Powered by Invision Community, Becoming a superintendent was always in the cards for LedgeRock's FitzGerald, Copyright 1994-2022, Turnstile Publishing Company. "Dad was always there. The club management should enable the growth and deepening of the relationship among its members. Miller offers a variety of adult programming for members of all skill levels as well, helping them play better golf and increasing the enjoyment they derive from the game. Just like RSMs 2017-2018 trends in private clubs study, Global Golf Advisors Gauging the Impact of Private Club Trends found that club dining operations represent the most popular member amenity. We built an entire putting course at Mt. It was a big moment," said FitzGerald. He was 20 years old when he arrived in State College, his first trip to the United States. Eventually, he would earn a two-year turfgrass science degree under the watchful eye of George Hamilton, Ph.D. and meet his Pocono-bred future wife, Jamie. He finally considered greenkeeping as a career when at age 16 he got a job at Mount Juliet when his mother was named human resources manager there. The cost/benefit analysis I made back then is really the same analysis every superintendent must make today even 15 years later, with the development of so many additional technologies: fabric liners on their own, polymer-sprayed gravel, porous asphalt, concrete or Blinders flexible crumb-rubber/polymer mix. But golfers dont just stop playing because their club went public. The rubber is mixed with a polymer and hand-laid into place to ensure it closely follows the contours of the bunker. Read the latest feature stories from the PGA of America to learn how the game is growing on and off the course. Getting members on the golf course helps boost participation in member events. (Photo: Larry Lambrecht), I wasnt hired as any sort of construction superintendent. Seriously, what impressed me about him was his ability at a young age to think outside the box to get things accomplished. Im going through the U.S. citizenship process right now, FitzGerald says with a wry smile. Its not about thriving. %PDF-1.5 Inhindsight, meeting Dick Bator was huge for me. Two years ago, he made his extended stay permanent when he became a U.S. citizen. Registered previously? Juliet was really one of the first two big resort developments in all of Ireland, FitzGerald says, noting that The K Club is the other. That's due to the cost of the raw materials and that we install it. Input Score Bator remembered hearing about the tough transition in FitzGerald's early days at Penn State, and was impressed by his willingness to see it through to graduation. Categories of Membership, For the Avid Golfer, For the Traveling Golfer, Culinary . Member Login. Juliet, 18 miniature USGA spec greens with gravity-powered water features! Golf Courses. 1 0 obj Final payment will be charged to the member account or can be paid by personal check no later than 14 days of the event. Jones and his associates were in Mohnton all year revamping the par-3 10th. Call (610) 777-9705 for more information. Individual Golf Membership Monthly Dues $195.00 This membership includes unlimited Golf and Club Amenities, listed on page 2, for the Indeed, it is a hidden gem among the many fine courses in southeastern Pennsylvania. Required fields are marked *. Book Tee Times When it comes to golf, members practice year-round on the indoor putting and chipping green. Tee Times The transition to life in the United States was difficult at first, mostly due to cultural differences between the U.S. and Ireland, where no one much cares how old you are when ordering a beer. The home hole at the soon-to-be opened Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, New York, is a natural beauty, a par 5 that dips, rolls and rises atop a cliff overlooking Peconic Bay. Heller reports that several members, rendered clubless by the Harrisburg closings, have already joined LedgeRock. March 2, 2021 GRAA Award Winner Profile: LedgeRock Golf Club By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA Located about 90 minutes from Philadelphia, in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, LedgeRock Golf Club is a private 18-hole facility with 340 members who enjoy exemplary golf and dining services. In this uncertain market (an average of 150 courses have closed each year since 2008, according to the National Golf Foundation), LedgeRock has thrived by doubling down on golf itself. FitzGerald grew up in Castlecomer, in the southeast of Ireland. Welcome to one of the most beautiful golf courses along the East Coast..tucked away as Mohnton's. LedgeRock Golf Club | Mohnton PA Aidan told me 'if you want to do this, you need to go to the States.' I was going to my spiritual home," FitzGerald said. . Great layout that is very challenging. They stayed with it, so thats what we did as well.. Coming from a place like Pine Valley, theres an expectation and hes fulfilled those expectations, because LedgeRock is as good as Pine Valley. LedgeRock Golf Club opened in 2006 on 212 acres of terrain marked by striking elevation changes and riven by half a dozen roaring brooks. Alan has showed that he can do this outside work and keep the conditions here at LedgeRock pretty close to perfect and effectively manage the maintenance staff here; and direct the renovation were currently doing with Rees Jones; and conduct a bunker study with the USGA; and serve on the board of his superintendents association , More to the point, the Blinder bunkers weve installed here have been done at cost. "Most superintendents, when they come here, ask 'how do you do that?' Our fortunes are frankly going the other way, Heller said. August 20, 2021. Miller sends video recaps with color commentary to add to the kids (and their parents) experience. According to some estimates, 50% of private golf club members eat at their club 1 out of 10 dining out experiences. Sign in. For city denizens, there are options across the Hudson River in New Jersey . FitzGerald arrived at LedgeRock during the tree-clearing process, and despite his in-house construction credentials, was not expecting to be involved in building LedgeRock. I recently spoke with Halvonik and Miller, and they were all too willing to share some stories from their club, as well as details of their golf shop, member events and Learning Center. "Then coming to Penn State was a culture shock because I was 20, and I couldn't get into bars. During the Great Recession, LedgeRock focused on a regional strategy to help broaden its membership base, though the course didnt stabilize until 2011. It is a hub of activity that includes private and group instruction, practice sessions and various social gatherings. Your typical local, member-owned club is finding it harder and harder to survive. Ohio. The award includes a Golfdom cover story celebrating the honorees accomplishments, as well as expenses-paid trips to the Golfdom Summit and the Golf Industry Show. It was Aidan O'Hara who convinced FitzGerald of the importance of learning the turf management trade at an American turf school. But he sees it as eminently sensible, as well. Membership is by invitation only. Each one has their strong and weak points. Membership is by invitation only. Discover golf near you. LedgeRock employs three PGA Professionals, including PGA Head Professional, Zach Halvonik and PGA Director of Instruction, Andy Miller, a 2020 GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional. But B-list clubs like their member-owned, equity brethren across the nation are fighting to survive. You could roll it up like a carpet if you had a big enough lift.. Thats so important in todays world. 