News:

This discussion group is best enjoyed using Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Pages: [1]

Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« on: July 23, 2010, 12:19:09 PM »
Just 15 minutes from Manhattan. The town of River Vale offers almost 17M. The owners are in Chapter 11.


http://www.northjersey.com/news/99083094_Town_s_offer_is_first_step_in_saving_golf_club.html

http://www.rivervalecc.com/
Logged
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2010, 03:35:57 PM »
Looks like a great move for the town, they can win all the battles.

This place isn't listed on the Ross Society list though....was it known as something else before?

Ross courses in NJ, according to Society listing....Crestmont, Deal, Echo Lake, Engelwood (closed), Essex, Homestead (closed), Knickerbocker, Lone Pine (closed), Montclair, Mountain Ridge, Plainfield, Ridgewood (Ross version NLE), Riverton, Seaview-Bay.

Any clues? Or was it 100% Orrin Smith?
Logged
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2010, 04:06:40 PM »
The website says Ross and his associate Smith.

This is from golflink.com

"The 18-hole "Bergen" course at the River Vale Country Club facility in Rivervale, New Jersey features 6,470 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 70.7 and it has a slope rating of 130.  Designed by Orrin E. Smith, the Bergen golf course opened in 1928. Scott Keh manages the course as the General Manager. "

This says Ross and Smith:

http://www.oobgolf.com/courses/course/8844/Rivervale_Country_Club.html

Here's another article about the developer:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/86741607_River_Vale_Country_Club_bankruptcy_is_latest_woe_for_Bergen_developer.html
Logged
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2010, 04:54:09 PM »
Awesome. One of my old stomping grounds.
Logged
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2010, 05:00:41 PM »
That is great news, Steve, I really hope the town takes over the course. I live 10 minutes away and there are far too few public options in Northern NJ, the last thing we need is to lose a solid golf course to another housing development...

One of my favorite golf stories happened at this course. About 50 years ago my dad was playing with his near-scratch buddy ahead of 4 Japanese guys. There was a totally bilnd tee shot and they did not wait long enough, and one guy hit a great drive and one-hopped it into my dad's ass. Dad was pissed off and lined up to hit the ball back but his buddy stopped him, then hit the ball 150 yards FORWARD just short of the green. My dad asked why and his buddy said: " becuase that SOB will be spending the rest of his life trying to hit another 350 yard drive..."
Logged

Matt_Ward

Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2010, 06:47:52 PM »
River Vale has really bounced between different parties for a number of years now.

The bones are there for some good golf but no party has seen fit to put serious and consistent $$ into the layout in order to do so. Many have simply purchased the property as a way to reap future benefits from a real estate deal.

The course still has a few holes of note but frankly the heyday of the place was many years ago.
Logged

George_Bahto

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2010, 10:46:23 AM »
Jud: Awesome. One of my old stomping grounds

I used to play it in the 1960's - the course was usually hard as a rock and you had to play around sprinklers that were running most of the day
Logged
If a player insists on playing his maximum power on his tee-shot, it is not the architect's intention to allow him an overly wide target to hit to but rather should be allowed this privilege of maximum power except under conditions of exceptional skill.
   Wethered & Simpson

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2010, 09:41:26 PM »
George,

We used to play it in the early 90s coming down from NYC.  It took forever and you usually got stuck behind a foursome of Japanese ladies stopping for Udon at the turn, but to us it was one of the only decent options within reasonable driving distance of the city that we could get on easily.  Maybe we didn't know any better, but we were happy to have it...
Logged
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Richard Hetzel

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2010, 01:54:52 PM »
Rivervale CC is a decent enough course, tight in spots, but fun to play. Here is a pic from a few years ago that I took during my round....I can post the rest if you like....this land battle has been going on for quite sometime.....

Logged
Last 7:
Westbrook CC (OH), NCR CC South (OH), Fort Jackson Wildcat (SC), True Blue GC (SC), Pinewood CC (NC), Asheboro Muni (NC), Dye River Course (VA)

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2010, 02:10:17 PM »
Post away! Who gets tired of looking at pictures of golf courses?
Logged

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2010, 04:04:58 PM »
Post them up!  I feel like I may have to hop in the car to check it out at some point.

Mark
Logged
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2010, 04:43:49 PM »
You know, this could be one of those fun, sporty courses where I would LOVE to see someone like Mike Keiser step in,blow up the restaurant, bring in a skilled designer, cut down a few thousand trees, and run it on the "golf-only" model that we sometimes talk about here.

