium rates for an "ok" course. I hope they do well and the course succeeds, but for me there are just too many better membership options within a 20 minute drive. I'll still take advantage of their twilight and off-season rates and do my best to help support it.

[Buckeyebowman]

18 hours ago, iacas said:

I wasn't. I'm pretty sure we saw play on it in 2017 and 2016. It wasn't weeds in October, 2015 IIRC either - satellite imagery confirms that.

So if it was closed for a few years, that had to be maybe 2013/14?

Oh, OK. Maybe even earlier like 2011/12. Yes, it was open for play in 2016 for sure, because we played it. I suppose I could search the Warren Tribune-Chronicle archives for articles about the course, because it was a big deal around here. There were a lot of people hoping that the guy who owns Avalon Lakes would take it over, but that didn't materialize.

Anyway, when the course first re-opened for play we were front and center! The conditioning was distressing to say the least! When we played yesterday we were astounded. The greens were back! As were the fairways. The only thing they are letting go are most of the bunkers, bunker maintenance and restoration being as expensive as they are. However, they have killed all the weeds in them and have established actual turf grass there. I know there's not supposed to be any such thing as "grass bunkers", but I wouldn't know what else to call them.

What really gladdened my heart was all the cars in the parking lot! People are really coming out to play the old lady again, which means income, which means the management can continue doing what it's doing. I also noticed that I didn't recognize any of the people working there. Seems like a new regime is in charge that actually knows something about golf course maintenance!

Sorry for any misunderstanding on my part.