LEHMAN TWP. — The Huntsville Golf Club has new owners, but they are familiar faces and promise to enhance the legacy of the course.
Members of the ownership group include Doug and Kim Barbacci, Jeff and Sue Metz, John and Lynn McCarthy, Gary and Katie Lambert, Neil and Mary Ellen Horn, Maureen Metz, and John Metz, along with their families.
They said former club founder Richard “Dick” Maslow built something special nearly 40 years ago and they wanted to be a part of its future.
New investors recently purchased Huntsville Golf Club in Lehman Twp. and promise to continue the legacy. (Courtesy of Huntsville Golf Club)
“It’s such a beautiful piece of property. We wanted to continue the legacy that Dick built,” said Jeff Metz, president and CEO of Dallas-based Metz Culinary Management.
The new owners didn’t reveal the sale price, but multiple property transactions indicate the land itself sold for more than $11 million. The par-72 course is nearly 475 acres.
In 1988, Maslow enlisted renowned golf course architect, Rees Jones, to design a premier golf course for the area. After finding the current location and acquiring the property, the course opened in 1994.
New investors recently purchased Huntsville Golf Club in Lehman Twp. and promise to continue the legacy. (Courtesy of Huntsville Golf Club)
It’s gained a reputation as one of the best golf courses in Northeast Pennsylvania and the state.
“We looked at it as one of the best in the business,” John McCarthy said.“We want to make it the best course in the area.”
Huntsville’s clubhouse was designed by architect Peter Bohlin of Wilkes-Barre’s Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson Architects, who designed Apple’s flagship store on New York City’s Fifth Avenue and billionaire tech giant Bill Gate’s home in Seattle.
New investors recently purchased Huntsville Golf Club in Lehman Twp. and promise to continue the legacy. (Courtesy of Huntsville Golf Club)
Going forward the golf course will be more than golf, said co-owner Katie Lambert.
“One of the things we talked about as a group was the family experience,” Lambert said. “We are going to enhance the experience.”
In a news release at the time of the sale, the new owners said “the goal is to ensure that Huntsville Golf Club maintains its special welcoming environment where families can feel at home and create memories that last a lifetime, while remaining one of the region’s premier golf destinations for generations to come.”
Nick Werner, a Wyoming Seminary graduate, two-time state champion and a freshman golfer at Penn State University said the course paved the way for his career.
“Huntsville is an amazing golf course. It has some of the best practice facilities I’ve ever seen.The course is always in great shape and it’s very challenging,” Werner said. “But what really makes Huntsville special are the friends I’ve made and the support I have received from members and staff. I’ve made lifelong friendships there and without question, I wouldn’t be playing golf at Penn State if it weren’t for Huntsville and its members.”
Maureen Metz said the future is bright.
“We are excited for the future of the club and how we can enhance the amenities and social aspects,” Maureen Metz said.
