SWAINTON – The Sand Barrens Golf Club in Swainton issued a Facebook post Oct. 15 thanking its many customers for 20 great years. The next day, the Union League of Philadelphia assumed ownership of the facility which will be turned into a private golf club for Union League members.
With a large and expanding membership among property owners in the county, especially in Avalon and Stone Harbor, the league has been actively establishing its presence in the area.
In 2014, the league acquired the Backyard Restaurant in Stone Harbor for $600,000, and turned it into a seasonal “bring your own bottle” for members only; and renamed it The Bungalow.
The Union League of Philadelphia was founded in 1862 by men who supported the Union cause during the Civil War. The prestigious and exclusive private club, located in a block-long Second Empire-style Philadelphia building, is responding to an expanding membership outside of its roots on Philadelphia’s Main Line.
In 2014, the league assumed ownership of a golf course north of Philadelphia now known as the Union League Golf Club at Torresdale.
With membership growing in South Jersey, especially among second homeowners in Cape May County, the league began looking at golf clubs in the area.
A letter to members explained that the Sand Barrens deal was a move to “preserve our position as the best private club in America.”
Papers on the private sale have not yet been filed; leaving the price paid for the golf club a mystery. The Sand Barrens is a 236-acre, 27-hole facility.
County residents and visitors who frequented Sand Barrens have until Dec. 16 to enjoy golf privileges and dining in the Royal Oaks Restaurant.
Plans call for the facility to close temporarily for renovations which the league hopes to have completed before the start of the 2018 summer season.
A separate Facebook post introduced the new name of the golf facility as the Union League National Golf Club. The post explained that the club would be “a private facility for the members of the Union League of Philadelphia.”
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
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