6 one day and asks me, Will you be able to mow that bank? The course rating is 0.0 and it has a slope rating of 0 on Bent grass. It reimagines the traditional country club model. FitzGerald calls the workload back in those early days completely nuts, as the project manager left for a different project, and the weather refused to cooperate. People have forgotten how to talk to people! The par-4 17th is slated for renovation next year. 2023 North Coast Media LLC, All Rights Reserved. The Rees Jones design has top-to-bottom elevation changes of some 80 feet and severe slopes at every turn that make mowing a real-life adventure. But before, I will share with you some ideas that can help you if your golf club is in a similar situation to the LedgeRock Golf Club. Photos by John Reitman As a kid in Ireland, Alan FitzGerald discovered more than 25 years ago that the best route to becoming a golf course superintendent would include going to the United States - at least for formal education. Well see how this new market reacts.. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. In 2005, when FitzGerald first pondered how to address the continuing washout issue, bunker-liner technology was still in its infancy. LedgeRock captures the essence of a classic, old style course by maintaining the scenic beauty and elegant rustic nature of the original landscape. While that arrangement is unique, the fact that hes also gone into the venture 50-50 with LedgeRock Golf Club itself is even more unusual. O'Hara, the superintendent at Mount Juliet Golf in Kilkenny, learned the Jack Nicklaus way of greenkeeping under Mike McBride at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin . And here I am 25 years later.". Copyright 2023 GolfPass. At the time, I was young, and I had no idea how huge it was. 3 0 obj I will tell you right away, how the LedgeRock Golf Club has thrived by doubling down on golf itself. This naturally builds up the old rsum. Initiation Fees. LedgeRock GC opened for play in June 2007. Hes been (at LedgeRock) since the beginning and theyre glad they hired him there.. And quite honestly, there are a lot of folks out there whose clubs are housing developments today. There has to be something in it for them. Everything here is four-wheel drive.". After an internship at Loch Lomond in Scotland that first summer, the stars aligned, and he accepted an assistant-in-training position at Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementon, N.J., only the consensus No. They may play up to 20 rounds of golf per year and have access to all club facilities, including overnights at Kohl Lodge, the club's on-site guest cottage . No local tournaments listed for this course. Play private golf, access private courses, and book private Tee Times at Ledgerock Golf Club in Mohnton PA with Boxgroove My standing joke has been, The members here have never played in brand-new bunkers.. Crossing paths with Bator changed the trajectory of his career. Miller utilizes some of the best teaching technology on the market in his lessons and player development programming so members can improve their skills year-round and practice throughout the cold Pennsylvania winter. As a kid in Ireland, Alan FitzGerald discovered more than 25 years ago that the best route to becoming a golf course superintendent would include going to the United States - at least for formal education. We know those people as colleagues and neighbors. On the uphill, par 4 17th hole, the cross bunker was removed so the hole would be more playable for every caliber player and the landing area was significantly widened and regraded. LedgeRock General Manager Gerry Heller, a 25-year golf hospitality veteran, recognizes that the arrangement with FitzGerald and Blinder is unique. Their dues and initiation fees are slightly higher full membership is more expensive still but regional member may play up to 50 rounds a year. All rights reserved. Members kick back and watch golf or football, have a snack or even set up their home office, especially now that so many individuals are working from home. He is always willing to learn and is always doing his research.. Estimates for the cost of membership at Augusta National cover quite a range, with Golf.com estimating a club initiation . We havent made any real money on this venture yet. For more information please contact Andrew Schoenblum, Membership and Communications Manager, at AndrewS@ledgerockgolf.com. Play golf at Ledge Rock Golf Club, located at 1 Greenbriar Dr Mohnton, PA 19540-9307. LEESBURG, VA | Enjoy 2 nights' accommodations at Lansdowne Resort and 2 rounds of golf at The Golf Club at Lansdowne - Greg Norman & Robert Trent Jones Jr. courses. Their dues and initiation fees are slightly higher full membership is more expensive still but regional member may play up to 50 rounds a year. But costs could climb above $1000 per month when you add in various fees such as storage and golf cart fees. As it is, he says, Id say 97 percent of my day is still centered on LedgeRock and day-to-day maintenance operations and the renovation we have going here. "Coming to New York City from Kilkenny was a culture shock," he said. FitzGerald, a native of Castlecomer, a small town in the southeast of Ireland near Kilkenny, came to the U.S. in 1996 to attend Penn State. That's an extreme case but you will need to do some sums to . After a stint as assistant working for Rick Christian at historic Pine Valley in New Jersey, FitzGerald has spent the past 18 years as superintendent at vista-rich LedgeRock Golf Club in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, a remote area near Reading. I emailed (Blinder) out of the blue. "It isn't an easy process. The elevated tee and green locations offer long vistas of the surrounding countryside and enhance the playability of this outstanding venue. The most outstanding feature at Ledgerock is the dramatic topography. Like a car dealer, Kiam starred in his own commercials. And we pretty much refuse to compromise on quality, which justifies the long-term investment prospect, in our view. 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