Chesapeake Hills Golf Course Reopens with Limited Services

[newsBot]

This just in from the somd.com Headline News:

Title: Chesapeake Hills Golf Course Reopens with Limited Services

Date: 01-17-2018 08:59 PM

Summary: The clubhouse, including the Grille Room, pro shop and restrooms, remain closed until further notice while work continues to repair damage throughout the building from a burst pipe.

Click here for the full story...

 

[MR47930]

That entire place is a cluster f*ck!

I wish a private organization would buy it and turn it into a REAL golf course instead of half-assing EVERYTHING.

 

[vraiblonde]

That entire place is a cluster f*ck!

I wish a private organization would buy it and turn it into a REAL golf course instead of half-assing EVERYTHING.

I like Chesapeake Hills but you're right - it would be great if they'd do something with it. In that area, you'd think they'd have a proper golf club environment and well-tended course. I'm sure the demographic is there to support it.

 

[MR47930]

I like Chesapeake Hills but you're right - it would be great if they'd do something with it. In that area, you'd think they'd have a proper golf club environment and well-tended course. I'm sure the demographic is there to support it.

I enjoy it as well, I would even consider myself a "regular" there. I've probably played there no less than 1000 times and i've spent even more $$ in the bar area. Its just annoying seeing the potential that exists there and being hamstrung because its county owned.

- They "renovated" the back 9 last year and spent >$50,000 and it looks worse than it did before.
- They spent 10x that redoing all of the bunkers only to not maintain them.
- Their greens are actually in ok shape, but when you play early in the morning the dew on the grass makes it impossible to putt. They make a $50 device that knocks the dew off and should be done to all of the greens before play begins.
- The bar/clubhouse area looks like you stepped back in time and needs a major overhaul.
- The banquet hall in the back hasn't seen a patron in over a decade, people would pay good money to rent that for work functions, holiday parties, wedding venues etc. (assuming it was decently renovated)
- The driving range is all dirt, they should pour concrete and put a few nice mats out so they dont have to worry about maintenance.


I could go on all day. It just sucks seeing the potential and knowing that our tax dollars are being utterly wasted.

 

[Grumpy]

I enjoy it as well, I would even consider myself a "regular" there. I've probably played there no less than 1000 times and i've spent even more $$ in the bar area. Its just annoying seeing the potential that exists there and being hamstrung because its county owned.

- They "renovated" the back 9 last year and spent >$50,000 and it looks worse than it did before.
- They spent 10x that redoing all of the bunkers only to not maintain them.
- Their greens are actually in ok shape, but when you play early in the morning the dew on the grass makes it impossible to putt. They make a $50 device that knocks the dew off and should be done to all of the greens before play begins.
- The bar/clubhouse area looks like you stepped back in time and needs a major overhaul.
- The banquet hall in the back hasn't seen a patron in over a decade, people would pay good money to rent that for work functions, holiday parties, wedding venues etc. (assuming it was decently renovated)
- The driving range is all dirt, they should pour concrete and put a few nice mats out so they dont have to worry about maintenance.


I could go on all day. It just sucks seeing the potential and knowing that our tax dollars are being utterly wasted.

 

[MR47930]

I enjoy it as well, I would even consider myself a "regular" there. I've probably played there no less than 1000 times and i've spent even more $$ in the bar area. Its just annoying seeing the potential that exists there and being hamstrung because its county owned.

- They "renovated" the back 9 last year and spent >$50,000 and it looks worse than it did before.
- They spent 10x that redoing all of the bunkers only to not maintain them.
- Their greens are actually in ok shape, but when you play early in the morning the dew on the grass makes it impossible to putt. They make a $50 device that knocks the dew off and should be done to all of the greens before play begins.
- The bar/clubhouse area looks like you stepped back in time and needs a major overhaul.
- The banquet hall in the back hasn't seen a patron in over a decade, people would pay good money to rent that for work functions, holiday parties, wedding venues etc. (assuming it was decently renovated)
- The driving range is all dirt, they should pour concrete and put a few nice mats out so they dont have to worry about maintenance.


I could go on all day. It just sucks seeing the potential and knowing that our tax dollars are being utterly wasted.

I'll add that none of this would bother me if they were charging $25 a round but in the summer on the weekend they want ~$45 to ride 18. For that price I'll continue to drive over to base, Breton Bay, or up to Lake Presidential.

 

[Grumpy]

For that price I'll continue to drive over to base, Breton Bay, or up to Lake Presidential.

You ought to try Oak Creek, 5,10 minutes from Lake Presidential, cheaper and a better course IMO

 

[Chris0nllyn]

I'll add that none of this would bother me if they were charging $25 a round but in the summer on the weekend they want ~$45 to ride 18. For that price I'll continue to drive over to base, Breton Bay, or up to Lake Presidential.

Chesapeake Hills is okay for a quick game that's somewhat close to home. It's about the same distance for me to drive to Renditions and it's 100x better course.

 

[MR47930]

Chesapeake Hills is okay for a quick game that's somewhat close to home. It's about the same distance for me to drive to Renditions and it's 100x better course.

Define "quick"...Fortunately most of the time when I do play there I try to get a tee time around 0700. On the few occasions where I've had to start later its been a 5-6 hour round because they dont have a starter or marshal monitoring pace of play.

