PHOTO COURTESY GOLF ADVISOR
A letter from the Carl M. Freeman Companies that oversees the Bay Club golf course in Berlin recently announced the course would close permanently at the end of January.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Jan. 17, 2019) A letter emailed to Bay Club golf course members last Friday and sent via regular mail Monday announced the course would close at the end of the month.

It is unknown at this time what will become of the property.

Michelle DiFebo Freeman, president of the Carl M. Freeman Companies, which owns the club, signed the statement.

“The Bay Club has a rich history of 30 years of serving a wonderful membership with a dedicated staff. When the Carl M. Freeman Companies purchased the property in 2000, we continued to showcase this beautiful course and staff to the region. Upon review of the 2018 golf season results and our projections for the upcoming year, the Carl M. Freeman Companies has determined that we will discontinue the golf club operations,” the letter said.

“The last day of operations will be January 31st, after which all operations at The Bay Club will cease. We want to ensure the last few weeks of operations are positive for all involved. We have developed severance packages for employees but will do our best to move staff to other properties within the Freeman Companies and the Troon network. Golf shop merchandise will be available to members in good standing at a discount. For golfers who are looking for a golf membership opportunity, please consider Bayside in Fenwick Island, DE or Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, DE.

The letter went on to say that the company had tried to find other ways to use the property, and that it would continue that search, but that increasing costs and declining revenue forced its hand.

There were plans to convert the 460-acre Bay Club on Libertytown Road into a 434-unit campground, but that was abandoned in 2017. Opponents of the project had concerns about environmental impacts and traffic.

Freeman Senior VP and CFO Dave Levitsky at the time said, “We will continue to operate The Bay Club to the same high level of expectations that we set for our members’ experience and assess opportunities that arise to make the best use of our undeveloped property to serve the greater community and enrich lives for generations to come.”

Attorney Hugh Cropper, who represented the Freeman Companies in the attempt to get a special exception from the Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals for the campground, said Tuesday he was caught off guard by the closing.

Asked if the Freeman Companies would again pursue redevelopment Cropper replied, “I honestly don’t know. It was news to me.”

Jeff Evans, director of marketing and sales for the Carl M. Freeman Companies, provided a statement about the future of the club on Tuesday.

“Over these years, we have continued to explore alternatives for this property that would best serve the needs of our great communities of Berlin and Worcester County,” Evans said. “We will continue to work toward ensuring that the property is an asset to the community while meeting the high standards of the Carl M. Freeman Companies. We will continue to look into options but due to the reason mentioned in the letter, we can no longer operate the course.”