The Club at Ravenswood

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VctryLnSprts

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The town of Ravenswood, PA has been ravaged by decades of mystery lurking in the shadows created by a sun that never seems to fully rise and a constant fog that dampens the air. Just beyond the final row of dilapidated buildings, the road meets a steel gate, locked now for many years, behind which was the only source of escape from reality for residents rich with leisure time, The Club at Ravenswood, the town's once-popular municipal golf course, now abandoned due to the intrigue and fear surrounding the unsolved crime that took place on the grounds nearly 17 years ago.



The gate in this picture, and imagining the (fictional) golf course that lies behind it, will serve as the inspiration for my entry into the Challenge Series hosted by Griff.

This is going to be a lot of fun! I'd be grateful if you followed along on this creative journey.

[Deleted]

This week, the paperwork was finalized for Nesbit Golf Management's (NGM) purchase of The Club at Ravenswood, about a hundred miles north of Pittsburgh in the hills of northwestern, PA. The sale of the land allowed the CEO of NGM, Eric Nesbit, to cut the rusted lock from the entrance gate and swing it open for the first time in 17 years.

Many of the townspeople still talk in the shadows about what took place here nearly two decades ago, but Nesbit is hopeful that time and a rehabilitation of the property will help to put the tragic event in the past for good.

Once through the iron barrier, it took another couple minutes to get down the entrance road to the clubhouse due to the overgrown vegetation. The abandoned rustic-style building looked lost in a forrest of gnarly trees, but thankfully the autumn colors provided a glimpse of hope. The view from the patio overlooking the 18th green was dreary, as there was no evidence remaining of the flowers and gardens that once draped the slope behind the green. And alas, the orange-tinged clouds and dense fog that stole the beauty of the once-spectacular countryside still blanketed the air, just as it had done every day since that fateful hour.

This first visit to the grounds was simply to unlock the mystery of what remains, to take inventory of nature's progress, and to envision what this club could one day be again given a little time, money, and a fresh outlook.

Before he left, Nesbit took this photo, which looks across the pond at the eighteenth green, formerly under the watchful eye of members who would dine on the patio after their rounds. This image is to serve as his "before" picture, motivating him toward the goal of making The Club at Ravenswood a welcoming spot for the town's social butterflies once again.

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Course cleanup has begun at The Club at Ravenswood! Nesbit Golf Management has hired a tree service to go through the property to remove dead and damaged trees, trim overgrown limbs from trees that they plan to keep as part of the design, and to clear the underbrush and weeds from the planted areas that the landscaping crew intends to refine, mulch, and beautify. It's uncertain if the fog will ever lift from this place, as it seems the spirit of the man who lost his life here has cast a permanent, ghostly shadow over the land, but hopefully injecting a renewed sense of life into the facility will bring the golfers back.

Speaking of Remy Edwards, the victim of the unsolved crime that took place on the property, rumor has it that the new ownership has plans to put up a memorial on the grounds near the place where his body was found, in hopes of positively memorializing him and keeping evil spirits away from the course. The last thing NGM needs as an investor in this property is a complete failure to launch because people are too frightened to return. Only time will tell if the mystery surrounding that night is too much to overcome in bringing The Club at Ravenswood back from obscurity.

[bigned56]

You could make a good movie out of this mate.

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Contracted landscapers were on site today working hard on the clubhouse, parking lot, and patio area. This might seem like a detail that could be left until later in the project, but Nesbit Golf Management feels strongly that getting a step ahead of the haunting past includes rejuvenating the members' club to create a welcoming environment. Unfortunately, within minutes of the fountain being turned on, the sparkle of the crystal clear water was quenched by an increasing, orange fog. Only time will tell if purchasing this abandoned property will be a success, but the ownership group would be lying if they said they weren't a bit nervous that the evil past will doom this golf course forever.

[Deleted]

As crews continue to work their way around the golf course there hasn't been any sign of the dense, dreary fog lifting from the hilly countryside, but they proceed with the clearing of the overgrown landscape and mowing the once-manicured route of each hole. Hope still remains that the evil shadow that hangs over the course will disappear for good once the grounds are brought back to life.

