A Brilliant Idea For How To Re-Open Dutchess Golf Club

A while back and I am talking almost two decades ago I played my last round of golf at the Dutchess Golf and Country Club. It was a charity tournament. I remember the course was fun to play and the newly renovated clubhouse was beautiful inside.

Fast forward to the present day and the once grand Dutchess Golf and Country Club has been closed for almost ten years. It is actually up for sale club house and all.

According to the LoopNet listing, it is on the market for $13,000,000.

Golf Course Founded in 1897 For Sale in Dutchess County, New York

I hadn't thought about this golf course in quite a while but last weekend I was driving on Route 9 and noticed it with the For Sale sign. I comment to my husband "Wow it's been a long time since we play golf there".

After seeing it I got thinking about what a great piece of land it was and then started wondering what would happen to it.

SEE Also: Lazy Swan Golf Course For Sale

If you aren't familiar with the club some of the highlights according to the New York State Golf Association are that it was founded in 1897.

Originally it was only 9 holes that were said to be designed by a member of the Park family from St. Andrew's Scotland. Eventually, it was expanded to 18 holes.

Many influential people were members of the club over the years it was open including President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Dutchess Golf and Country Club threw great parties and many people booked their special events at the new clubhouse once it was finished in 2004.

Dutchess Golf and Country Club For Sale in Poughkeepsie, New York

Unfortunately soon after the new clubhouse was built the club suffered some financial issues, a drop in membership didn't help and before you know it the owner of the club was announcing its closure.

By 2017 the doors were closed and the golf course was left to grow wild while the clubhouse began being used as office space by the current owner.

How to Reopen the Dutchess Golf and Country Club

So what is my big idea for the old Dutchess Golf and Country Club? Simple, use the property with Route 9 road frontage for commercial property.  Altogether there are almost 140 acres. Then I say take the golf course part, bring it back to life, and somehow make it part of McCann Golf Course which is right behind it on the other side of Wilbur Boulevard.

Google Maps shows how the courses are only separated by a small neighborhood and Wilbur Boulevard.

There has got to be a way to get from one to the other. A bridge, a path, a road?

It is not completely clear on Google Maps if you could content the two courses but it looks like through creating some sort of access road you could do it. It would be the first course with a public road running through it. Both Apple Greens and West Point Golf Club have roads that separate parts of the course. West Point is actually on both sides of State Route 9W.

I can't be the only person who would like to see this 1897 golf course get another chance to come to life.

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