Enfield — Two members of the Montcalm Golf Club have stepped up to purchase roughly 405 acres of land, including the club, from Norwich resident Andrew Sigler, a retired corporate CEO who built the course about 15 years ago.
Art and Suzanne Langlais, of Connecticut, say they hope to make big behind-the-scenes changes to preserve the playing experience at what they called one of the most pristine golf courses in the country.
“When we heard the course was for sale, we didn’t want it to become a corporate entity,” said Art Langlais, 62, during a phone interview early Monday afternoon. “We want it to stay the way it is.”
Earlier this summer, Sigler wrote a letter to members indicating that he was covering a $600,000 annual deficit at the club, which gets most of its revenues from annual membership fees that range from $500 to $4,500.
“It was time for me to get out from under that,” Sigler said. He expressed confidence in the Langlaises’ vision for the club, and in the three staff members (general manager Elizabeth Clark, golf professional Cory Mansfield and superintendent John Harrington), all of whom are expected to stay on.
“We’ve got good people,” said Sigler, who said he doesn’t plan to be a presence at the club, so as to give the Langlaises space to move forward.
“He was very particular in who he sold it to,” said Suzanne Langlais, 46, who has begun as the club’s CFO. “It was more finding the right buyer who had the right vision, and less about selling it for as much money as possible.”
When the course finishes out its current warm weather season, the Langlaises said, they will embark on a plan to increase the number of members, form stronger bonds with the area community and, eventually, become a member-owned entity.
“I think we need to double the membership,” said Art Langlais, the club’s new president. “Right now, if we can get to 120 members, we can be on very strong footing. We should be able to do this for many years.”
“We don’t have a date yet, but at the end of September, we’re going to have a community day and let local people play at the golf course for a reasonable rate,” he said.
He said he also had plans to change a members-only sign on the main access road, which he said was not in keeping with the welcoming culture he hopes to cultivate.
Built near Smith Pond Road and Interstate 89 over a four-year period that ended in 2004, the 18-hole design incorporates the terrain’s rolling hills, including one hole, the 16th, that consists of 415 yards of uphill play.
“What members love about it is that it is pristine,” said Suzanne Langlais, who estimated that she and her husband have played on hundreds of courses over the past 10 years. “There’s no homes. It’s not crowded with people. It is the most Zen experience, playing golf. We want that to continue.”
According to a news release announcing the sale, the club has transferred the assets of its privately held Enfield Land Co. and Montcalm Golf Club LLC. Langlais declined to name the selling price, but the bulk of the course’s land is on a 319-acre parcel with an assessed value of $3.4 million.
Art Langlais said he has become familiar with the area over a 30-year career selling lighting and lighting control solutions throughout New England. He said he and his wife might purchase a house in the area, though they will maintain ownership of the Langlais Group, their lighting and control company, based in South Windsor, Conn., just north of Hartford.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.