Pictured here is the uphill, dogleg right second hole, a par 4 that gives the player a safe option of hitting 5 wood to the generous portion of the fairway, or choosing to take on the bunker complex with a driver, leaving nothing more than a wedge into the green. It's a fascinating choice, because playing safe means you have to beat the front green-side bunker with a longer iron coming up the hill on the approach shot. Thankfully the green is quite large and features only mild undulations, as the main challenge on this hole is that stressful decision off the tee.

[TreeWood]

Last night, Kessler convinced me, against better judgement, to take that long-neglected gravel access road that snakes its way below the dark umbrella of the once-proud oaks and moss-clad elms en route to the back gates of the Ravenswood maintenance yard.

He wanted to bid a final whistful adieu to that dark mistress that he'd come so very close to calling his own.

Kess had for years secretly coveted the notion of restoring Ravenswood to its former glory. He'd heard the stories of its ignoble past, and spent countless hours in the musty town archives, reviewing the original plot's topographical maps and researching the land's provenance.

Of course, this was rendered all for naught when the news broke of NGM snapping up the property.

A gentle tear rippled down his cheek as he caressed the the circular edge of the restored fountain, and the distant expression on his face foretold the emptiness that now consumed him...

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Upon seeing a lonesome visitor weeping into the fountain for three days in a row, newly hired Director of Golf David Andrews came out to see what was ailing this young man, especially since the golf course wasn't open and he couldn't yet by crying about a good round gone bad.

What Andrews discovered was a heartbroken man who had poured so much of his time into researching the glory days of the Club, yet falling just short of investment fundraising to purchase the property. Andrews brought Kessler inside and the two sat down at a makeshift table set up in what would soon be the pro shop once construction crews were finished with renovations.

They ended up talking for a couple hours, as Kessler shared those original topographical maps with him. Together they discovered that the routing of some of the holes had apparently changed over the years, and Andrews was intrigued by some of the original designs.

One hole in particular was the third hole, which instead of running along the top ridge of the property as it did 17 years ago before the Club shut down, used to be a severely downhill par 4 with a great view of the clubhouse beyond the lake. It's hard to say exactly when this hole was re-routed, but it would play completely different with today's technology versus the persimmon woods of the past. The hole would only measure 320 yards from the tips, but feature a 95' drop in elevation, with the lake lurking right behind the green to penalize overly aggressive tee shots.

The two men both looked up from the maps at the same time, catching each other's direct stare, and realizing simultaneously that this hole had to be brought back. It would offer today's player a fantastic and scenic, risk/reward par 4 right out of the gate early in the round.

They continued discussing the rest of the original routing that Kessler had uncovered, before Andrews picked up the phone to get Nesbit involved ASAP.

"This could be another big step in releasing the evil spirits hanging over this place," Andrews proclaimed.

Kessler couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, but he could tell the ideas were being well-received. After a few more minutes Andrews hung up the phone, folded up the old drawings, and extended his hand to Kessler.

"It's settled, we are going to implement these old routes into our reconstruction of the Club. But we'd like you to be a part of the project if you're able! You can start by naming the third hole, we really appreciate that you've brought the history of Ravenswood to us, and hopefully it returns to its glory," Andrews said.

Almost without hesitation, Kessler exclaimed, "glory, that should be what we call hole 3. It represents the original history of the Club, and the feeling a golfer would have if they drove safely to the green off the tee."

Andrews went outside and grabbed a maintenance cart, Kessler hopped in the passenger seat, and they drove off in the direction of the new third tee.

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The CEO of Nesbit Golf Management was so energized by the phone conversation he had just had with Andrews that he immediately chartered a flight to Pittsburgh, with plans to drive up to Ravenswood the following day. He wanted to walk the site and see firsthand the section of the property that Kessler had uncovered the original mapping for. Upon seeing the view from the top of the hill, Nesbit gave his final stamp of approval to reroute the course and begin moving earth to shape the third hole.

"With proper sculpting and just the right selection of landscaping, there's no doubt this hole should be called Glory," Nesbit agreed.

