[Steve_ Shaffer]

Frequently mentioned here. New ownersplan to transform Seawane from a traditional male-centered club to a family-focused facility. The club has a 6,725-yard, par-72 golf course, 10 tennis courts, a swimming pool, a bar, a restaurant, a grill room, men’s and women’s card and locker rooms, health club facilities with trainers and a barbershop.“Much more today, country clubs need to be family epicenters,” Brecher said over lunch in the club’s stately dining area. “There will be more activities for women and families. We’re adding a kids’ playroom and activities for kids.”





http://liherald.com/fivetowns/stories/seawane-club-has-new-owners,120870

[Joe Bausch]

Thanks for the knowledge, Steve.

Photo album of Seawane from a visit in July of this year:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Seawane_2019/index.html

[David Harshbarger]

The new owners also want to expand catering opportunities, and upgrade the dining experience to make it similar to that at a high-end hotel. The golf course, driving range and locker rooms will also receive attention, and a bridal suite will be created.

[/size]“Our friends are young parents looking for things to do, looking for an escape from the city,” said Klein, describing the family-centered concept as “being progressive.”[/color]
[/size]“Our approach is to go after people under 40,” Brecher added.[/color]

"Millennials Join Country Clubs" is a fine business model in the right location.


Also, putting big kitchens and big common areas to more frequent use is a fine model, too.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From the article:

The new owners also want to expand catering opportunities, and upgrade the dining experience to make it similar to that at a high-end hotel. The golf course, driving range and locker rooms will also receive attention, and a bridal suite will be created.“Our friends are young parents looking for things to do, looking for an escape from the city,” said Klein, describing the family-centered concept as “being progressive.”“Our approach is to go after people under 40,” Brecher added.


Their under 40 friends must all be in the hedge fund business or partners in major law firms or orthopedic surgeons .

[Steve Lapper]

 Seawane has been in financial trouble and offered for sale, or going through restructuring, for quite some time. My partner and I did a little due diligence and passed, for a variety of reasons. They looked at some divestment and/or development of real estate lots, but that math really wouldn't suffice.


 The club, situated in Long Island's South Shore Five Towns (Hewlett Harbor to be exact) was considered the better Jewish club in the area and only second to Rockaway Hunting Club for choice of best 18 holes in the area. Originally designed by Devereaux Emmet, and later tweaked by Stephen Kay and Doug Smith (might well be Kay's best work).


 Ultimately, this transaction was more likely an assumption of existing debt with some nominal purchase #above and beyond. The young fellows who bought are banking on the relatively strong local RE market (existing homes) for family formation and the good local school system. They will have to find a way to shed it's past image as a near-exclusive Jewish club and open it's doors to anyone and everyone who might apply.


  I wish them luck, but the market for clubs in a 20 mile concentric circle is wide open and highly competitive. The guys who bought the nearby Woodmere Club (where Brad Klein cut his caddying chops) are RE developers at heart and ultimately one or more of these properties will likely fall to development (not Seawane IMO as it has too many restricted wetlands). It is, IMO, inevitable.

[David Harshbarger]

Thanks for the knowledge, Steve.

Photo album of Seawane from a visit in July of this year:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Seawane_2019/index.html

Nice photo album.  Thanks.


Looks flat.  How are the greens?  Is there more tilt than is readily captured?


There are a couple of walk-backs: 1-2, 16-17, 17-18.  How do those work out IRL?

[Mike Sweeney]

Thanks for the knowledge, Steve.

Photo album of Seawane from a visit in July of this year:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Seawane_2019/index.html

Nice photo album.  Thanks.


Looks flat.  How are the greens?  Is there more tilt than is readily captured?


There are a couple of walk-backs: 1-2, 16-17, 17-18.  How do those work out IRL?

I just played there the one time and it was a dismal weather day. I really liked the course and that was after Kay's work, which still looks pretty good from Joe's album.


To me, this (or Engineer's) could have been the Southampton GC of Inner Long Island. Obviously Garden City GC is a rock, and there is a need for a "golf club" in that area. Engineer's is in the better neighborhood, so Seawane would seem like a logical course for a LuLu North (very good golf, simple amenities, friendly golf-only membership). Tear down the clubhouse, and have a pot of chili rather than a full buffet on a Wednesday.


