BY JILL NAGY
McGregor Links Country Club in Wilton will
reopen this spring with new owners, a new
restaurant, and a refurbished clubhouse.
It will stay open year-round and offer, among
other new things, an indoor golf simulator.
The new owners are Blake Crocitto and
William Ahl, both of Saratoga Springs. They
purchased the facility for $2.25 million from
the Dennis and Arakelian families, long time
owners of the golf course, following the death
of CEO and co-owner Mike Dennis.
Chris Martell, owner of Druthers Brewing
Co. of Saratoga Springs, will operate the
restaurant. Renovations are underway for a
year-round full-service facility. In addition,
there will be a test kitchen for trying new
recipes and beers.
The clubhouse will have heat and air-conditioning
for the first time, plus new windows
and other enhancements, the owners said. A
members-only section of the clubhouse will
have the indoor golf simulator, available for
practice, lessons and trying out new equipment.
The club already has tennis courts and
a swimming pool as well as the 18-hole golf
course.
Crocitto, who will be general manager of the
club, estimated renovation costs at $250,000.
He expects renovations to be completed by April 1. The actual opening day depends upon
the weather.
“Once the snow melts, we will know what has
to be done” to get the golf course into shape,
Crocitto said. Tentatively, “a big kick-off party”
is scheduled for the first week of April.
For both Crocitto and Ahl, this is their first
experience operating a golf club. Crocitto, however,
knows the McGregor Links well. He played
his first ever round of golf there six years ago.
“I fell in love with the game and McGregor
Links that day,” he said. “I played 100 rounds
in the past year alone and 120 the year before
that. Most non-club members may play 30
times a year.”
He also works for MyGolfSpy, a company that
tests and reviews golf equipment.
Ahl will have primary responsibility for
groundskeeping, maintenance and upkeep
of the facility. He and his wife, Barbara, own
Ontario Scrap Metal in Albany, a disposal and
recycling firm.
McGregor Links, opened in 1921, has a
reputation as one of the hardest and nicest golf
courses in the Northeast, according to Crocitto.
It has a membership of 433. The new owners
are trying to increase that membership to 500-
550 people, particularly by attracting younger
players and families.
For additional information, call McGregor
Links at 584-6664.
Photo Courtesy McGregor Links Country Club