7 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 11, 1995" - 9 ~~. By RONALD BARTIZEK groty Post Staff » The low-slung white brick clubhouse at Huntsville Golf Club is nearly complete, and it's a stunner. Designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson Design in Wilkes- Barre, the 15,000 square foot building encloses three dining areas, locker rooms, a pro shop and a full kitchen equipped to handle up to 250 diners. The largest space is an open area with a wall of windows that allows a full view of the 18th green and the practice tee. A “grill” room and bar is on the left side of the entrance foyer, and a larger dining room is on the right. The spaces combine for ‘about 3,000 square feet of floor space. A smaller private dining room is tucked behind a large fireplace, adjacent to the kitchen. ' The dining rooms began full service last Sunday, and in ad- dition to serving golfers are available to members for private parties and events. Richard Maslow, the club’s president and primary inspiration, said ‘one wedding is already booked for next spring. + Furnishings and other interior treatments were se- lected by Arnold Syrop Associ- ates of New York. Syrop de- ‘scribes the cherry tables and chairs set off by accent pieces as “country contemporary.” An unfinished antique American {restle table, other furniture, baskets and bowls — some from as far away as Thailand — are among the highlight items, all of which share a country feel. Wood tables and chairs are interspersed with wicker furnishings on the patios. ~ Syrop got the job after Maslow visited the Park Avenue Cafe, one of New York's premier restaurants, and was impressed with the way it looked and felt. He tracked down Syrop, and asked him to do something similar for the clubhouse. lassy clubhouse or a great course The full-service kitchen measures about 2,000 square feet, and is fully equipped to produce everything from sand- wiches to a gourmet feast for 200. Additional seating is provided on 4,250 square feet of patio that wraps around the two sides of the building which face the course. POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Paving blocks of Pennsylvania bluestone form a large plaza at the entrance of the clubhouse, with the club’s name inscribed in a large circular stone. Imposing Mahogany benches flank the entrance doors. Well-appointed men’s and la- dies’ locker rooms take up an- other 3,700 square feet, and the pro shop is housed in 700 square feet at the building's corner. Bohlin wanted to connect the clubhouse to the course with his design. "We thought of the building as a kind of pavilion on the course," he said, pointing out that many classic club= houses are surrounded by porches. . When landscaping is com- pleted, and the trees grow in, POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Maria Lysaker, restaurant manager, shows off the grill room. Frank Casella, Bob Hughes, Warren Koehl and George Bernard enjoyed a bite in the grill room. The waittress is Gineen Dodd. Photo contributed. the approach to the clubhouse will be between a line of Aus- trian pines on the right and a grove of 50 or more Hawthornes on the left. "It's a treat working for the course and for Dick Maslow," Bohlin said. Among his other clients is Bill Gates, the chair- man of Microsoft. The Bohlin firm, which was named the top firm in the nation last year by the Architect Institute of America, is a partner in design- ing Gates's new home in Seattle. Senate Construction of New- berry Estate served as general contractor for the building, with most of the subcontractors drawn from northeastern Pennsylvania. Wood is a prominent material throughout the structure. Ma- hogany is used to frame walls of windows that overlook the course and for an impressive bench that greets visitors at the entrance. Exterior and interior siding of Western Red Cedar at the entrance and inside the locker rooms and pro shop contrasts with white-painted brick walls in the dining area. Selected ceilings are con- structed of thin slats of cedar dropped slightly from the surface. The bar was built by Jeff The men’s locker room is finished in Western red cedar and Vaida of Harveys Lake, from maple with a cherry stain. All columns, beams and the exposed roof trusses in the dining areas are Douglas fir. Other materials include Penn- sylvania bluestone on the foyer floor, as paving blocks leading to the entrance and at other locations throughout the building, and Vermont slate on the fireplace hearth. A predomi- nantly green, patterned carpet covers most of the interior floor. The clubhouse is, of course, secondary to the course itself. Maslow said he's “having a lot of fun, and happy” with the course. “What's really fun is that the course is so wonderful.” The idea for the club began to take shape in 1987 when Maslow and his partners sponsored a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a new private golf course in the Back Mountain. A report came back that said the region needed and would support such a venture. Maslow then con- tacted Rees Jones, who is one of the world’s foremost course designers, and the pair began a search for suitable property. After looking at five major parcels of land, Maslow and Jones settled on about 500 acres in Lehman Township, cin furnished in leather and wood. Light streams in from the ceiling- height windows. Photo contributed. a The side of the clubhouse facing the course is a wall of windows. “The airy structure will seem to float in the landscape,” said architect Peter Bohlin of his design. Photo contributed. owned by six different families. But that wasn't the end of it. After that land had been acquired, Jones came to Maslow to report that he could build a very good golf course on it, but he could make it great if some acreage to the west side of Old Route 115 was added. The result was holes 11 through 14, which give the course a Scottish feel. Maslow, David Hall and Rich- ard Pearsall are the original in- ‘ vestors in the club. They are joined on a board of directors by Richard Caputo, who is the golf chairman; Paul Lumia, who is membership chairman; Sis ™ POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Scott Schukraft keeps the course in great shape. He's sitting on the patio that looks out onto the practice area. Ertley, George Evans, Tom McGrath and Dr. George Speace. Membership stands at about | 260, Maslow, said, with an ; upper limit of 300 regular members. Junior and non- resident memberships are also available. Regular memberships can be had with a refundable fee of $15,000 and a non- x refundable initiation fee of \ $6,000. Annual dues are pres- ently $3,800. Memberships apply to family members. For information, call 674-6532 or write: Huntsville Golf Club, 147 | Hayfield Road, Shavertown PA 18708-9748. POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK : The kitchen crew includes, from front, Lisa Cirelli, executive chef; Dawn Smyers, Keith Ashley, Paul Hiedcavage. In the pro shop, from left, Tim Foran, course professional; Mike Lh Toscano, ass'’t pro; Dick Maslow. POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK
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