When Heritage Creek GC opened six holes in 2011, I took a couple of laps around it and penned a story. Following are the first few paragraphs:

 

In recent years, the conventional wisdom in the golf industry has been that to grow the game, you’ve got to "think outside the box."

 

Say hello to Heritage Creek Golf Club. 

 

"Thinking outside the box" was not the plan back in 2007, when the Mignatti Companies began developing Golf Club Estates at Heritage Creek in Warwick, Bucks County.  The plan then was for Kelly Blake Moran to design a 6,500-yard 18-hole course that would be the recreational centerpiece of a luxury residential development and a 55-and-older community with 550 units.

 

As fate and Wall Street would have it would have it, Moran (Lederach GC, The Club at Morgan Hill, Hawk Pointe) managed to get six holes built before the economy tanked and the bottom fell out of the housing market, putting completion of the course on hold.   What comes next ...well, we’re all still trying to figure that out.

 

What is known for now is that in a matter of days, construction will resume on three more holes at Heritage Creek, to complete at least nine.  That construction should be finished by the end of summer and the three new holes grown in for an opening in spring 2012.  The timetable for the second nine holes remains dependent on the recovery of the housing market.

 

Anyway, when life hands you lemons, you can feel sorry for yourself or you can set about making lemonade.  Magnatti is opting to make lemonade, promoting the existing six-hole course at Heritage Creek as an alternative to the same old, same old 18-hole round.  You know, save time, save money.

 

Although the original six holes have been open for daily fee play for the past two years, since spring 2008, Heritage Creek has existed largely beneath the radar of many area golfers. 

 

The strategy now is for Mignatti and Heritage Creek to attract a variety of daily fee golfers -- seniors, juniors, women, families with young kids and anybody else seeking something other than the usual five-hour, 18-hole round.

 

"Most people play 12 holes here – that’s the norm -- but we also get a fair amount of six-hole rounds," said Ryan Woodard, Heritage Creek’s superintendent and jack-of-all-trades.

 

To add a little variety and spice to the 12-hole rounds, each of the very sizable greens at Heritage Creek have two pin locations, giving the front and back loops a different looks.

 

Besides seniors, for whom six or 12 holes seems to be just right, Woodard is seeing more golfers pop in after work.  "Just the other day, a guy told me he can stop by on his way home from work, get in six holes and his wife never knows a thing," said Woodward.

 

Last summer, it was not uncommon to see groups of 10- and 12-year-olds walking the course.  "Moms drop them off," said Woodward, adding that one mom told him it was cheaper than a half-day at day camp.

 

 

In the three years since, Heritage Creek has opened three more holes and build a new clubhouse.  Last fall, I played the new, improved course and shot a video. (Bausch Collection).  Have a look: