Great River Golf Club was acquired by Sacred Heart University in 2015 and now has more than 300 members, one-third of whom are alumni, faculty or staff of the university. In addition, Sacred Heart University affiliates - faculty, staff, alumni and students - who aren’t members of the club have playing privileges at special rates based on their affiliation with the university. Friends and family of these individuals also get a special rate equal to that of school alumni.
Jason Loomis, the 2024 PGA of America National Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, is entering his 6th season as the General Manager at the Milford, Connecticut club. Since 2019, Loomis and the leadership team have striven to transform Great River Golf Club from a public course (with some memberships or season passes) to a true semi-private university course. However, they still do about 4,000 public rounds per year, and here’s why.
“We have a deal with the Town of Milford that allows us to pump water from the Housatonic River to fortify our irrigation ponds,” Loomis explains. “In exchange, we are required to be open to the public, though the town does not dictate what we charge.”
This dynamic between the university, the golf club and the Town of Milford, Connecticut has resulted in an exciting new program that admittedly was just recently implemented, so concrete statistics as to its success are pending. Conceptually, I think everyone would agree that it’s a great idea.
Rather than accept public tee times at posted rates, Loomis and his team have created the Great River Golf Club Member for a Day Program. As a non-member of the club and non-university affiliate, individuals can play the stellar layout and enjoy the amenities that members experience every day.
“We have so many other public courses in our area that charge $60, $70 or more. We didn’t want to just post a $250 public rate - we felt this was an opportunity for us to roll out the red carpet to golfers who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to play our course. We also appreciate its marketing benefits as well,” Loomis says. “We wanted to do something more.”
Members for a Day get an experience that includes 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch or dinner at Monty’s River Grille, a locker for the day, practice facility access, a welcome gift from the Great River golf shop and a forecaddie to help keep play moving on the course. With this package, Great River has become a true golf destination in Southern New England. They host an LPGA Epson Tour event and are the home venue for the Sacred Heart Pioneers men’s and women’s golf teams, of course.