Is this a worrying look into the future of our beloved public golf courses?
A popular golf course has closed – and, for once, it won’t make way for new homes.
Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is no longer in play after it was sold as local authorities looked to recover several million dollars’ worth of debt.
PGA pro Doc Greenlee, who grew up on Dauphin Highlands, described the 1995 Bill Love layout as “a top-tier public course” as he played it for one last time.
Speaking to WGAL-TV, he continued: “You can compare this to a lot of other areas in Pennsylvania and this is up there on layout and conditions and the way they take care of it. So, it’s going to be a little bit of a shame to see this go.
“I owe a lot to this course and it’s sad to see it go, but it’s one of the best in the area by far,” he said. “It’s bittersweet. It’s kind of like a funeral out here.”
So what’s next? The course had been on the market for a little over a year before Harrisburg I LLC stepped in with a $45 million bid.
That company has, in turn, sold it to Texas-based developer Corscale, which is now planning a $10.5 billion AI data center on the site to the southwest of the state capital on the banks of the Susquehanna River.
While there are still additional permits and approvals to be obtained, construction is expected to start next year, with completion in 2028.
For now, though, all that’s left of Dauphin Highlands is a website with a message which has – somewhat ironically – been created using AI.
“Thank you for the memories,” it reads. “The final putt may drop, but the friendships, traditions and memories made here will live on.
“Thank you for 30 unforgettable years.”
Main image for illustrative purposes only.