By MICHAEL RADANO
Courier-Post Staff
WEST DEPTFORD -- The project is much bigger than a golf course-only facility.
But that's exactly what West Deptford Township wanted.
Next summer the RiverWinds Golf Club is projected to open and will be a part of the RiverWinds Development at West Deptford.
The $28 million facility, located off Grove Road, will include swimming pools, gyms and a senior center. It is expected to open in March. The center is part of the township's riverside redevelopment project called RiverWinds, a 598-acre complex that will include retail and commercial space, ice and roller rinks, and a marina.
The township government is spending about $56 million on the project and expects much of it will be returned through agreements with private investors.
It's the golf course that attracts much of the interest.
``I think it will be an upscale golf course just because of the property itself,'' West Deptford Township committee member John Cobb said. ``It has a spectacular view of the Delaware and great terrain for a links-style course.
``From strictly a golfing standpoint, certainly that area has a tendency to be windy. On certain days it will be very difficult.''
The links-style course, which will have six holes along the Woodbury Creek where it meets the Delaware River, is the cornerstone of the project. It will be owned and operated by Arret and Emory Dobson, who succesfully opened the White Oaks Golf Club in Newfield last year.
``It's not an accident that the first development project that had to be looked into was the quality of golf at the site,'' Township administrator Gerry White said. ``A run-of-the-mill course won't attract the interest that a top-end course will.
``The rest of the complex will feed off the course. We knew that from the start. We feel we have a great facility in the making and we wanted to give the Township what it deserves.''
With the economy slowing the past few months, is this the right time to open yet another course? Cobb doesn't see that as a concern.
``I don't think (the economy) will have an effect because golf has seen and reached such a popularity level,'' Cobb said. ``Just the difference in youth programs from when I played in high school makes a difference. Kids are starting at 5 and 6 years old like in other sports. That's why you've seen such a large growth in courses throughout the area.''
It started in the early 1990s and it gave West Deptford mayor David Shields the impetus for the project.
``I think the mayor's initial vision of the project has been a tremendous idea that is now coming to fruition,'' Cobb said. ``The golf course is going to be a real nice part of the project.
``I think it was with the mayor's leadership and his vision that the project has reached this point.
``The community center allows us to bring our seniors and youth together in one facility. Golf was a big part of the whole project that we needed for the facility to be a success.''
In the end, the Dobson brothers presented what the Township felt was the best plan for the golf course. It didn't hurt that White Oaks has quickly earned a reputation of being a first-class operation.
``We did a formal request for proposals and had a wide variety of responses,'' White said. ``We evaluated each proposal on its own merits and, of course, against what we we're looking for. In the end we selected the Dobson brothers based on quality and value for what they could bring to the Township.''
``The mayor, Gerry Wright, and myself had an opportunity to tour their facility and got feedback from a lot of players throughout South Jersey during our initial conversation," Cobb said. "We were very impressed with the conditions. It's a great layout.
"But I have to think with the location and terrain, there is no question this will be a signature course for them.''
It also helps to have the support of the community at large.
From the start, according to White, the RiverWinds project has been an eagerly anticipated facility. The golf course has been the No. 1 concern of a majority of those he has talked to.
``Each year we send out a survey to the Township taxpayers,'' said White, who has held his position as Township administrator for the last 18 years. ``The support has never fallen below 80 percent with both the taxpayers and businesses of West Deptford.''
