Frustrated Fort Monmouth Redevelopers Want Army to Keep Golf Course Open

If you planned on teeing up this weekend at Suneagles Golf Course, you might want to make other plans. Because unless the Army has a sudden change of heart, the course is set to close Aug. 31. 

Redevelopment officials say they have been working for months, meeting at the highest levels of authority, to keep up continous play at the course in the midst of the Army's closure of the installation next month. 

"Frustrated" is the word redevelopment officials most often use regarding the immediate future of the Army's golf course.

"We're frustrated at our inability to get anybody at the Army to see outside the box," said FMERA's executive director, Bruce Steadman. There are six Army entities tied to the property and, he said, "They all say it's the other's responsibility to make the call on it."

In a prepared statement Steadman told Patch that, "It is FMERA’s goal to work with the Army to keep the golf course operational from Aug. 31  to Sept. 15 when the Army officially closes Fort Monmouth.  Until an agreement is reached with the Army, the Army will close the golf course at the end of the day on Wednesday. FMERA would like the Army to keep the golf course open and operational until Sept. 15, at which point FMERA hopes there will be a lease executed between the Army and FMERA."

The golf course operator, would take over operations once a lease is signed.

The hope, Steadman said, was that the Army would allow golfers to continue to play in the meantime.

Odis Jones, director of real estate for FMERA, said that the closing of the golf course, along with the impending closure of the commissary, is a one-two punch for area veterans and retirees.

"In an already tenable economic situation (the golf course) is a benefit to them," he said. "This is really going to put the squeeze on them."

"Our goal is to not close it for even an hour," Steadman said.

With no agreement as of Wednesday afternoon, it looks like that goal will not be met.