Problem is getting around the high value of the land only 30 miles from NYC.
Logged

Richard Hetzel

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #12 on: July 26, 2010, 05:14:08 PM »
Bill,

In in a poor economy, all those lots would be SOLD in less than a few days I bet. I will post pics this evening after the kids go to bed!
Logged
Last 7:
Westbrook CC (OH), NCR CC South (OH), Fort Jackson Wildcat (SC), True Blue GC (SC), Pinewood CC (NC), Asheboro Muni (NC), Dye River Course (VA)

Mike Sweeney

Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #13 on: July 26, 2010, 09:47:33 PM »
Quote from: Bill Brightly on July 26, 2010, 04:43:49 PM
You know, this could be one of those fun, sporty courses where I would LOVE to see someone like Mike Keiser step in,blow up the restaurant, bring in a skilled designer, cut down a few thousand trees, and run it on the "golf-only" model that we sometimes talk about here.

Problem is getting around the high value of the land only 30 miles from NYC.

Bill,

Honestly, I think River Vale is about 150 trees and a Super with a budget away from a Doak 7. It already is a golf only model. As Matt said, the owners have all had the idea that they could jam through a 9 hole or 0 hole development so the course has suffered.

Along with The Knoll, you are talking about two really fascinating courses in NJ that happen to be public but the people outside of golf screw them up.
Logged

Richard Hetzel

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2010, 09:56:43 PM »
Can't find my disc with the River vale CC pics.....I will keep looking!
Logged
Last 7:
Westbrook CC (OH), NCR CC South (OH), Fort Jackson Wildcat (SC), True Blue GC (SC), Pinewood CC (NC), Asheboro Muni (NC), Dye River Course (VA)

Matt_Ward

Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #15 on: July 27, 2010, 10:33:10 AM »
Guys:

before everyone falls off the wagon -- River Vale would need SUBSTANIAL work. The place has labored underneath inept management types and those who have not had the deepest of pockets to straighten things out. The musky smelling clubhouse is just one sign of major stumblings the place has faced.

The course can certainly be something-- but like I said it's fanciful and even delusional to believe it will happen so quickly -- if ever at all.

River Vale has potential but tons of courses can say the same thing.
Logged

Mike Sweeney

Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2010, 11:17:11 AM »
Quote from: Matt_Ward on July 27, 2010, 10:33:10 AM

River Vale has potential but tons of courses can say the same thing.

Matt

Seriously, name a course in New Jersey with more potential than River Vale ? I think The Knoll is about as far as it can go.
Logged

Matt_Ward

Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2010, 12:01:48 PM »
Mike:

Before you go crazy with all this talk -- here are a few other Jersey layouts that have as much, if not more potential, as River Vale but still have not delivered ...

*Ocean County at Atlantis / Tuckerton
The first George Fazio layout and one that has always seem to trail in what it could be. The downhill par-3 6th is one of the best public holes and sports a PV type look.

*Great Gorge (aka the former Playboy Club) / McAfee
Another solid layout -- the 27-hole complex is now owned by the Crystal Springs folks and I have always believed it could be much better. It's another George Fazio layout. The two best nines are the Quarryside and Lakeside.

*Lakewood Country Club  / Lakewood
Superb "shore" layout that was really cutting edge stype golf years ago -- sad to say, the existing course is just a shadow of what it could be.

Mike, let me know if you need other examples. River Vale has great potential -- but it's not alone in the Garden State by any means.
Logged

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2010, 04:38:56 PM »
Can anyone post a Google Earth image of this course? I don't know how to do that.

The course sits right on Lake Tappan, a public utility-owned reservoir. While we are dreaming, I want to dream about cutting down all the buffer trees so you can see the water and maybe get some wind off the lake :) (Probably 100% illegal, but fun to think about...)
Logged

Mike Sweeney

Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #19 on: July 27, 2010, 07:17:35 PM »
Quote from: Matt_Ward on July 27, 2010, 12:01:48 PM

*Lakewood Country Club  / Lakewood
Superb "shore" layout that was really cutting edge stype golf years ago -- sad to say, the existing course is just a shadow of what it could be.

Mike, let me know if you need other examples. River Vale has great potential -- but it's not alone in the Garden State by any means.

I neeeeeed to see that one. Thanks Matt.
Logged

JimFatsi

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: River Vale CC(Ross) in Northern NJ saved from development?
« Reply #20 on: November 28, 2012, 08:39:48 PM »
Just read this, last posting was from 2010, how did River Dale fair in 2012?
Logged
Pages: [1]
Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back