Gerry Heller, CCM manages the course as the General Manager. In a matter of two to three years, it felt like wed built pretty much every feature of a golf course. Its about engaging the young kids, often between 6 and 13 years of age, in a fun and supportive environment. With lodging here and our unique golf-only approach, weve recognized our niche and folks are eager to buy in., Your email address will not be published. Heller reports that several members, rendered clubless by the Harrisburg closings, have already joined LedgeRock. Larry Hirsh, the owner of Conshohocken, Pa.-based Golf Property Analysts says. I think having to continuously resell the same dining experience is a tough challenge. That is as important today as growing grass., Jones notes FitzGeralds pedigree, but adds that having Pine Valley on ones rsum doesnt do any good unless that superintendent can deliver. Im going through the U.S. citizenship process right now, FitzGerald says with a wry smile. Water flows right through that layer. " FitzGerald said. The young Irishman, newly married, would eventually spend six years at Pine Valley. Publicly campaigning to join the club, or even simply stating your interest, is considered uncouth among the green jacket community, as Bill Gates once found out though the billionaire was eventually admitted as a member. The elevated tee and green locations offer long vistas of the surrounding countryside and enhance the playability of this outstanding venue. Golf Courses, Sinking Spring, PA There are a lot of elevation changes that'll require correct calcuations or you will find yourself in trouble. Play private golf, access private courses, and book private Tee Times at Ledgerock Golf Club in Mohnton PA with Boxgroove Crossing paths with Bator changed the trajectory of his career. What you wont see on the primary scorecard is a nine-hole short course that measures 1,298 yards and has a scorecard of its own. While private clubs regionally and nationally struggle, LedgeRock is reinvesting. He wanted to make it to the top and make himself better at the same time. The latest news & stories from PGA Member Events. 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. Aidan told me 'if you want to do this, you need to go to the States.' And quite honestly, there are a lot of folks out there whose clubs are housing developments today. For the Avid Golfer For the Traveling Golfer As you know, private golf clubs are closing, redeveloping and converting to public play in record numbers. I think we had 23 inches of rain that first July. Back in the early 1980s, a fellow named Victor Kiam made himself famous by going on television to sell Remington electric shavers. Powered by Invision Community, Becoming a superintendent was always in the cards for LedgeRock's FitzGerald, Copyright 1994-2022, Turnstile Publishing Company. The Ledgerock Golf Club is a private 18 hole facility located near Reading, Pennsylvania. The success of the LedgeRock Golf Club is really interesting as they only offer: As we can see the LedgeRock Golf Club is not offering those services that are available at the leading private golf clubs (e.g. They may play up to 20 rounds of golf per year and have access to all club facilities, including overnights at Kohl Lodge, the clubs on-site guest cottage. Loch Lomond in Scotland where Penn State grad Ken Siems was superintendent, was deemed the perfect fit. LedgeRock Golf Club in Mohnton, Pennsylvania is flush with wide, sweeping views. LedgeRock Golf Club has been crafted from 210 acres of pristine land from a former nursery, farm and estate, featuring open fields, ponds, elevation changes and wooded areas. With his foresight, Graffis helped advance the game in numerous ways, from founding the National Golf Foundation and the Club Managers Association of America to his work advocating on behalf of superintendents and elevating their profile. "I just shake my head and say 'Don't ask. In 2020, he had 36 kids comprising four teams and competing in various skills competitions. The PGA of America is made up of nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals who are ready to help you further your love for the game of golf. These bunkers just do not fail, FitzGerald says. With meeting space indoors and a spacious patio outdoors that overlooks the range, its a popular member gathering spot. It was Aidan O'Hara who convinced FitzGerald of the importance of learning the turf management trade at an American turf school. LedgeRock Golf Club opened in 2006 on 212 acres of terrain marked by striking elevation changes and riven by half a dozen roaring brooks. Community building is about relationship building. The Blinder business accounts for the other 3 percent, but because its all above board, fielding a Blinder call in the middle of the day is seamless and unremarkable, to be honest. What he did not know at the time was that what was supposed to be a two-year stop at Penn State would turn