“Huntsville Golf Club is committed to golf. The game, with all its allure, mysteries and traditions, is the reason for our existence.”
The 1980's were the heyday of golf in the United States, and northeastern Pennsylvania caught the fever. Golf courses were crowded, and clubs had long lists of people waiting to become members. It was in this environment that a businessman in Wilkes-Barre, Richard Maslow, decided to build a new local golf club.
Wanting his club to be a truly first class experience, he set out to hire the best. He chose the respected golf club consultant, Jim McLoughlin of the McLoughlin Group, to carry out a feasibility study to determine if the concept made financial sense. With a thumbs up result, in 1988 he approached the world renowned golf course architect, Rees Jones, to ask him to design a premiere golf course. Working with Rees, he began searching the countryside around Wilkes-Barre for a site worthy of a strong golf course that would meet his own lofty expectations for a high quality private club.
Dick Maslow did not walk this road alone. The Maslow Family Partnership formed a corporation named Maplemoor, Inc. with fellow investors Richard L. Pearsall and David C. Hall. In addition to these financial partners, he was assisted in legal matters by Attorney A. Richard Caputo, who was also given the assignment to draft a Club Constitution. Consulting Engineer George Evans, of Killam Associates, would oversee the project's surveys, approvals, and environmental evaluations. Paul Lumia was appointed to serve as the first Membership Director, and Tim Foran was hired as the first Golf Professional.
After four long years, aided by the assistance of realtor Barbara Metcalf of Lewith & Freeman, they settled on a site comprised of five different land parcels. Maplemoor, Inc. purchased a total of 334 acres from the Voitek and Heffernan families, Dr. Anthony Kuprionas, Richard "Butch" Hall, and Pennsylvania Gas & Water Company.
After mapping out a few unsatisfactory routings, Jones looked enviously at the property across the street. "I can build a very good golf course with what you've given me," he told Maslow. "But if you purchase the property across the road, I can build you a great golf course." After a few months of negotiations, Maplemoor, Inc. purchased an additional 139 acres from the Conygham family, including a large barn, two small farmhouses, and an apple orchard. Jones now had a total of 473 acres with which to work. Scott Schukraft was hired as the Golf Course Superintendent, and a press conference was held on Thursday, July 25, 1991 to announce that Maplemoor, Inc., doing business as Huntsville Golf Club, would begin construction and planned to open in late 1993.
Since opening in 1994, Huntsville Golf Club has quickly been recognized as one of the state's best golf courses, a real achievement considering Pennsylvania is home to some legendary courses. In December, 1995, Golf Digest named Huntsville Golf Club as the #2 Best New Private Course opened in the United States and Canada. In 2001-2002, it was ranked #5 in the state by Golf Digest behind Merion, Oakmont, Laurel Valley, and Aronimink. It has consistently been ranked in the Top 100 Modern Courses.
Huntsville Golf Club is unique in that, according to Rees Jones, it was built strictly as a golf club, with no consideration for real estate development or tourism trade. Two things set Huntsville apart: its natural beauty, and old-style design based on a risk-reward system. The site provides plenty of golf-friendly features such as wooded areas, rolling fields, a hardwood forest, and nearly 150 feet of elevation changes, which allowed Jones to create a fun, demanding layout that engages players from the first tee to the eighteenth green. His strategic layout attracts a membership of golfers of all levels who appreciate not only the flexibility of the course, but also the excellent practice facilities, professional staff, and the caddie program.
The distinctive, airy single-story clubhouse at Huntsville Golf Club was designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson Architects of Wilkes-Barre. Peter is perhaps best known for his design of the glass cube Apple flagship store on New York City's Fifth Avenue, and for designing Bill Gate's home in Seattle. The modern style of the clubhouse contrasts with the property's more traditional surroundings, but it offers guests a welcoming, comfortable experience. In addition to golf, the Club offers a full schedule of dining and social events, as well as private parties, showers and weddings. The addition of a stone patio and seasonal event tent in 2012 greatly enhanced the Club's ability to host large social gatherings.
In its relatively short history, Huntsville has hosted some memorable tournaments. Among them:
