The Ace Club Lafayette Hill PA - now Union League Liberty Hill

[Mike_Trenham]

It’s being reported that The Union League of Philadelphia has acquired The Ace Club.  The property has 18 holes and a lodge and conference center.  It’s being rebranded Union League Liberty Hill.


There were rumors this time last year that Toll Brothers had acquired The Ace Club but I heard nothing further once the pandemic hit the United States.   


Seems that Chubb wanted out of a pet project of a company it acquired.  The investment into the property to remake the course into a Gary Player signature course was off the charts for the typically conservative Philadelphia market and the membership and round counts were notoriously amongst the very lowest in Philadelphia.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Announcement from the League...


https://vimeo.com/500601969/66e9fbb1a9

[JESII]

It would be an interesting essay that documents the recapitalization of golf courses in the Philadelphia area over the last and next several years.

[Mike Sweeney]

It's interesting how The Union League is uniquely positioned as THE one stop city/suburban/shore club for Philly. It is sort of a modern version of The Links in NYC. It was a separate membership, but they always had members from a variety of Macdonald clubs on Long Island - http://top100golf.blogspot.com/2006/11/links-club.html


If the Union League model works, it will be interesting to see if other cities follow this model...

[Bob Simons]

They mentioned par 3 courses at Torresdale and National. I’m guessing at Torresdale it would be located on the property they acquired that was the car dealership?

[Kyle Harris]

Is there any other site in the world that had had three (!) COMPLETELY different golf courses on it?


Roxborough
Eagle Lodge
The Ace Club

[JESII]

They mentioned par 3 courses at Torresdale and National. I’m guessing at Torresdale it would be located on the property they acquired that was the car dealership?

Bob, I’m not sure where the car dealer was, but I think the plan for the par 3 course is out around the top side of the range.

[MCirba]

Is there any other site in the world that had had three (!) COMPLETELY different golf courses on it?


Roxborough
Eagle Lodge
The Ace Club

I suspect new ownership will.eventually build a fourth.  The first three architects were;


Herb Jewson
Rees Jones
Gary Player/Warren Henderson


The last one cost about $20 million I've heard and maybe raised the course a point on the Doak Scale with some new "strategy" while making it virtually unwalkable with focus on views and seeing it all in front of you while sacrificing the routing in the process.  Doak Scale 4.5 in my book.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I played the Ace Club a couple of years ago and wondered how it could be financially viable. I like the course especially the scale of the course. It sits on a pretty large plot of land. I think I'd give it a higher grade than Mike. I really liked it.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2021/02/26/union-league-to-buy-ace-club-in-montco.html


https://www.theaceclub.com/course/


No Inky article yet.

[Bob Simons]

They mentioned par 3 courses at Torresdale and National. I’m guessing at Torresdale it would be located on the property they acquired that was the car dealership?

Bob, I’m not sure where the car dealer was, but I think the plan for the par 3 course is out around the top side of the range.

Jim, the car dealership was further down Grant Ave, away from the clubhouse. Honestly I just assumed they purchase the land because the black, barb wire tipped fence has been extended around that property to match the fence that surrounds the golf course.

[Mike Sweeney]

Is there any other site in the world that had had three (!) COMPLETELY different golf courses on it?


Roxborough
Eagle Lodge
The Ace Club

I suspect new ownership will.eventually build a fourth.  The first three architects were;


Herb Jewson
Rees Jones
Gary Player/Warren Henderson


The last one cost about $20 million I've heard and maybe raised the course a point on the Doak Scale with some new "strategy" while making it virtually unwalkable with focus on views and seeing it all in front of you while sacrificing the routing in the process.  Doak Scale 4.5 in my book.

Mike Cirba,


Rees Jones credits the design as 1982 for Eagle Lodge - https://www.reesjonesinc.com/eagle-lodge/


I swear that I played high school matches at "Eagle Lodge" in 1978-80. Did they simply change the name of Roxborough, and I was playing the Herb Jewson course renamed Eagle Lodge before Rees Jones came in and did Eagle Lodge II?


I may have my timing off, but I think that is correct. Not a big deal if you don't know...

