Fore! Barney Road Golf Course to open

The Barney Road Golf Course will reopen Friday under town ownership.

It’s a soft opening for the executive par-3 golf course off Grooms Road, and a grand opening event will be held a little later when the weather gets warmer and the grass greener.

This spring, the town will spend $99,990 from the golf course account to replace a 40-year-old bridge crossing the pond at the third hole. Officials didn’t expect to have to replace the bridge so soon, but heavy snow cover this winter made replacing it necessary.

“It was a bad winter,” said town councilman James Romano.

A visual inspection in late February showed part of the pedestrian bridge had collapsed over the Beechwood Pond.

The Dock Doctors of Ferrisburgh, Vt., will install a new dock-style bridge that will sit in the water and connect to the shore at both sides. It eliminates the need for pilings and will be treated to withstand weather better than the old plank bridge.

“The old bridge is being removed, and we’ve ordered a replacement,” Romano said. “We’ve got an alternate route for the golfers to walk around.”

The new bridge is expected to be open within the next 10 weeks, Romano said.

The town bought the 39-acre course for $1.08 million from Robert Phillips and son-in-law Peter Murray in November, using funds from the town’s surplus.

Officials said in October they expect to turn a $50,000 profit in the first year, but Romano said he’s not sure how much the town will make because of having to replace the bridge.

“We think we should be able to turn a profit on it the first year,” Romano said. “We’ll have a better feel once we get through the process.”

Because it’s a nine-hole course, Barney Road won’t compete with other golf courses in town that are open to the public.

“It’s a different venue,” Romano said.

Some former staffers will remain to provide continuity, including the course superintendent and the staff that mans the shack.

“That transition is going to be very smooth for everybody,” Romano said.

Town staffers have spent the last few months getting ready for operating a golf course. The recreation department is responsible for programming and the buildings and grounds department will maintain the course.

“They have to work together to get it open,” Romano said.

The town touts the course as ideal for beginning golfers, those who want to improve their short game or people who don’t have a lot of time. People can play the nine holes or repeat them to make 18 holes.

It is open seven days a week starting at 8 a.m. and closing at varying times throughout the season.

Five leagues will meet there regularly and town officials hope to attract more groups by marketing the course a little and getting the word out, Romano said.

“I think a lot of people thought it was just a neighborhood-community-type situation and not something that was open to the public. We’re going to try to make it more accessible and more visible.”

The course is in Clifton Knolls, the town’s oldest residential neighborhood, and was built in 1966 by the Van Patten family.

A new website at www.barneyroadgolf.org has more information. People also may call the parks and recreation department at 371-6667 to set up a league.

Prices are $12 for a nine-hole game on the weekdays and $13 on the weekends; golfers pay $17 on weekdays for 18 holes or $19 on the weekends.

Students and seniors age 62 or older get a discount.