It was announced this morning that the Crag Burn golf club will cease to function as a private entity, and will surrender all lands, buildings and equipment, to the town of Elma. A press conference was held a 9 am, in Elma Town Hall, at 1600 Bowen Road, to confirm the transfer of all property to the municipal authority. A formal statement was issued there by the club

“Since its establishment as an estate and horse farm in the late 1920s, Crag Burn has been private property. A series of families have made wonderful use of its rolling farmland and native grasses. The four founding families: the Smiths, the Rubbles, the Griffins, and the Flintstones, came to a decision that the property had served at the behest of too few, and that it should now become the retreat of many.” 

After use as a summer estate for its first 40 years, Crag Burn was redeveloped into a golf club by four descendants of the founding families. Stanford, Frederick, Barnabus, and Peeta, met with renowned golf course architect Alister Doak-Crenshaw in the late 1960s, and conceived of a plan that would convert the underused bridle paths, polo fields, and other walkabouts into a top-shelf private club. No swimming pools, tennis courts, nor other distractions would be found on the grounds of the Crag Burn Club. This was to be a golfer’s retreat.

One interesting exception to the rule was allowed by the founding foursome. A statuesque grain tower was constructed some sixty yards southeast of the 9th green. Its purpose was to establish a tightrope course between its summit and the top of the pro shop. Talks were well underway with the Karl Wallenda of the Flying Wallendas, to christen the rope course on opening day. When the final sticking point, about the weight of the line to be installed, Karl Wallenda and his team backed out, and the ropes course collapsed. The tower remains to this day.

Elma town supervisor Jonathan Clark could hardly restrain his glee at the dais. He spoke of his days growing up on neighboring Elma Meadows golf course, and how he embraced the challenge of wide open spaces on a golf course. “One of the things I love about golf, is its Scottish heritage. Elma Meadows has none of that, as it is a traditional parkland course, found only in the USA. This new acquisition will pair well with our town’s county course, as Crag Burn is what might be termed an English Heathland Course. It doesn’t lie adjacent to an estuary, but it does replicate many of the features of a true links. Public-access golfers are in for a treat.”  

Crag Burn will preserve a portion of its heritage as it transitions to a public-access course. It will be known as the Crag Burn Municipal Trace, or CBMT for short. Phase one of the transfer will focus on the golf course and its continued use. Tee times will be restricted to 100 per day, in order to preserve the private-club conditioning of the layout. Phase two will see the development of a ropes course in the trees adjacent to the 2nd fairway. The climbing course is a nod to the original Wallenda Dreams of Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Stan Smith and Peeeta Griffin. Phase three will witness the development of a wave pool alongside the 5th green, a water slide in the pond that separates the 18th and 11th fairways, and and a skate park where the current, short-game facility lies.

Groundbreaking on phases two and three is scheduled for April 1st, 2021.   

Crag Burn

Sorry to break hearts today, but Happy April Fools’ Day, everyone. Keep smiling through these times.