[Bob Harris]

From Pete Trenham's website:
Roxborough  C.C. was later purchased by the Insurance Company of North America in 1946. Jewson was kept on as the professional and manager until his re- tirement in 1960. The name was changed to INA Country Club. The course was redesigned by Rees Jones in 1982 and the name was changed to Eagle Lodge Country Club. The Section Champion- ship was played at the Eagle Lodge course for several years. Later the facility was purchased by the Ace Insurance Company and was renamed The Ace Club. It was completely redesigned by Gary Player’s architectural firm and reopened in 2003.

[MCirba]

Mike Sweeney,

Apparently INA insurance company (later CIGNA) bought Roxborough Country Club in 1946 for its employees.

Rees redesigned the course (keeping some of the routing) with all new greens, bunkers, and apparently leveling of some fairways in 1982 and it was re-opened in 1983.   Not sure how readable this July 1982 article will be, but hope it helps.

So yes, it appears you played Herb Jewson's Roxborough! 

[Joe Bausch]

This 1937 Dallin aerial of Roxborough CC is pretty darn neat:

https://digital.hagley.org/70_200_10191

[Dan Boerger]

Could be wrong, but I don't think that course (as ACE) ever had a lot of play. If anyone can fill up the tee sheet, however, I'm guessing the UL with its large membership (and ability to extend golf privileges) can.

[David_Tepper]

How large is the membership of the Union League Club? Anyone know how they are financing the purchase of these golf properties?

[JESII]

David,


I heard they had 4,500ish a number of years ago, around when they bought Torresdale Frankford. Not sure if they consider this ongoing expansion as an opportunity to grow, or to simply better serve their current members...think the latter.


FWIW, I heard the purchase price was in the $70M neighborhood. Not necessarily an informed source, but that's a number bouncing around. I have no idea what the hotel and conference center infrastructure is...

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Membership at 4000+ in this article:


https://www.linksmagazine.com/union-league-national/
 

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The 311-acre property in Lafayette Hill, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb, includes a conference center that can host 500 people and 120 hotel rooms, in addition to its 18-hole Gary Player-designed golf course. It will be added to the Union League portfolio that has grown to include two other clubs and two stand-alone restaurants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Ace Club, which will now be renamed Liberty Hill, was built in 2003 by Chubb Insurance.

The Union League of Philadelphia has put under agreement the Ace Club, an 18-hole Gary Player-designed golf course and conference facility in the Philadelphia suburb of Lafayette Hill, Pa., the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.The pending acquisition of the 311-acre property, which has a 35,000-sq. ft. clubhouse and rooms for overnight stays, will add to the Union League’s growing real estate holdings in New Jersey and the Philadelphia region, the Business Journal reported.


Read more....

https://clubandresortbusiness.com/union-league-of-philadelphia-to-acquire-ace-club/

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

David,


I heard they had 4,500ish a number of years ago, around when they bought Torresdale Frankford. Not sure if they consider this ongoing expansion as an opportunity to grow, or to simply better serve their current members...think the latter.


FWIW, I heard the purchase price was in the $70M neighborhood. Not necessarily an informed source, but that's a number bouncing around. I have no idea what the hotel and conference center infrastructure is...

Even with 4,500 members I can't fathom how a club can afford a $70 million purchase, in addition to the remodeling of this National course - which looks fantastic btw. This is August National type money to throw around.

[JESII]

Agreed but these guys are in both the golf and hospitality business already. They either see a way to run the Hotel and Conference center at a profit or have a quick spin-off in mind...in my opinion.

[archie_struthers]

 


Union League activities in the golf world here in Philly continue to amaze. I'm not sure I get the Ace Club purchase but their GM sure has done a great job running the operation for a while. Quite a talent he appears to be!


Things at the old Sand Barrens continue to move along. Fry and Straka are here all the time watching the progress , gotta be pretty cold for Floridians here at the shore in the winter. As I've said before it's quite a transformation and the golf holes themselves are really interesting and a visual treat!

[Mike_Trenham]

I found this article searching for information on Union League of Philadelphia’s expansion.  It’s amazing their sister club in Chicago is contemplating selling a prized asset to bolster its finances, in the wake of Covid.


https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/union-league-club-of-chicago-considers-selling-a-prized-monet-to-stay-afloat