Harkers Hollow Reopens; Open House Set For April 15
Harkers Hollow Golf and Country Club in Phillipsburg has a new ownership group that promises to restore the club to its former glory.
Harkers Hollow, designed by noted architect Robert White, opened in 1929 as the preeminent club in its area.
The ownership group, which took over the club on Nov. 1, includes general manager and head professional Jason Hartline, director of golf and superintendent at Shawnee, Steve Taggart, Joe Manley, the head pro at Shawnee and former general manager at Great Bear, and local attorney and long-time member William Mandry. The club has hired Kaegan Horvat to act as head superintendent.
The club reopened on Friday, March 30. An open house/showcase event is set to take place at Harkers Hollow on April 15 at 1 p.m. Registration to attend, which is free, can be obtained by signing up on the website, www.harkershollow.com, under the event showcase tab.
A free individual membership to one attendee will be raffled off that afternoon.
"Right now, it's full speed ahead. The bones of a great course are there. It just needs a lot of TLC," said Hartline. "We had a couple of months to work on the club before Christmas. The first thing we did was aerate.
"At this point, we're attacking the bunkers. We have 36 of them here and that job should be completed by May 1," Hartline said. "The excitement is that the reopening will bring back the old Harkers Hollow. The greens were fast and firm and it was a players' club. The fairways were always immaculate."
With the reopening, - and the semi-private club open to the public - the fees are very reasonable. On Monday through Friday, golfers pay a fee of $45 which includes golf and a cart. On weekends, the charge is $56. A membership costs $1,500 for an individual and $2,000 for a family.
Said NJSGA Director of Handicapping and Member Benefit Services Rich Kennedy: "Harkers Hollow is a great piece of land and will come back better than ever."
The clubhouse, a converted barn, is a hub of social activity. It has hosted business meetings, weddings and special events. Upstairs includes a private dining room and bar. There is an open grill downstairs where the men's and ladies' locker rooms are located.
The large swimming pool will be reopened.
A large practice area will include a teaching academy and other amenities in the near future.
Harkers Hollow sits on 176 acres, which includes picturesque rolling hills.
"We want to utilize the property to its fullest potential," Hartline said. "We think people will come out to see what we have to offer and that's a lot."
