Harrison Meadows Hole #6. Photo by John Fortunato
Westchester’s newest semi-private golf course, Harrison Meadows, enters its second year of town operation.
The town of Harrison has loosened requirements for people other than residents of Harrison, West Harrison, and Purchase to become annual passholders for its country club, Harrison Meadows. When the town acquired the defunct Willow Ridge CC through eminent domain for $13.65 million, the plan was to restrict access to residents and their guests. That plan changed in response to market conditions.
“We can’t have 20 people playing golf on a given day. It’s unsustainable,” Mayor Richard Dionisio says at a recent town hall meeting to discuss the change with current passholders and others. The club attracted 440 members in its first year, but their utilization of the golf course wasn’t as robust as hoped. Even with daily fee play, only 60% of the available tee times were filled and some 19,000 rounds were played. To put that in perspective, nearby county-owned courses like Saxon Woods typically log 50-60,000 rounds annually.
The 2023 season looks promising for Harrison Meadows, though. Over 425 passholders (including non-residents) have already signed up, and more are expected as the weather turns warmer and the golf bug bites. The club has also overcome some of the factors that held it back last year, particularly the lack of food service. A full-service restaurant, The Meadows, opened over the winter and offers food and drink to the general public in addition to club members.
Pool and tennis facilities are fully operational now, and pickleball courts have been added. The golf course, which spent much of the first season healing from lack of maintenance after Willow Ridge closed, now features revived and expanded tee boxes, rejuvenated bunkers, and a new cart fleet. The short game practice area was updated over the winter as well. Plans are underway to invest in a new irrigation system and address drainage problems. When the town acquired the club, it bonded an additional $2 million to pay for those improvements.
Prospective passholders can choose from a variety of plans ranging from $1,999 for resident weekday senior golfers to $7,350 for non-residents with full golf privileges. Additional plans are available for families, juniors, and pool and tennis. While up to 100 non-residents can now become annual passholders, daily fee play remains restricted to Harrison residents (who do not need to be passholders) and their guests. Green fees are demand-driven, but generally start around $69 (excluding cart) for non-peak periods.
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