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ANTHONYPIOPPI

There has been talk for a while that Tumble Brook was in trouble. My story links to the Hartford Courant story. Tumble Brook is in competition with nearby Hartford Golf Club and Wampanoag Golf Club.

http://anthonypioppi.com/golf/blog/510/connecticuts-tumble-brook-cc-files-for-bankruptcy

Two courses about 20 miles north of Tumble Brook in Massachusetts, Crestview and Twin Hills, went public in the last year.

Carl Nichols

  • Karma: +0/-0
Grew up 15 minutes from Tumble Brook, which at the time was predominantly Jewish.  Any idea how they racked up so much debt?

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
This might explain their problems:

The first nine of Tumble Brook was laid out by legendary Scottish architect Willie Park and opened in 1924. According to the club web site, Orrin Smith added nine holes in 1949 and George Fazio designed did the same in 1970. Mark McCumber and Associates renovated the course in the early 2000s.
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Carl:

It is still a predominantly Jewish club. I'm not sure how it became so much in date but I'm guessing it's a combination of dwindling membership as the club continued to spend, including the course renovation. There has been talk of Tumble Brook wanting to sell off nine holes for years.

Anthony

John Blain

  • Karma: +0/-0
I played Tumble Brook in the '96 U.S. Mid Am when the event was played at Hartford G.C. and Tumble Brook was the other course they used for stroke play qualifying. I can't remember much about the course other than it had a fair amount of willow trees >:(

I am sure Brad Klein knows the skinny as I believe he lives not far from the club. Brad caddied for Vinny Giles in the Mid Am that year.

Nick Campanelli

  • Karma: +0/-0
Anthony,

Where did you hear Crestview & Twin Hills went public?  Their websites still show they are private.

-Nick
Landscape Architect  //  Golf Course Architect

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
I had heard rumblings of this last fall but was assured by a member around Christmas that it was just a rumor. As you drive out Route 218 and pass some of the holes there is rarely anyone playing but this has always been the case. It is going to take 80 well heeled members $100,000 apiece to buy back the debt if that is the intention. One footnote is that the food was always fantastic.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2012, 04:48:38 PM by Tim Martin »

Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
This is a pre arranged Chapter 11 reorganization with some members assuming the debt. The club will remain open.
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David Lott

  • Karma: +0/-0
The Courant article states: No vendors or employees were compromised financially as a result of the bankruptcy filing, [the club president] said, characterizing it as a "pre-packaged bankruptcy."

This is known as doing the right thing. All the best for the club's future.
David Lott

Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
The have the best Chinese take-out in town. That alone is reason to stay in business, even if most of us never get to sample it.

I drive by the club 3X every day. It's been a little quieter there lately even as the other clubs within throwing distance (Gillette Ridge, Wintonbury, Hartford GC and Wampanoag) are all open. It's very much a seasonal crowd and the golf season is unusually early this year.

Having said that, Tumble Brook CC went through an internal debt restructuring over the winter to manage its debt at a lower interest rate. The conversion was assumed by a number of members acting privately in consortium. The debt was acquired in part through a golf course renovation about a decade ago plus a substantial renovation plan of the clubhouse, pro shop/pool house area a few years ago as well. Like all predominantly-Jewish clubs its membership base has been dissipated of late and they have made considerable efforts to broaden their appeal in a market that is over-served with private clubs. It's a matter on this side of Hartford (northwest) and suburbs of awaiting one of several candidate clubs to fail so that the membership there can be redistributed. Another trend here is that some of the keener golfers at these clubs who don't need country club amenities have quit the private clubs and opted for playing passes at Wintonbury Hills GC, where the luxury amenities are, by design, simply lacking.

Mike Sweeney

Another trend here is that some of the keener golfers at these clubs who don't need country club amenities have quit the private clubs and opted for playing passes at Wintonbury Hills GC, where the luxury amenities are, by design, simply lacking.

Having heard today of another country club that has gone public in New Haven County (south of Brad for those on the outside), wouldn't a better choice of words be:

where the luxury amenities are, by design, simply "appropriate" ?

Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
During the endless planning meetings for Wintonbury, 1995-2002, I chaired or co-chaired the committee that oversaw the thing and we variously held off demands or hopes for a clubhouse that would include:

-gymnastics center (the mayor wanted this one!)
-banquet hall ("no place to get married in the area!")
-fine dining restaurant
-showers and locker rooms in the bathrooms ("we need a place to change for members and for outings!")
-golf bag storage area

We beat back all of these stupid ideas and ended up with a 5,400-square foot building that includes only pro shop/offices, simple bathrooms and a basic restaurant/bar that seats about 48 people.

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
During the endless planning meetings for Wintonbury, 1995-2002, I chaired or co-chaired the committee that oversaw the thing and we variously held off demands or hopes for a clubhouse that would include:

-gymnastics center (the mayor wanted this one!)
-banquet hall ("no place to get married in the area!")
-fine dining restaurant
-showers and locker rooms in the bathrooms ("we need a place to change for members and for outings!")
-golf bag storage area

We beat back all of these stupid ideas and ended up with a 5,400-square foot building that includes only pro shop/offices, simple bathrooms and a basic restaurant/bar that seats about 48 people.

If you live in the town of Bloomfield, are an avid player and have some knowledge and/or appreciation for golf course architecture you have to be pinching yourself every time you step on the first tee at Wintonbury. Good for those that don`t live in Bloomfield as well but just not quite as good. ;)