Applecross CC, Chester County, PA

[Steve_ Shaffer]

That's right, Applecross not Applebrook. There was an ad in today's Philadelphia Inquirer for this new golf course by Nicklaus Design in Chester County to be part of a Pulte housing development. The exact location is not mentioned in the ad or in the Pulte website. I then checked the Nickluas website and the course was not mentioned but another course was- Overlook in East Brandywine Township. Maybe there has been a name change? Does anyone out there know anything about Applecross?

[Craig_Rokke]

Steve-

www.ebrandywine.org

summer of 04's newsletter details Pulte's acquisition of the
Overlook Farm, and subsequent plans for 600+ homes
and an 18 hole course.

I cringe when I hear "600 homes" and "18 holes" in the same paragraph. It hardly ever works out very well for the course.
In fact, what would be examples of good courses with houses
on most or all golf holes?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Craig

Thanks for the info.

Re housing developments with good courses: There aren't too many examples here in the Philadelphia area. I live in Talamore-ugh. Blue Bell is nearby-ugh. Laurel Creek in NJ is a good course ruined by housing. Hopefully, Kelly Blake Moran's Lederach will be the exception in this area.

There are many quality courses within housing developments elsewhere- California, Arizona & Florida are probably the leaders.

Steve

[Steve Wilson]

Applecross,  though not a country club, on the northwest coast of Scotland is reputedly the highest inhabited village in the British Isles.  And it overlooks the Isle of Skye.  In order to make things relevant I'll say that 600 holes to 18 houses would be a much better ratio.

[Craig_Rokke]

The plans for this course come as no surprise to me. The pie-piece-shaped corrider between rt 401 and rt 322 headed northwest towards Lancaster Cty is  pretty ripe for development. There still is a good amount of open space/small farms that are comparatively inexpensive and still accessible to people living and working in the Western Phila suburbs. In the last 5 years, Stonewall 2, French Creek & Honeybrook have all been built, and now this new course in East Brandywine is in the works. More will probably follow in the future.

[Tom_Doak]

That's why Stonewall was so careful about choosing their property 15 years ago.  The Pew Trust owns all the land down the valley below them, so that view will never go away, and they bought what is now the back nine of the North course way back then, to prevent anyone from building houses next to the original 18.

I even heard a rumor that they had bought the farmland across Route 345 from the North back nine [just north of French Creek GC] to stop a housing development there.

I used to drive route 401 from Chester Springs out to the club with Gil when we were building the original 18.  It was lovely rolling farmland, and I always said when I came back I'd want to drive that way to get in the mood to see the course.  But all those new housing developments have certainly spoiled the mood.

[Dan Herrmann]

I'm not sure about the land on the W side of 345 across from Stonewall 2 and north of hole 12 at French Creek.  I'm think that it's slated for McMansions, but it's (thankfully) tied up in court due to watershed issues.  I do know, however, that the old farm that used to sell quilts (no Sunday Sales, of course!) is now vacant.

The only saving grace is that they're asking SO much for the houses out that way that most folks can't afford them.

Fortunately, Philly hasn't become an Atlanta or Houston with the sprawl and traffic - yet.  Maybe we need a Portland-style urban growth boundry line?

[Rob_Waldron]

I did the feasibility study of the Overlook property for Pulte several years ago. The original plan included some age restricted housing which seemed logical considering that Hershey's Mill was nearly sold out.  

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Rob

This will not be an age restricted community but there will be an age restricted section within the community. If Pulte wanted an entirely age restricted community, they would be using the Del Webb brand.

www.pulte.com/applecross


Steve