Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor
Deric Buck — who already operates Bay Meadows golf course in Queensbury — will take over on Oct. 4 at Kingswood, the Hudson Falls golf course he and his mother are buying for $1.8-million from Peter Shabat.
“We’re changing the name to Kingsbury National Golf Club,” Mr. Buck told The Chronicle. “The name Kingswood is synonymous with Mike Woodbury, who did a great job designing and building the course [which opened in 1991], but we wanted a new name and a new identity.”
The head golf pro will be Jack Madej, who has been the top assistant to Glens Falls Country Club Tom Haggerty for the last 15 years.
Mr. Madej calls it “an exciting opportunity…It’s a great golf course. It just needs a little TLC. I think everyone knows that. But Deric is going to put the money into it, and it’s going to be exciting to see it come back like it was years ago.”
Asked the most important thing he learned from Mr. Haggerty that he will take with him to Kingsbury National, Mr. Madej said, “Look people in the eye, shake their hand, and treat everyone great. It’s easy to be nice. Arnold Palmer just passed away, and that’s how he did things.”
Travis Morris will stay on as superintendent of the 175-acre course that was formerly a dairy farm.
General manager will be Adam Luaces, a Glens Falls native and Manhattan College graduate.
Mr. Buck said, “We’re setting the bar high, with a focus on customer service, quality and value.
“And we’re having new sand trucked in this week to start fixing the bunkers. Travis thinks we have time to do four. We’ll start greenside and work our way back.”
The cost of memberships
Membership fees will rise. This year, full memberships were $1,099.
Full seven-day memberships next year will be $1,499 for new members, $1,399 for returning members, including a cart, USGA GHIN handicap index card, unlimited range access and premium tee times.
The price will be discounted to $1,299 for returning members at an Oct. 12 open house from noon to 9 p.m. “for that night only,” Mr. Buck said. “I’m looking forward to meeting all of the members.”
Mr. Buck said golfers with discounted memberships for next year will receive $100 credit toward a regular membership, even though he received none of that up-front money last year. “This is the best we can do,” he said.
“We’re also taking $100 off for returning full members. I want to honor their loyalty.”
Mr. Buck said Kingsbury National members will get discounted rates for golf and food at Bay Meadows and Bogeys, and Bay Meadows members will be able to play Kingsbury National at a discount as well.
After the golf season, Mr. Buck said he will reconfigure the clubhouse and create a new 60-seat, year-round restaurant.
Partners on Bay Meadows, too
He said his mother, Faith, is a 50/50 partner with him in Kingsbury National, as she is at Bay Meadows, where he operates the golf course and Bogey’s Pub & Grill.
“We are under contract to buy Bay Meadows, and have two years to close on it,” he said. “We also have a two-year extension.”
Mr. Shabat bought Kingswood in 2010 for $1.35-million. He also owns Bay Meadows, which he bought in January 2007 for $615,000.
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