for $2.24 million<\/a> and has since invested in upgrades to the clubhouse and cart barn. <\/p>\nBut rather than fully renovating the 18\u2011hole course, he plans to convert it into a 12\u2011hole layout and use six front\u2011nine holes for an attached single\u2011family townhome development by Ryan Homes.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the Hamilton Township Zoning Board approved a variance for the project despite vocal opposition from nearby residents, particularly those living on Monet Drive in the Glen Eyre development. Several of their properties border the course.<\/p>\n
Ruocco, an executive at Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, has invested in the Cates Road property, giving the course a facelift by updating its clubhouse and cart\u2011storage barn. <\/p>\n
The homes could be finished by 2027, according to a variance application reviewed by NJ Advance Media.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs evidenced by recent history, a traditional 18\u2011hole golf course is no longer economically sustainable,\u201d Ruocco said in a statement issued through the club\u2019s attorney, Keith Davis.<\/p>\n
Homeowners on Monet Drive, a cul\u2011de\u2011sac in the Glen Eyre development, raised concerns about the project at Monday\u2019s meeting. <\/p>\n
Michael Baldwin, president of the Glen Eyre homeowners association, said that residents fear the work could depress property values. Several properties border the course\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of looking at the golf course, now we\u2019re going to be looking at the backside of the townhomes,\u201d Baldwin added.<\/p>\n
Residents also raised concerns over traffic enforcement and potential environmental impacts, particularly with stormwater runoff tied to the new development. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe majority of the people who bought in my development…bought because it\u2019s on a cul-de-sac, and it\u2019s not a through street,\u201d Baldwin said. <\/p>\n
The association president also questioned whether newer homes on the golf course could impact real estate transactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine being a new homeowner coming into a development like mine, and all of a sudden…after you moved in, settled down, closings done [and] you\u2019re in the house, there\u2019s going to be townhomes being built right behind your house,\u201d Baldwin said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of like a slap in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n
The course was originally designed and owned by Leo Fraser, a former president of PGA America. After his death, the Fraser family sold the property to Green Valley Destinations and Resorts. <\/p>\n
According to a 2014 deed restriction, the property was required to maintain a 12\u2011hole golf course, allowing part of the land to be redeveloped. <\/p>\n
To move forward with construction, the owners challenged a separate 1980s restriction in court. A judge voided that decades\u2011old mandate, which had required the property to operate only nine holes.<\/p>\n
Ruocco is instead following the 12-hole requirement.<\/p>\n
The site plan proposes reconfiguring the parking lot to make room for a new driveway into the townhome community, which would include two cul\u2011de\u2011sacs extending toward a pond. A study in the application estimates the project would increase traffic by 3%.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith over 200 modern townhome units in concert with a redesigned and upgraded 12-hole course with [a] clubhouse, we think Mays Landing Golf Club will be a fun recreation destination for everyone in the neighborhood,\u201d Ruocco said, calling the proposal a \u201cwin-win\u201d for the community and facility.<\/p>\n
Filings in the Atlantic County Clerk\u2019s Office show that a 2002 restriction preserved the course as a golf facility during construction of The Fairways retirement community. That restriction was revised in 2014 to cover only holes 10 through 18, freeing the holes closest to Monet Drive for building.<\/p>\n
The course joins Greate Bay Country Club in nearby Somers Point as one of Ruocco\u2019s golfing investments. He was part of a group that bought the facility, which once hosted the ShopRite LPGA Classic. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new owner of a once family-run South Jersey golf course is moving ahead with plans to redevelop…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408183,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-408182","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-golf","9":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}