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[Dan Herrmann]

Just did some looking around, and here are the numbers for actual people affected by the changes at Aberdeen Proving Ground:

"The proposed net personnel impacts include the loss of approximately 600 permanent party military, 300 civilian employees, and 2800 military and civilian students, and a gain of more than 5300 civilian employees."

(Aberdeen, MD currently has a population of about 14,000)

Just what we need  - another 10K+ (including families) here in the I-95 corridor

[Cory Lewis]

We really should have a treehouse gathering.

I know Sept/October is tough with football, but it'd be a great send-off

I might be interested in arranging something like this.  I'll talk to my old boss and see what I can find out. 

[macm75]

I heard about this a couple weeks ago and I was so hoping it was a bad rumor.  I just came here to read if it was true. 
Sad.  I live outside Philly and I have been convinced, since Beechtree opened, it is the best design and most enjoyable public course in my area.

[Jay Flemma]

I agree Dan.  We should have a GCA day there...maybe stay overnight and play Bulle Rock.

Weren't we once discussing a rejoinder to the Dixie Cup?  The Mason Jar or something?  How about it?

[Matt_Ward]

One of the really neat items in playing Beechtree was when people also played Bulle Rock which is quite close by. The distinctions between the two courses always made for lively talk here on GCA and elsewhere.

Public golf was helped immensely by Beechtree in the greater Baltimore area. So much of what called itself public golf prior to its emergence was nothing more than spotty municipal type courses.

It will be missed.

[Chip Gaskins]

I'm in for a GCA day at Beechtree...just pick a date.

[Dan Herrmann]

Jay - last time I checked, Marland was SOUTH of the Mason-Dixon line

Matt - not just Baltimore, but certainly metro Philly and DC too.

[Jay Flemma]

OK Dan, that's fine...put the branding department on it and come up a slogan, and I'll show up.

Matt ward or Tom Doak...What about Bulle Rock?  Same fate???

[Dan Herrmann]

Jay - Bulle Rock is being approached big  time by housing, but I'm guessng it's more of a Baltimore commuting place than DOD workforce housing (whatever that'd be).  Some pretty expensive stuff there, in other words.

There's a lot of land along US40 - I wonder why the developers didn't go there...  It's actually closer to the Bay.

[Matt_Ward]

Dan, et al:

Do not be surprised once the housing situation has stabilized -- whether short or longer term -- that more golf site locations in the northeast -- especially those at or near primary interstates like 95 and others are targeted for purchase.

The golf slump will make the housing slump seem tame.

[Dan Herrmann]

Matt - good point.

Jay brings up the right future-looking question - is Bulle Rock next?

[Mike_Cirba]

It's a shame.   Beechtree is a blast and I'd personally play it 8 to 2 vs Bulle Rock.

[Jay Flemma]

So lets get answers to the two Qs...when is the Beechtree Treehouse Meeting? and is Bulle Rock in trouble too?

[Dan Chapman]

Unreal.  I literally just checked into a hotel room in Aberdeen so I can play the course tomorrow morning.  This is the first I heard of this.  I've been hoping to play this course for awhile and now that I'm finally here I see this.

[Jay Flemma]

How did you enjoy your day there?  Did you play Bulle Rock too?

[Tim Nugent]

Tom, my condolences.  What do you surmize the low rounds to? Since this was a minimalist course, the construction costs should have been low and you have mentioned that the CH might have been a shade on the high side.  Did they charge too much? Extrapolating your #'s suggest a $75 greens fee - fairly reasonable.  Were they relying on corporate golf outings? Just seems strange that a good public course in an area of average level public courses would struggle to get 20k rnds.  What does Bulle Rock get and how many rnds are they doing?
Also, just curious, doyou know if this place managed in-house or by a mgmt co.?

[Dan Chapman]

I really loved the course, very fun to play.  I had played Bulle Rock a couple of months ago and didn't enjoy it as much as others seem to.  I caught it on a day when it was sopping wet so I know that didn't help.  It's really ashame that Beechtree has to go as it is a great experience.  I hope to get down there again before it closes for good.  You could definitely tell that the staff is pretty distraught about the news.

[Tom_Doak]

Tim:

The posted weekend green fee was $95 ... but with discounting in the spring and fall and weekday afternoons, the average green fee was more like $70 to $75.  That's one part of the equation that most pro formas forget, and it only makes people miss the revenue estimates by 25-30%.

As to why they only played 20,000 rounds, I suspect that the $95 green fee is too high for regular play for many golfers, and they didn't attract enough rounds from further away due to competition (both from Bulle Rock and from the many newer courses around the south/west side of Philadelphia).

[Jim Franklin]

I spoke to the owner yesterday and financially, selling the course was too good to be true. It is a deal he could not turn down and I don't think anyone here could either.  He was certainly upset selling, as he loved the course and thinks Mr Doak did a tremendous job (which he did), but when push came to shove...

I asked him about Bulle Rock and he says they will keep the one course, but already have homes going up by the proposed second course. So Bulle Rock should survive.

I am all for a GCA going away party at Beechtree. They will be open through Thanksgiving for play.