Mercer County officials have completed the acquisition of the Hopewell Valley Golf Club.
County officials and the Mercer County Park Commission announced the completion of the acquisition on Dec. 2. The Hopewell Valley Golf Club in Hopewell Township, which is currently closed to the public, sits on 186 acres and contains an 18-hole golf course.
“We are very happy that Mercer County was able to finalize the acquisition of the Hopewell Valley Golf Course. It is a beautiful, well loved jewel in Hopewell Township,” Hopewell Township Mayor Kristin McLaughlin said. “Many of our residents have built strong connections to the place and the people who’ve used it over the years.”
Along with a club house, the property located on Pennington-Hopewell Road also has a ballroom, pro shop and tennis, in addition to a pool.
“This facility opens so much potential for the Park Commission and we are thrilled to have acquired this property,” Aaron Watson, executive director of the Park Commission, said in a prepared statement. “Expanding upon our golf and tennis offerings, the addition of a pool gives us the opportunity to provide something new and exciting in the county and opens the door to new programs and events at this location.”
According to the county, the clubhouse features a patio, indoor dining and a full-service bar, which will be open to the public once the facility is operational.
The new property for the Park Commission abuts the Stony Brook with native tree and shrub plantings set to be placed near the Stony Brook.
The county will keep the property closed to the public during the winter months, while county employees and contractors begin work on the buildings, course greens and tennis courts. The Park Commission has slated the timeframe of spring of 2021, as the anticipated opening for golf, food and beverages.
Then the tennis courts (three Har-Tru outdoor tennis courts and three platform tennis courts) and pool will open to public from Memorial Day on May 31 to Labor Day on Sept. 6.
“We welcome Mercer County and their incredible team of people and look forward to welcoming our neighbors from other towns to another wonderful recreation space in Hopewell Township,” McLaughlin said.
Back in July, the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved the acquisition of the Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club.
In 2016, the club had reopened under new ownership when Spirit Golf Management LLC took over the property. Three years later, Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club closed its doors to members and the public in 2019.
County officials sought to purchase the property, which has been in foreclosure, for $1.9 million.
The county acquired the property through bonds and grant funds from the Green Acres Planning Incentive program (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection). The loans would be repaid from the Open Space Preservation Trust Fund, according to the county resolution documents.
Mercer County will now own and operate five golf courses with the addition of Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club, a former private golf and country club designed by Thomas Winton in 1927. The county already operates Mountain View Golf Course in Ewing Township, Princeton Country Club in West Windsor Township, and Mercer Oaks East and West also in West Windsor.