Residents of Hunters Pointe in Welland are concerned about the future of their rolling greens.
After 17 years of operation, Hunters Pointe Golf Course members were told via email that the golf course would be closed permanently. On Tuesday the sign was removed from the building and a barrier was placed at the entrance of the driveway to let people know the course was closed.
The 209 acre golf course is listed for $18.5 million through the Cushman & Wakefield Waterloo Region real estate company.
Owners Allan McCleary and Sandy Billyard have been trying to sell the golf course for four years. In an email on Thursday owners said the golf course has not been sold and was closed to “make way for future development of lands without a golf course on the property.” The restaurant has also been permanently closed.
In an email to members Tuesday, the owners said they were unable to find a buyer who would continue to operate the golf course. McCleary and Billyard referred to the business as “money losing.”
Billyard said the business hasn’t been sold as of yet and they aren’t in current talks with developers.
Despite having about 550 members, Billyard said the business was losing money. Billyard said Hunters Pointe couldn’t compete with the Niagara Parks Commissionès 45-hole golf course Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls.
“We have a golf course at Hunters Pointe in their class, so we can’t compete with them because they have a bottomless pit of money,” Billyard said.
The tight competition for Billyard was felt “almost immediately” after the construction of the Niagara Parks golf course. Billyard said after 14 or so years of trying to compete he and McCleary decided nothing was going to change, so it was time to close up Hunters Pointe.
Community member Greg Shinton has lived in the Hunter Pointe neighbourhood for about six years. He was a member of the golf course for about three years before cancelling his membership. Shinton said when he was a member he paid about $2,000 a year in membership fees.
Shinton chose to cancel his membership because he said he felt money wasn’t being put back into the 18-hole course. He said there were issues with the sand traps, which were made out of dirt and not sand. Another factor for Shinton was having to pay for golf cart rentals. Shinton said members are seniors and some are not able to walk the course, so having extra costs was concerning.
Shinton said although only about half the residents in the neighbourhood were members, it will impact the community. It is a close-knit community and people enjoyed meeting at the restaurant or walking to the course for a quick game. Shinton is also concerned about how the closure of the course will affect property prices. Whether someone is a golfer or not, Shinton said part of the appeal of living in the neighbourhood is the golf course. He said there is a sense of prestige that comes with having a course in your backyard.
Billyard said he has many friends who live in the community at Hunters Pointe and feels terrible about having to close the facility.
“My heart goes out to them; however, they aren’t paying the bills, we are.”
Billyard has recently purchased the Port Colborne Country Club with his brother Allan Billyard and Nick Durbano. He said the opportunity to purchase the struggling golf course was brought to him in November last year. Billyard said the previous owners of the country club chose to sell because things were not going well.
Billyard said he decided to purchase the property so he could work with his brother.
“With the way the golf industry is, it’s going to be a challenge,” Billyard said.
Billyard said the land at Hunters Pointe is located within the urban boundary, which provides the opportunity to be developed for housing.
“It has a much greater value as development land.”
Billyard said currently the land at the Port Colborne Country Club does not have the same potential for development.
