Work On New $7M Golf Clubhouse Starts Next Week In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — A year from now, the H. Smith Richardson Golf Course will have a new clubhouse. Officials broke ground Wednesday on the project.

"It's been a long time coming," H. Smith Richardson Building Committee Chairman Craig Curley told those in attendance.

During the groundbreaking, Curley emphasized the golf course's role as a financial asset for the town, while First Selectman Mike Tetreau said the new facility will elevate Fairfield's golf clubhouse to be on par with those in neighboring towns.

"I'm really proud of this facility," Tetreau said.

Construction starts Monday on the project, which will increase the size of the clubhouse by nearly 30 percent, from 6,700 square feet to 9,200 square feet. Officials hope to see the new building open by Labor Day of next year, with the golf course at 2425 Morehouse Highway remaining operational throughout construction.

Fairfield has one of the top golf courses in the state, according to Curley, but the size of the clubhouse has limited its ability to host events. The new clubhouse project includes renovating and expanding the cart barn and increasing parking to nearly 200 spaces, according to a news release about the groundbreaking. The clubhouse will also be repositioned so the dining room and patio overlook the 18th hole of the course, the news release said. Additionally, the building will provide upgraded facilities for women golfers, Tetreau said.

The clubhouse will cost just over $7 million to build and will be paid for with a 20-year bond, according to Curley. In addition to the roughly $350,000 in surplus funds the golf course typically accrues each year, the town hopes to pay off the bond with revenue from a spike in clubhouse events and an anticipated $2 rate increase, Curley said. It is also possible the venue's restaurant will pay more to rent space in the new building, generating additional funds, he said.

The project has been in development for about two years and received approvals from the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting. The current clubhouse is nearly 50 years old, and once built, the new facility is expected to have about the same lifespan.