Since that day, crews began to notice a slightly brighter tone to the sky, and the density of the fog seemed to weaken just a bit. On one particularly encouraging afternoon when daylight tried to push through the canopy of mist, the team was able to take this picture from the forward tee, showing the work they had done on the design so far. Hopefully someday the sun will sparkle on the lake once again, which would give this hole a picturesque backdrop for an otherwise frightening tee shot.

[TheDominator273]

I love the lore behind your courses and this is shaping up to be the best yet.

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There have been over 80 truckloads of dead trees, broken limbs, and overgrown brush removed from the property thus far at Ravenswood, but the crew is enthusiastic about the expansive views that have opened up all across the course, putting some picturesque holes on full display.

Andrews and Kessler continue to make fantastic progress on their project of restoring some of the original routing, but on a few occasions while walking the grounds they swore they could hear ghostly screams coming from the west end of the lake. Everything seemed to check out fine, and none of the other workers reported hearing anything, but the mysterious cries left chills down their spines.

In the clubhouse, things were brightening up, despite the layer of damp fog that still persisted outside. The head of marketing, Rob Scott, had just brought in the framed artwork that would hang in the main foyer of the facility... a 10' by 6' replica of the painting that had adorned these walls for many years. The finished product was amazing, and CEO Eric Nesbit hoped it was another huge step in revitalizing the club by honoring the rich history that existed prior to the events that led to the gate being locked for 17 years.

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As we approach the weekend and many of the guys on the crew get some much needed time off, Kessler called an impromptu meeting with Andrews and Nesbit to review another possibility that he uncovered in his research of the historic routing map of the course. Apparently there used to be a short par three that sat just beneath the ledge that runs along the entire right side of the par 5 fifth hole, and local rumor has it that it was one of the most unique and stunning par threes in the state at one time. However, the wooden bridge that connected the teeing ground to the plateau green had apparently crumbled away from rot over the last couple decades and the hole was abandoned in favor of a more traditional routing in the years before the club closed.

Kessler wanted to propose that the original sixth hole be remade, despite it's enormous expense from bridge construction, land clearing, green sculpting, and fresh plantings. The head of marketing, Rob Scott, keeps talking about that "wow" moment, and Kessler feels deep in his heart that this is sure to be that "wow" moment if the design team can pull it off. Nesbit isn't thrilled with the additional outlay of cash, but he's committed to this project and trusts his Director of Golf David Andrews to make the right decisions about what the golfing population is going to want from this club. He believes very strongly that the mixture of history and nostalgia combining with the fresh landscaping and facility upgrades will bring people back to Ravenswood, hopefully erasing it's gloomy past once and for all.

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When this course is done, we are likely to look back at that moment when Kessler was found caressing the edges of the renovated fountain, crying into it's newly refined water, to be a major turning point in the development of this project. Since that day, and his conversations with Director of Golf Andrews, the historic information that they discussed has been a phenomenal addition to the process of remaking the Club at Ravenswood into a stellar track.

As discussed before, the team had decided to tackle the uncovering of old hole 6 and add it back into the routing of the course, despite the amount of money it would take to clear the gulley and tear down the rotting bridge that carries golfers from tee to green on the short par 3. This is what they were facing at the time that decision was made:



After many man hours and countless dollars from Nesbit Golf Management, this hole is on it's way to being the scariest pitching wedge shot in Pennsylvania. The new bridge is completed and the land has been cleared of all of the overgrowth. Nesbit has committed to bringing in landscaping rock and plantings that will beautify the hole, but no amount of eye-candy can eliminate the fact that anything left or short of this green will give the golfer an easy path to a 6 rather than a 2. Get ready for the most challenging par 3 since the 17th at Sawgrass!

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Crews are continuing to work their way around the Ravenswood property, uncovering the bones of each hole and preparing to return it to its original form. Hole 8 will prove nearly as challenging as hole 6, not because of a large bridge rebuilding process (although several small crossing bridges need to be put in), but because the waterfalls and creek that bisect this risk/reward par 5 need to be cleared of debris and overgrowth that have suffocated the quaint beauty of the swiftly-moving stream.

Although the design still needs the landscaping crews to come through and finish the hole, CEO Eric Nesbit is very pleased with the possibility that this hole will provide an enjoyable playing experience partnered with a gorgeous surrounding. If only the sun would break through the fog and glisten on the rushing water once again.