Maplegate CC in Bellingham just sold...

[Shemp]

Financed by a bank in Maine. Not a bad layout but it has suffered from a bad owner, poor maintenance and the lack of a clubhouse. Does anyone know who bought it?

[jdl]

Interesting, a course that has a lot of potential but I agree with you on their issues.

[jbrunone]

that course is hideous, the new owner cant make it any worse thats for sure

[Bigchaddy]

Decent layout, but agree with everything stated above. Maintenance was horrendous last time I played....

Would love to know who bought it, and what their plans are...

[Whitemule6]

FYI - the phone is back up and Maplegate is open again.

[Shemp]

My bad. Banker and Tradesman listed a multiple million dollar sale of property.. turns out it was all the real estate around the course, but not the course itself. Frenchy is still in charge. Expected conditions for 2014... poor.

[jimb6golf]

Apparently ownership has changed to the grandson and he is working to upgrade conditions that had deteriorated terribly over the past many years. He hired the former greenskeeper from Glen Ellen where he did a terrific job bringing that old course back to life (only to have it sold and bulldozed over for housing - that's another sad story). He mentioned that he is working to upgrade the course first over next couple of years and the will likely look at a clubhouse, etc. The course always had championship bones but the cheapo owner wouldn't do anything but charged ridiculously high fees and treated people terribly too (I hadn't played there in 20+ years until just recently). Hopefully they don't play the games they did in the past that drove me and many others away - charging extra to walk, not allowing push carts, etc. Only time will tell. Hopefully it turns around under a new leader.

[OrangeCrush]

My buddy lives in Franklin and played there numerous times. I stopped playing there a few years ago after the place went to hell. I like the layout and always said "If they put money into it, people WILL play it". So my buddy played there 10 days ago and said the course is in the best shape he has seen it. He said he would not hesitate to go back.

[billybaroo]

> @jimb6golf said:

> Hopefully they don't play the games they did in the past that drove me and many others away - charging extra to walk,

How the he11 does that work? "My cart broke down on the 1st green, go get it." :)

 

 

[jdl]

> @OrangeCrush said:

> My buddy lives in Franklin and played there numerous times. I stopped playing there a few years ago after the place went to ****. I like the layout and always said "If they put money into it, people WILL play it". So my buddy played there 10 days ago and said the course is in the best shape he has seen it. He said he would not hesitate to go back.

 

Played there this afternoon and can confirm it's in pretty nice shape. Can't remember the last time I played there, but it's been at least 5 years or so. Greens roll really nice and while there's still a few rough spots on some fairways, it's way better than I remember it. Would definitely go back again.

[CJPenny]

Maplegate was definitely on the up when I stopped by earlier this year. A lot of the stuff is going to take years to fix (e.g., irrigation), but I might stop by in a few weeks to see how things are going

[jimb6golf]

> @billybaroo said:

> > @jimb6golf said:

> > Hopefully they don't play the games they did in the past that drove me and many others away - charging extra to walk,

> How the he11 does that work? "My cart broke down on the 1st green, go get it." :)

>

>

 

They tried in the past to charge extra to walk, and/ or at least the same as getting a cart. Plus they wouldn't let you know use a push cart on the course. The original owner basically built a good course but without the long term view or follow through and the course fell apart (hard, dried out course, no clubhouse, etc.). Hopefully the new owner will keep his word to bring the course back to championship quality. It's off to a decent start. Let's hope that a clubhouse with real bathrooms is on the list of things to do too.