 

[MR47930]

Chesapeake Hills is okay for a quick game that's somewhat close to home. It's about the same distance for me to drive to Renditions and it's 100x better course.

Define "quick"...Fortunately most of the time when I do play there I try to get a tee time around 0700. On the few occasions where I've had to start later its been a 5-6 hour round because they dont have a starter or marshal monitoring pace of play.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Define "quick"...Fortunately most of the time when I do play there I try to get a tee time around 0700. On the few occasions where I've had to start later its been a 5-6 hour round because they dont have a starter or marshal monitoring pace of play.

Admittedly I don't play there that often.

My tee time is usually around 8:00-8:30 and we tend to finish around 12-1, depending how many are in our group.

I played on a course in NY a few months ago and had a group in front of us taking their sweet time. Guys had a bluetooth speaker, jamming some ####ty alt-rock crap.

 

[vraiblonde]

- The driving range is all dirt, they should pour concrete and put a few nice mats out so they dont have to worry about maintenance.

When we were there a few months ago they were doing something to the driving range - seeding or something.

- The banquet hall in the back hasn't seen a patron in over a decade, people would pay good money to rent that for work functions, holiday parties, wedding venues etc. (assuming it was decently renovated)

Seriously, that used to be a nice venue way back in the day. The outdoor pavilion, too. There's no reason why they couldn't fix it up and rent it out for events.

 

[MR47930]

When we were there a few months ago they were doing something to the driving range - seeding or something.



Seriously, that used to be a nice venue way back in the day. The outdoor pavilion, too. There's no reason why they couldn't fix it up and rent it out for events.

There again, they took the time/money/manpower to till, level and seed and water the upper tier of the driving range. The only problem is that they seeded it with fescue, not a turf grass for a golf course. Fescue doesn't tolerate heat well, which is why it turns brown in the summer months when you put it in your yard. Also, it doesnt do well when cut really short like a turf grass that every other golf course in the world has. And it doesn't spread like a turf grass so when you take a divot the only way for it to grow back is to reseed.

Edit: When you guys are back in town, stop in there and you'll see thats its a mess again and that money would have been better spent either putting in a turf grass or pouring concrete, putting down mats and calling it a day. That way they could spend more time/money actually improving the course!

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

That entire place is a cluster f*ck!

This is what happens when government tries to operate a business. Government has no business being in, or running a business. Taking and spending tax dollars to compete with local area businesses for limited discretionary dollars. But hey, now they want to spend over $2 million to replace the clubhouse. Funny how some pipes froze and just burst recently in the place. I think it was done intentionally, no heat in that part of the building. Think about it for a moment. That building has been there for over 30 years, and now a pipe bursts? Sell the place and be done with it.

 

[MR47930]

If I may ...



This is what happens when government tries to operate a business. Government has no business being in, or running a business. Taking and spending tax dollars to compete with local area businesses for limited discretionary dollars. But hey, now they want to spend over $2 million to replace the clubhouse. Funny how some pipes froze and just burst recently in the place. I think it was done intentionally, no heat in that part of the building. Think about it for a moment. That building has been there for over 30 years, and now a pipe bursts? Sell the place and be done with it.

I agree with the government having no place in business but this could be a money maker for the county with just a little effort. Its the only real course in one of the wealthiest areas of the Country. They were actually profitable last year but I believe the profits are put into a "pot" and divided up between all of the other county projects, instead of being reinvested into the course. As far as being done intentionally, I doubt that, that week was one of the coldest we've had in quite some time. I believe a request to insulate the space was denied by the county.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

I agree with the government having no place in business but this could be a money maker for the county with just a little effort. Its the only real course in one of the wealthiest areas of the Country. They were actually profitable last year but I believe the profits are put into a "pot" and divided up between all of the other county projects, instead of being reinvested into the course. As far as being done intentionally, I doubt that, that week was one of the coldest we've had in quite some time. I believe a request to insulate the space was denied by the county.

It doesn't matter how cold it was. If the heat was on, the pipes would not have froze. The place should be a money maker for private enterprise. For the extremely small percentage of county residents that actually play golf, it is a waste of county resources.

 

[vraiblonde]

For the extremely small percentage of county residents that actually play golf, it is a waste of county resources.

I don't think that's true. Ches Hills pulls from all of Calvert AND parts of St. Mary's. There are usually a ton of people out golfing on a nice day and you usually see people at the driving range as well.

The beef is not that people don't use it; it's that the venue could be a profitable enterprise with just a little effort, like MR said. Even though Ches Hills is right up the road from me AND my golfing buddy, the course at Pax is much nicer so we typically go there instead. If they'd spruce up Ches Hills, we'd go there all the time.

 

[MR47930]

If I may ...



It doesn't matter how cold it was. If the heat was on, the pipes would not have froze. The place should be a money maker for private enterprise. For the extremely small percentage of county residents that actually play golf, it is a waste of county resources.

Not necessarily true. If the pipes were near an exterior wall, not insulated than certainly they could have froze even with the heat on indoors.

Also, it wouldn’t be a waste of county resources if they were extremely profitable, which they have the potential to be, and then reinvested those profits into the county, or dare say, lowered taxes!