Woodcrest Country Club sold
Bidding on the Woodcrest Country Club didn’t go as planned for the township or the county, but it will continue to be run as a public golf course.
Marlton-based real estate consortium First Montgomery Group purchased the 155-acre parcel of land, with a winning bid of $10.1 million, which was almost $4 million higher than the appraised value of the property, according to a release from Camden County.
First Montgomery Group launched the website, thevillageatwoodcrest.com, early last week following the acquisition of the property.
“The Village at Woodcrest, as it has been repositioned, paying homage to the Woodcrest name and the village/community it will serve, will be maintained to high standards and offer golf, swimming, tennis and banquet facilities rivaling the area’s private clubs,” the site said. “Interested golfers, tennis players and patrons alike are encouraged to register for the club’s newsletter to stay informed and receive invitations, including to the upcoming grand re-opening of the club.”
Freeholder Jeffrey Nash took the lead in partnership with the township and other possible funding entities to save the club, the county release said.
The facility lies geographically in the center of Camden County. The golf club dates back to 1929, when Camden City’s Jewish population was barred at other golf courses and started their own.
“I’m happy to hear that Woodcrest will continue to be preserved for the here and now as a public golf course,” Nash said in a statement. “Nevertheless, my concern is for the future of the property and the impact it has on thousands of Cherry Hill and Camden County residents. The reason the county entered the bidding on this parcel was to save it for perpetuity and make sure it stays green for generations of residents to come. Any effort to develop this property beyond open space will be met with substantial opposition given sensitive environmental and capacity issues.”
According to the county release, the freeholder board will continue to work to save the integrity of the property and preserve the parcel in the same way it has existed over the last 100 years.
“Regardless of the auction, I still believe this natural area should stay a golf course or become a park that would be a benefit to everyone in the county,” Nash said.
Officials with First Montgomery Group could not be reached for comment.
According to the county release, Mayor Chuck Cahn was definitive in his support for the zoning of the property and the preservation of the land.
“Together with the county, we put our best foot forward in trying to acquire the property. I am disheartened by the outcome, but our position has not changed: council and I do not want to see this site developed, and we will not support any change in zoning,” Cahn said in the county release.
The mayor went on to thank the other bidders who came to the table with the best interests of the community in mind and who shared the freeholders’ and township’s common goal of protecting the important property from commercial or residential development, the county release said.
In addition, Council President Dave Fleisher voiced the local governing body’s support for the current zoning.
“Township council stands squarely with the mayor against any change in zoning and still believes this parcel should remain as open space,” Fleisher said.
The opportunity to maintain the course was as much a matter of pride as it was an opportunity to ensure the integrity of the course is maintained to the highest possible standards, The Village at Woodcrest website said.