into something much more permanent. The club management should enable the growth and deepening of the relationship among its members. Ledgerock Golf Club Targets May Reopening For New Hole, Rees Jones Returning To Enhance Southeast Pennsylvania Course. The unique LedgeRock Golf Club logo also helps sell merchandise, as the clubs members like to show it off while demonstrating pride in their club. 2023 North Coast Media LLC, All Rights Reserved. He says his biggest sellers are TaylorMade, Callaway and PING, all quality brands to go with the impressive roster of apparel lines he highlighted. People have forgotten how to talk to people! The challenge for LedgeRock Golf Club is its location. I asked him where one gets an LSU Tiger-themed cake in rural Pennsylvania and he credited the internet and some thoughtful planning for making the party an annual success. Individual Golf Membership Monthly Dues $195.00 This membership includes unlimited Golf and Club Amenities, listed on page 2, for the Golf Courses, Denver, PA Designed by Rees Jones, ASGCA, the Ledgerock golf course opened in 2006. The club member wants to thrive and grow and feel the value of his membership. Indeed, it is a hidden gem among the many fine courses in southeastern Pennsylvania. Whats more, he didnt buy Blinder Bunker International. "It isn't an easy process. But we havent lost any either. 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. ATLANTIC CITY, NJ | Enjoy 2 nights' accommodations at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel and 2 rounds of golf at Seaview Golf Club - Bay & Pines Courses. The Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year Award is named in honor of Golfdoms founder, World Golf Hall of Fame member Herb Graffis. Read the latest feature stories from the PGA of America to learn how the game is growing on and off the course. During the Great Recession, LedgeRock focused on a regional strategy to help broaden its membership base, though the course didnt stabilize until 2011. Alan was totally upfront with us about this, and we frankly viewed it as an opportunity for him as a valued employee and for us as a club, Heller says. 1 track on the planet. FitzGerald, 45, was seemingly destined for life as a golf course superintendent. 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. Book Tee Times Take a look at the scorecard and youll see five sets of tees that serve golfers of all skill levels. Regional, or nonresident members may not own or rent property within 35 miles of the club. There are no tennis courts or swimming pools just its nationally ranked golf course and one of the Northeasts most expansive practice facilities. 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. "Inhindsight, meeting Dick Bator was huge for me. Ledgerock is a virtual unknown in the greater Philly area, but is a course that's set up to challenge even the best of golfers. Slopes are so severe that one hillside is named in honor of the Toro mowers used to keep it clipped. FitzGerald grew up in Castlecomer, in the southeast of Ireland. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The more rugged the property is, the more spectacular the possibilities for the final product. 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. 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. "Most superintendents, when they come here, ask 'how do you do that?' The approach is sound. That's due to the cost of the raw materials and that we install it. They stayed with it, so thats what we did as well.. I dont see a reason why other superintendents couldnt swing the same sort of arrangement, if the right opportunity comes up. 2019 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year: Alan FitzGerald. Its a big investment no matter what product you choose, so its got to last. They represent opportunity for LedgeRock, as well.. Something O'Hara said stuck with FitzGerald, who got the assistant's job at Pine Valley in 1998 on the recommendation of Dick Bator, before graduating to LedgeRock in 2004. "Then coming to Penn State was a culture shock because I was 20, and I couldn't get into bars. And we pretty much refuse to compromise on quality, which justifies the long-term investment prospect, in our view. Ledgerock Golf Club. All the latest stories & news from the Major PGA Championships. By 1996, he was off to Penn State. 2020 was fraught with challenges, of course, but as has been the case with golf facilities across the country, LedgeRock added 95 new members to its ranks and still has room to grow. My standing joke has been, The members here have never played in brand-new bunkers.. Inhindsight, meeting Dick Bator was huge for me. 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. Welcome to one of the most beautiful golf courses along the East Coasttucked away as. Welcome to one of the most beautiful golf courses along the East Coast..tucked away as Mohnton's. LedgeRock Golf Club | Mohnton PA What does it cost to get a crew over here? As it happened, it wasnt cost prohibitive, and once I saw the product perform honestly, the flexibility of the liner struck me as genius I could see this was a real technological advance. Categories of Membership, For the Avid Golfer, For the Traveling Golfer, Culinary . THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It was not a formal education, but it was extensive. According to some estimates, 50% of private golf club members eat at their club 1 out of 10 dining out experiences. Jake Straub, who first met FitzGerald at Penn State the day he walked off the airplane from Ireland, says that the reason FitzGerald has been so successful is because he is always asking, Why?, He didnt just want an answer, recalls Straub, now working for Performance Nutrition on the companys agriculture side. "I did my two years of basic greenkeeping at Mount Juliet, then I got into the two-year program at Penn State," said FitzGerald. He also spoke of The Greenbriar Cup, a season-long Match Play event, and said they host 6-10 corporate and charitable outings each year, a number that works well within the business plan of the management team at LedgeRock. More surprising, perhaps, is his full-time employers belief in the venture. <> For more information please contact Andrew Schoenblum, Membership and Communications Manager, at AndrewS@ledgerockgolf.com. Wed fix everything after a storm and everything would just wash out again, FitzGerald says with a shrug. . Demographics and attitudes have changed. The course plays through wooded and open areas with streams and ponds coming into play on several holes. View Website EXPLORE THE COURSE MAP. Bator, a consultant and former superintendent at Pine Valley, had recently returned from Ireland when he met FitzGerald in 1998 and recommended him to Christian. This involvement often leads to kids joining his more golf-specific programs that drive membership as mentioned briefly already. If you want to hit all the clubs in your bag play here.". TUNKHANNOCK, PA | Enjoy 3 nights' accommodations at Shadowbrook Resort and 2 rounds of golf at Shadowbrook Golf Course. Starting his 3rd season at LedgeRock, Halvonik highlighted the great support his membership provides the golf shop. 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. LedgeRock is a Golf Club owned by its Members. Member Login. I was going to my spiritual home," FitzGerald said. The bunkers here regularly washed from the time the sand went into them. A 2020 Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 50 Private Facility, LedgeRock Golf Club has also been recognized as a Distinguished Club by BoardRoom Magazine for three consecutive years. That debt burden is the reason so many clubs have, in the last decade, sold out to corporate management companies like ClubCorp (North Hills CC, Hartefeld National in Avondale) and Concert Golf Properties (White Manor in Malvern, Philmont in Huntingdon Valley). Blinder has been operating in Europe for a decade, where, unlike in North America, its one of the most recognizable names in bunker liners. Golf Courses. Membership is by invitation only. Its perhaps no surprise that FitzGerald believes in the Blinder product; on some level, every entrepreneurial venture requires that belief. He still asks Why? and as hes gotten older, he also asks Why not? And thats a great thing.. Hes personable, and a hard worker thats why he is where he is today. The big thing, obviously, is to be sure the club is on board. But after some 15 years of research, test bunkers and cost-benefit analyses, he believes hes found the best bunker liner system out there. He called and told me I was hired," FitzGerald said. Designed by Rees Jones, ASGCA, the Ledgerock golf course opened in 2006. I had a much better year. (Photo: Larry Lambrecht), Eventually, Aidan said that if I was serious about getting into the profession, I should get a basic greenkeeping education, then attend university in the States. %PDF-1.5 Copyright 2023 GolfPass. If we want to build a community in our private golf club and not just manage a private golf club then we have to help our members to build relationships with each other. Call (610) 777-9705 for more information. 4 0 obj "Our biggest issue is cost: We've done a lot to bring it down, but on a straight square-foot price, our product is 30 percent more expensive that most of our competitors. LedgeRock captures the essence of a classic, old style course by maintaining the scenic beauty and elegant rustic nature of the original landscape. For the first few years, the maintenance staff did a great job removing the contaminants, but eventually it got to the point where the sand needed replacing, FitzGerald says. Required fields are marked *. Great layout that is very challenging. 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. We know those people as colleagues and neighbors. 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