Dec. 9, 2025, 2:00 p.m. ET
Pennsylvania has reversed its decision and will renew the lease for South Mountain Golf Course for another 10 years.The Franklin County golf course, which has been operated by the same family for six decades, will now reopen in 2026.State lawmakers and public outcry are credited with convincing the governor’s office to overturn the initial plan to close the course.The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources had originally planned to redevelop the site into a visitor center and expand conservation lands.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took a mulligan and reversed course to renew the lease for a Franklin County golf course, which previously announced it would close after a long fight over the future of the lease.
South Mountain Golf Course, which sits about 30 minutes west of Gettysburg, will reopen in 2026 after the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources renewed the lease for another 10 years. The golf course credited supporters who inundated the Pennsylvania governor’s office with calls, emails and text messages, and state lawmakers who pushed the issue to the top of the ladder.
“A huge thank you to every representative, senator and legislator who continued to fight for us and never gave up, when we were ready to quit,” reads a statement posted on the South Mountain Golf Course Facebook page.
State Rep. Chad Reichard (R-90), whose district includes the golf course, announced on Dec. 7 that the state would renew the lease after all. He has been working with the George family, who have owned the golf course for six decades, to push for the lease renewal.
“The community rallied around the Georges and their beloved links when word that DCNR had plans to close the course spread. So many people passed around and signed petitions to keep the course open. The Franklin County commissioners and local elected officials stood firmly in support of preserving the course,” Reichard said.
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Reichard hailed Rep. Jesse Topper (R-78) and chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Rep. Dan Moul (R-91), both of whom previously represented Franklin County, for helping him reach the ear of the governor and leaders at DCNR despite being a first-year lawmaker.
“Gov. Josh Shapiro also deserves credit for righting this wrong with DCNR. I am grateful he recognized that forcing a small business to close was not in the best interest of our community and the state,” Reichard said.
‘We thought we had a chance’
The team behind South Mountain Golf Course, which originally served World War I veterans and tuberculosis patients over 100 years ago, entered the Thanksgiving holiday believing they had lost the fight for their lease.
“We knew this day was coming, but with so many people that were supporting the course, we thought we had a chance and we fought on,” course manager Don Montgomery wrote in the Facebook post announcing the course’s closure.
The golf course team had spent more than two years building support after DCNR announced its intention to take back the pocket of Michaux State Forest and redevelop it to expand environmental opportunities. Franklin County commissioners and multiple municipalities passed resolutions in support of the golf course, and about 3,000 people signed a petition.
DCNR’s plans included creating a visitor center, expanding conservation acres for wildlife habitats and providing a free public resource for residents, outdoor recreation users and visitors to learn about Michaux State Forest at the site, according to information from DCNR.
The Commonwealth said it evaluated nine sites, including several in nearby Caledonia State Park, and the South Mountain Golf Course property was best suited for the project.
It is not clear what the lease reversal will mean for the DCNR project. Public Opinion contacted DCNR for comment and was directed to the governor’s press office.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
