A new ownership group that includes a part-owner of two Riverhead-area golf clubs is preparing to resurrect the dormant Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River, according to an article published last week in the Riverhead News-Review.
The sale to Chris Vene and Anthony Lomangino was expected to close this past week on May 27, wrote the News-Review's Tim Gannon. Vene has an ownership stake in the nearby Baiting Hollow Golf Club in Baiting Hollow and The Vineyards Golf Club in Riverhead, as well as a golf course maintenance company that would service Great Rock.
Vene told the News-Review that a priority of the reopened golf course would be providing a "member for the day" experience.
[Vene] said some people might not play that often or might not be able to afford membership costs at other clubs.
“So you go to Great Rock and you’re a member for the day,” he said. “You have a great facility, and you have access to the locker room, the sauna, the showers, the driving range. You can hit as many balls as you want and then, hopefully, get a great meal at the restaurant.”
As for who will operate the restaurant, Mr. Vene said, “We’re working on it,” adding that he has interviewed “multiple local restaurateurs.” -- Tim Gannon, Riverhead News-Review, 5/18/2021
Great Rock abruptly closed in October 2019 amid rumors of a sale, some naming Vene as a potential buyer. The closure capped an abbreviated season filled with player complaints about course conditions, lack of maintenance and limited facilities. The course immediately began promoting its 2020 season, though the course never reopened.
Last month, Great Rock dropped vague clues of a potential return on its Facebook page.
Vene, who lives near the course, said he plans to meet with neighbors after the sale to discuss their concerns. One long-standing issue has been noise from weddings and other events held in the club's temporary outdoor tent, though Great Rock was granted town approval last year to expand its clubhouse.
A golf course reopening date is not available at the moment. Stay tuned to Golf On Long Island this spring and summer for updates on the course.