Steve knows better than me, but maybe a golf-focused-only club would work. Inwood has a beach club tied to the country club and they have been looking for members for years...

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Seawane may be flat, but there are very few level lies in the fairways, and the greens are absolutely top shelf Emmet, with lots of cool contours.  The 4th belongs with Riviera's 10th among the great drivable par 4's!  Over the years, the mounding has settled, which was about the only thing Kay deserves credit for doing.  The real restoration work was performed under the direction of Bobby Longo, the HP, and Eddy Nusblatt, the club President.  Bobby is a very good friend. And I won my 2nd pro-member there, after the work was finished, playing with Eddy.  A key element in the restoration was the poisoning of hundreds of trees carried out by another member.  I have always wondered why more clubs don't follow this approach to eliminating misplaced trees.  It is an easy process cutting down dead trees.  The dead trees were blamed on beetles.

[David Harshbarger]

Seawane may be flat, but there are very few level lies in the fairways, and the greens are absolutely top shelf Emmet, with lots of cool contours.  The 4th belongs with Riviera's 10th among the great drivable par 4's!  Over the years, the mounding has settled, which was about the only thing Kay deserves credit for doing.  The real restoration work was performed under the direction of Bobby Longo, the HP, and Eddy Nusblatt, the club President.  Bobby is a very good friend. And I won my 2nd pro-member there, after the work was finished, playing with Eddy.  A key element in the restoration was the poisoning of hundreds of trees carried out by another member.  I have always wondered why more clubs don't follow this approach to eliminating misplaced trees.  It is an easy process cutting down dead trees.  The dead trees were blamed on beetles.

From the JB photos:

This:


To this:


It's a drivable cape played out across a canal with the center fairway trap.  Very interesting hole.  Plenty of room short and long of the trap, but short it looks like the trap interferes with sight.  Also, playing too safe left and you are pitching back at the canal, and Devilish Dev E. didn't do much to keep your ball in play if you come in too strong from the safe left bailout drive. 

This is a very interesting hole indeed.  Thanks you!

[Joe Bausch]

Seawane is very intimate.  And the 4th hole is a blast.  Made better b/c you get to see it up close as you play the 3rd hole.

[David Harshbarger]

Course looks very intimate, as you say.  I can imagine the the 4th is actually a little more concerning once you've played it a few times and been bitten by some imprudent decisions. 


Let's hope they can keep golf going there for awhile.

[Lou_Duran]

Played it post restoration some 15 years ago and found it highly entertaining.  The member, a former GCAer who lived in the area, noted that it was an unusual membership with an annual subscription of around $18k but no initiation or joining fee.  The course did not get a lot of play, but apparently the kitchen was world-class and the food was priced attractively (e.g. complete, quality steak dinners for under $20).  He did say that the fisc was not in good shape.

[Michael Felton]

I've played in a few tournaments here the last few years and every time the course has eaten me up. The long holes are really hard and the shorter holes are either narrow or have pretty wildly contoured greens. The 4th is a great little hole. I've never been brave enough to go for it, but if you play the layup well to the left (which I do), then your approach is towards the water and there is little to no margin for error over the back. Even hitting a 70 yard wedge gets you thinking. The 10th green is one of the wackier ones I've played. It's extremely shallow and runs off over the back and to the left. In front is a wide deep bunker. No real margin for error and double bogey awaits even the carefully played hole. First time I played it I played safe to the middle of the green with a left pin. Putt was moving pretty slowly when it went by the hole and came to rest 10 yards off the green. There are some wonderful holes on the course. 9 is a nice par 5 where you have a question to answer with each shot. You can carry the traps on the left, but not on the right (or at least that is true for me). But taking it on down the left brings trouble into play. Then there are a colossal number of bunkers up in the layup area. A lot of fun if you get the chance, but not easy. Not by a long shot.

[David Harshbarger]

A lot of fun if you get the chance, but not easy. Not by a long shot.

That's about the best praise you can give a track. 


Thanks for sharing.

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