Future Of West Orange Golf Course Undecided; Deal Still On Table

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Rock Spring Golf Club in West Orange isn’t for sale. And the club’s lauded, 18-hole golf course will stay put despite development plans, the town’s mayor says.

The uncertain future of the municipally owned golf course continues to spur debate in West Orange, with Mayor Susan McCartney and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo Jr. trading news releases about the situation on Monday (read them below).

For decades, Rock Spring operated as a private country club. But about seven years ago, the Montclair Golf Club merged with it, planning to complement its 36-hole golf course located on the border of West Orange and Verona. However, the Montclair Golf Club ultimately decided to sell the property.

Essex County briefly considered purchasing the property before township officials stepped in, hoping to prevent it from being turned into a residential development.

In 2019, the town inked an $11.28 million deal to purchase the 138-acre Rock Spring Club, which has a 6,600-yard, par-71 golf course. The West Orange Township Council approved a $12 million bond ordinance to pay the purchase price. The club’s golf course has since been converted into a public, daily fee golf facility, which opened in May 2019.

Here’s the problem, officials say – it’s costing a pretty penny to keep the course open.

Last month, town officials gave a presentation about potential real estate development at the municipally owned golf course. Nothing is set in stone about plans for the course or the potential timeline, the town’s attorney said.

The annual budget impact since the acquisition is $1,285,987, according to figures presented at the February meeting. Read More: West Orange May Develop Part Of Rock Spring Golf Club, Officials Say

DIVINCENZO: OFFER STILL ON THE TABLE

On Monday, DiVincenzo released a statement about Rock Spring, noting that the county’s offer to buy the property is still on the table.

DiVincenzo said:

“Over the last several weeks, there has been serious discussion in West Orange about the future of the Rock Spring Golf Club on Northfield Avenue. During recent Township Council meetings and community gatherings – as well as from the phone calls and emails received at my office – the idea of Essex County purchasing and operating the golf course has been mentioned as an alternative to development and as a means to preserve open space.”

The county executive continued:

“Three years ago, when the property became available, I expressed interest in purchasing the property and making it part of the historic Essex County Parks System. Since then, I have made it clear of my continued desire to purchase the parcel and made my interest known to West Orange’s leadership. The 138-acre parcel is ideally located next to Essex County South Mountain Reservation, would complement the three champion-caliber public golf courses we already operate and would be a welcome addition to the recreation opportunities already offered at our South Mountain Recreation Complex. The golf course already is a gem and, with the same investment level we have made at our three golf courses, it would continue to grow and evolve into an even greater recreation destination. In addition, we also would determine how the clubhouse could be transformed into a facility that would complement the course, benefit the community and produce recurring revenue.”

“Essex is one of the most densely populated and developed counties in New Jersey,” DiVincenzo said. “Protecting a tract of land as large as Rock Spring from being developed is a rare opportunity. West Orange officials should not believe that development of Rock Spring is their only alternative.”

“The option of having Essex County purchase the property is still on the table and I am ready to meet with them at any time,” DiVincenzo said.

WEST ORANGE MAYOR: ‘NOT FOR SALE’

McCartney countered with a statement of her own on Monday. She wrote:

“Rock Spring Golf Club is NOT for sale. The township acquired Rock Spring Golf Club in 2019 in a bold investment in our community to prevent the threat of development of upwards of 1,000 new residential units proposed by developers at that time. The county executive was consulted and declined to be part of the purchase. Since acquiring Rock Spring, the township has invested substantial time and approximately $2 million to maintain and improve the golf course.”

The mayor continued:

“Immediately upon beginning my term as mayor, I began a transparent process of advising the community as to the current state of the golf course, short-term and long-term capital expenditures that will be required and certain parcels that need to be evaluated. Since the Feb. 16 public meeting, I have continued to meet with residents and others concerning all aspects of these issues. Anyone who suggests otherwise is misstating the facts.”

“I have been looking forward to our already scheduled meeting, where the county executive and I can discuss his thoughts to benefit the West Orange community,” McCartney added. “As the township’s newly elected mayor, my goal is to continue to preserve Rock Spring as an 18-hole golf course.”

After reading McCartney’s statement, DiVincenzo said that he agreed with the plan to "keep those acres green."

“From the very beginning, preserving all 138 acres of Rock Spring Golf Club as open space and preventing any kind of development on the property was my objective,” he wrote. “I am pleased that West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney shares my goal and has made it known that the township intends to continue operating the facility as an 18-hole golf course. I am excited about working with the mayor and her team to keep those acres green.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page.